3 comments about Along Bungalow Lines.

1. Whether building a craftsman home or remodeling your bungalow, this book is full of ideas for you. Colorful pictures too!



2. This is a great book if your looking for idea's for inside and outside of your craftman home. Or if your looking to build one. I loved how it told all about how craftman homes came about and the pictures are wonderful.



3. The collaborative work of Paul Duchscherer (a design historian and interior designer specializing in history preservation work) and Linda Svendsen (a graduate of New York' Parsons School of Design and an expert photographer), Along Bungalow Lines: Creating An Arts & Crafts Home is a guide especially for homeowners interested in renovating and upgrading their vintage homes without sacrificing their unique Arts & Crafts styles. Chapters discuss American Historicism, Prairie Evolution and progressive period-style influence, the inspiration of "Greene Style", and much more, all embracing a closeness to nature and a high regard for elegance and creativity. Full-color photographs on every page allow for a breathtaking tour of beautiful homes, and the brief text debates conundrums affecting projects ranging from enlarging a period home to constructing a new building designed to echo a historic one. A visually stunning collection, filled with equal measures of practical and aesthetic advice.

4 comments about Ribbon.

1. This is a good book, informative and descriptive, yet has the feel of an art book that you want to pick up over and over. The history was interesting. I never could have thought of so many uses for ribbon. Some of the Christmas gifts that I made were actually inspired by the simple but beautiful demonstrations of how to add ribbon to almost anything.



2. This is a visual feast and a history of ribbons. The creative uses are displayed well in ways simple and ornate. Anyone can learn how to use ribbon in everyday life- to make our home or our apparel more inviting.
   
   I loved the use of ribbon on shoes and on napkins at place settings.And the section on pets wearing ribbon collars is fun-many a pooch will be sporting something new after owners read this book.
   
   This is a book you will return to again and again for inspirtation.



3. I love this book!!! I have seen nothing else like it. It is beautifully photographed and well written, a true work of art. I got so many ideas - from unique gift wrap, table settings, home décor, clothing and shoes, bed and bath, even cupcakes, and the list goes on.
   
   I especially appreciated the detailed instructions. I learned how to create bows I have never understood how to make. I look forward to using this information to add another layer of luscious beauty in my home and personal style.
   
   I will reference this book again and again. A special thank you to Nicholas Kniel and Timothy Wright for this beautiful, inspiring and amazing book.
   
   P.S. See their work in Martha Stewart Weddings, Summer 2008, pages 68, 57, 58, and 207. Really lovely.



4. I spotted the pre-release of this book way back in July and immediately signed up for it, and eagerly awaited the delayed arrival. The book itself is beautifully designed, photographed and executed, but BUYERS BEWARE: this is only an idea book.
   
   There are not really any instructions on how to create some of the beautiful complex pieces (eg. the "cockade") and for the most part the book is filled with suggestions about different things that ribbon (mostly bows) can be applied to. Ever since I learned to tie my shoes at age 3, I have been pretty clear about the potential use of that skill: wreaths, candles, shoes, clothing, flower arrangements, vases, etc. This is the content, for the most part - but it is beautifully photographed and art directed as previously mentioned.
   
   Much is made in the book about all the classes that are taught in Nicholas' store and I am disappointed that the authors did not choose to share some of that knowledge with us.
   
   There is an nice history of ribbon and the significance of ribbon at the beginning of the book, but for the most part I would suggest that this book is an extended advertisement for Nicholas Kniel's shop in Atlanta.
   
   Bottom line: it's a pretty coffee table book, but of limited use to designers. I will be returning my copy.

5 comments about The Japanese Bath.

1. The book the Japanese bath gives the history and the culture of the Japanese bath. Fabulous pictures which show the peace and beauty of the Japanese bath. A must-see and read for anyone contemplating building a bathroom.



2. This is a beautiful book, but not very practical in terms of how to build your own japanese bath. Having spent some time in Japan, I don't think my relatives, or others in a public bath would appreciate having someone get into the tub BEFORE scubbing down - GROSS! Only rinsing off is not good enough, as the book instucts you to do. Please scrub and rinse before you enter the tub.



3. Beautiful pictures and instructional text. However, one wonders why the authors included some of the "Resources" they did. Some of these have no website or catalogue. Example: Soko Hardware in San Francisco. So, if you don't live in the Bay Area, including them was almost useless. I would have liked to have seen more sources with which one can view and buy items.



4. Delight your every sense by checking out this book. The beautiful photography will help you design your relaxing bath space.



5. This book helped me design my Japanese bath and provided a wonderful resource for my ofuro-Sea Otter Woodworks in Alaska. I love the book and my new bath.

2 comments about Flea Market Finds: Before and After (Leisure Arts #15916).

1. This little treasure will have you looking at cast off items with a more resouceful eye. Many of these items would not get a second glance but the author has found interesting ways to repurpose flea market or discarded items. The project on the front cover is an example of a creative way to use those small side boards once part of old dining room sets. I am a fan of stripes, so the small dressers done in wide stripes has great appeal as well as a playful side. The techniques suggested can be applied to a variety of objects not just the ones illustrated in the book. I can't wait to go out this week end and rescue some unloved objects and give them a new lease on life. Undoubtedly this book is a great find...one of the best for sparking new ideas for those low on cash but high on imagination.



2. Flea Market Finds: Before and After.
   A great book for those who have things that they can makeower.
   Many idees and very fine pictures.
   I love it

1 comments about Country Living 500 Quick & Easy Decorating Projects & Ideas.

1. I have a passion for design books that are practical and fun. This one fits the bill. The suggestions would fit any casual comfort filled home.
   The use of color is great and appeals to the relaxation of the eye.

5 comments about Outdoor Rooms: Designs for Porches, Terraces, Decks, Gazebos.

1. I bought this book for ideas on design, but it turned out to be a big disappointment. Unless you have beaucoup of cash, this book is just a tease.



2. This book will set your imagination on fire and motivate you to turn your ordinary backyard into a mini-paradise. Lots of pictures to drool over, you will find yourself thumbing thru it again and again..



3. This is a great "thumb thur" book. It has really nice pictures of outdoor areas that are very "architectural".... Not helpful for the "average joe" looking for ideas to create your own backyard/outdoor patio/room.



4. If you need ideas on how to create outdoor spaces for entertaining - this book is for you. Dining, lounging, dining, lounging... Even different photos of the same patio have different place settings on the tables to give you dining ideas. After a while, I began looking for spaces where you could do something other than dine, or lounge. Overall, nice photos of nice outdoor spaces, but limited appeal.



5. When looking for fresh ideas and inspiration on how to create the prefect outdoor space you needn't look any further than this book. From a modern symmetrical porch to lush English gardens, it showcases a wide range of styles. With so much to choose from anyone can find something to suit their taste.

   Many of the outdoor rooms have pools. It is amazing how they manage to flawlessly integrate the pools into the environment without making them seem out of place or just thrown there. The magnificent outdoor spaces truly become a part of the home.

   I love the combination of styles and how they compliment one another. One room features the creamy white walls of Greece, a timber roof and hot Mexican colors in a cushioned seat. Large color photos tell the story with brief descriptions of each example.

   In the back there is a sampler of fine furnishing and accessories form a variety of different styles including historical, rustic, Mediterranean/island, and geometric. There is also a helpful directory of design professionals, photographers and product sources.

5 comments about 3-D Home Kit: All You Need to Construct a Model of Your Own Home or Addition (with Booklet "Architecture & Math Workshop Notes").

1. After reading some strongly positive and negative reviews, I felt that as the inventor of the 3D Home Kit, I should provide an overview.
   
   I invented the 3D Home Kit in 1983, to help homeowners construct detailed, three-dimensional, scale models of their own new home, addition and remodeling projects. The kit is based on my experience at Pratt Institute School of Architecture, from which I graduated in 1971, where I learned that constructing a model is the best way to design and visualize your building project. One of the first things I did with the prototype kit was to build a model house and compare it with a professional built model, costing hundreds of dollars; and when I saw that the kit model was similar quality, I knew that I had accomplished my goal.
   
   The 3D Home Kit was an immediate success and over two-hundred thousand have been sold. As part of its success, the kit has been used in schools to assist in teaching architectural design, as well as math, history, writing, and home economics. I have been interested in pursuing the educational use of the kit and worked ten summers developing and teaching an architecture and mathematics workshop for high school students. My students thoroughly enjoyed the kit and their work has been outstanding as they designed and built wonderful models of their own dream homes.
   
   When I worked with students, one question I had was whether to make a new "student" version of the 3D Home Kit. I spoke with several teachers who used the kit and one of them gave me the key: students are clever and quick to respond, and if you give them a professional kit they will give you their best "professional" effort, whereas if you give them a "student kit" then they will give you a typical student effort. Therefore, this is not a "student" kit.
   
   In response to input from hundreds of teachers and students, I've added to the kit step-by-step model building instructions and a design primer with extensive lessons on home design. A new worksheet includes lessons on basic home design, roof design, as well as a section on designer and builder problems and solutions.
   
   If you are purchasing the 3D Home Kit for a student under 14 years old, he or she will probably need assistance, and this presents a wonderful opportunity to work together on a terrific project. Working with the kit, you will experience firsthand some of the work and fun of being an architect. There is almost no limit to type of house you can build with this kit. For example, see the model and house photos posted by one customer. Please post your own model photos. Thank you. Based on feedback I've received from many customers, I rate the kit, five-stars.



2. I bought this for my 10 year old son last year. It was advertised as a toy for ages 9+. It consists of a pack of printed cardboard, period. There is no traced outlines, no punch out pieces, nothing. The idea is that you would make a model of your house using your own architectural plans and all sorts of geometric calculations (of course it assumes that we all have architectural plans of our houses lying around, and that we are all able to perform said geometric calculations - at the age of 9)It turns out the house pictured is just an example! Highly misleading, oh and by the way, unless you have a degree in engineering or architecture there is no way that you could ever make the house pictured....I know because I asked friends who are architects and even they say they would struggle to make anything as elaborate as the model shown. Definitely not a toy and definitely not for children but fine for anyone with masses of time on their hands, who's happy to pay a lot of money for some printed cardboard. A lot of the positive reviews seem to come from engineering lecturers/ professors - now, there's a hint!



3. I bought this kit for my daughter's ten year birthday. It is nothing but a box full of large cardstock printed with brick and siding. There is nothing to show you how to draw anything from scale. This is NOT a toy or intended to be used by children; it is primarily for adults who already have professional floorplans and wish to build a model.



4. I have used the 3-D Home Kit for the past four years as the basis for teaching the Architecture and Mathematics Workshop at the SummerMath program at Mount Holyoke College. My students are high school girls and they come from economically and culturally diverse background--from everywhere throughout the U.S. to Europe, Asia and African. They have little or no prior architectural training. Each student gets a kit and the opportunity to design and construct a model of her own dream home.
   
   Students mostly work independently, sometimes help each other, and get my assistance as needed. Using the kit, they learn about space planning, size, scale and proportion, as well as endless design details including where to put a bathroom or stairway, furniture layout, and how to design a kitchen and a roof. Some students work on landscape design adding pools, patios, trees and walks. The students also improve their hands on skills including how measure, cut and glue. The workshop is one-and-a-half hours per day for two weeks.
   
   Some students jump into the kit's design process in a moment, others take most of the two weeks to understand that making a mistake is a valuable lesson. Problem solving is the name of the game. When one design doesn't work, the student can scrap that approach and quickly measure and cut another sheet of the kit's building materials to actually see another option. The kit provides a wonderful way for the student to try several designs. The 3-D Home Kit turns each student's efforts into a realistic three-dimensional house model--and they love it.
   
   I highly recommend the kit, and have used it to plan several of my own design and fantasy projects: my own home, art studio from a tobacco shed, and vacation home designs such as a seashore cottage and mountain yurt.



5. This kit does a difficult task admirably – it offers novice designers a clear and understandable path through the complex processes of house design and paper model-building. As a K-12 design educator who uses 3-d Home Kits with my middle school (math and engineering) students, I can tell the creator of this kit has refined the process by teaching with the kit many times himself.
   
   The wealth of information (text plus illustrations) in the “Hands-on Design + Math” section teaches a good introduction to the design process for students and homeowners alike: program (determining your needs); site considerations; interior spaces; how to work in scale; and roof design. The “Model Construction section, a concise step-by-step guide, wisely includes a sample room addition with which to practice.
   
   Homeowners creating their own home design or remodel should be taking their time with process; I would suggest absorbing what this kit can teach, then doing drafts and rough study models using other paper and oak tag, then using the kit’s materials to create an attractive and useful final model.

2 comments about Bridges of the World: Their Design and Construction.

1. this is an excellent book for people with an intrest in the history of bridge construction and their design from the roman times to the modern bridge with lots of black and white illustrations.anybody who likes bridges will like this book.



2. This reprints a 1929 classic in an unabridged presentation covering the design and construction of spans around the world, from wooden landmarks and classic restored medieval structures to covered bridges, stone structures, and modern (up to early 1900s, that is) creations. Chapters pack in many vintage black and white photos and diagrams to accompany a technical survey of bridge advancements and construction.

5 comments about Tropical Houses: Living in Nature in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, and the Coasts of Mexico and Belize.

1. These luscious photos capture the beauty of the tropics in a way that someone who has really lived there would know. These homes are not just show pieces, they are lived in and loved.
   I first bought the author's work almost thirty years ago-he was doing open doors and bikes against European doorsteps as postcards. The colors were just as defined as they are in this book. He has a feel for the sublime as well as the intracies of daily life.



2. We are building a house in a tropical area and this book had some wonderful inspiring ideas. Best Tropical book out right now.



3. Excellent book with something for all tastes. Beautiful pictures make you want to go home and decorate immediately.



4. The cover is just a teaser to the exciting tropical houses Tim Street-Porter captures in this wondeful book. A real treat to exclusive tropical living around the world. Also an excellent reference to decorate in the tropical look. Street-Porter does it again as he did in Casa Mexicana. A book to enjoy over and over.



5. We are trying to get an "island" feel for our home and this book was the perfect reference. Not only are the pictures of the homes (inside and out) breathtaking, but there is enough detail about the decorating itself to be useful for our purpose. The only downside is that it makes you want to sell your current house and just travel the world staying in these amazing homes! Especially tempting is the contact information at the very end in case you actually want to rent one of them on vacation...

5 comments about Good Green Kitchens.

1. Planning a kitchen remodel is overwhelming--there are thousands of choices you have to make about every little detail. And on top of that, you have to worry about whether the products you use will destroy forests, contribute to our fuel dependency, pollute, off-gas, etc.
   
   This book does an excellent job of making the decisions simpler. During a time when every company is marketing themselves as green, this book provides a neutral resource for assessing the environmental impact of each of the items you purchase. It also covers the even greener option of re-using and re-purposing items for your kitchen, saving money and reducing your footprint. The pictures of the kitchens prove that a green kitchen can be beautiful and a joy to work in.
   
   A reviewer claimed that this book is "greenwashing" but that word has clearly been misapplied. This book sticks to the subject at hand and doesn't get off topic telling you how to cook and eat and live your life--that's a plus.



2. ... and so is this book. It's packed with beautiful kitchens and guidelines on choosing the greenest items for your reno or build. Green includes considering the manufacture, transport, durability, recyclability and health effects of the materials or appliances.
   There are 5 sections: an overview lays down general principles and considerations for affordability. Ch. 2 considers Flooring, Ch 3.is Storage (cabinets etc.), Ch. 4 is Counters and Walls. For each there is a table summarizing the pros and cons of the options, as well as more detailed text that will explain how it's made, if it can be recycled, whether it presents health concerns, etc. I found this text to be quite comprehensive. The final section considers energy use by major appliances (fridge, freezer, cookers, hood ventilation), water use (dishwashers, sinks, water heating, filtration and gray water), and cleaning (recycling, garbage, compost, and cleaners). There are sources listed in each section.
   The only annoying thing was that a few brands seemed to be "pushed" -- mentioned with great frequency in picture captions and text. Perhaps that reflects the lack of competing green brands, however.
   Bottom line: definitely worth getting if you are doing a kitchen reno or building a new house.



3. I found Good Green Kitchens to be an excellent resource. The information is comprehensive, unbiased, and clearly presented. It's also a great read and beautifully put together. The mix of reference information, case studies, and design tips works very well. I think that the quality of content is far better than most other home design books.



4. Anyone planning a "green" kitchen remodel will find this book very helpful.



5. This book is not worth much of a review. Far from being "green" it's what I'd call "greenwash". It's for people with a spare $20,000 - $50,000 who want to feel good by what they BUY, but there is precious little to indicate that the kitchens pictured actually lead to living a green life. You can't buy more stuff to become green - that's an oxymoron. The first thing to DO to have a green kitchen is to reduce your ecological footprint by what you do and then build a kitchen around your genuinely green lifestyle. This book is based on the unstated assumption that you first dream of living a green life, then you drool over plans and then you buy lots of stuff and that somehow makes you green. Sorry - this might fool your friends, it might even fool yoursdelf, but it won't fool the planet. Almost anyone can reduce their ecological footprint by a change in behaviour far more than they could by following the examples here. Any book on green design that features pictures of buildings, rooms and kitchens without people in them living a green lifestyle is - by my reckoning - just another example of greenwash. I give it two stars rather than one because there are a few ideas here that you might be able to adapt to support a green life. But you'll need to go elsewhere to learn about ecological footprint, environmental load and living green. There is one-third of a page on "environmental costs" when such a book should feature this at its core and the rest of the book should be about building a life and a kitchen around this principle.