As the modern world changes and evolves, so does the modern lifestyle. Our levels of home comfort, desires, and overall life satisfactions are being defined in new ways, often contrasting with notions of the 'traditional' house design. We aim to live simpler lives yet somehow manage to have more material possessions than before; and we opt to reside in open-plan homes that provide a sense of freedom. All too often traditionally designed homes are no longer able to satisfy our contemporary living needs. The restoration of living spaces is usually to restore existing buildings that may have become impractical over time, if not outdated. These days, the challenge is how to adapt and transform these existing buildings to modern standards, all the while maintaining what may still be useful, special features or design characteristics, or what we like most about the space. This book showcases a selection of examples of how people from around the world have ingeniously refurbished an old house to meet their needs for a modern lifestyle. With vivid descriptions, detailed drawings and rich photography (including befores and afters), this book provides designers and architects, as well as owner-builders of old houses several excellent strategies on how to approach their restoration, and how to convey a modern life concept, revitalizing, and refreshing the houses for the next generation.

The essential ingredient for full enjoyment of your river, lake, pond, or oceanfront property.

If you're fortunate enough to own waterfront property, you know that a dock is essential for realizing maximum value and enjoyment of that land. Now you can build your own dock, or repair an existing dock, with this comprehensive, easy-to-use guide -- the only book devoted exclusively to residential docks.

The Dock Manual contains 10 complete plan for stationary and floating docks -- each with materials and tool lists, and simple, illustrated construction techniques. You'll also find step-by-step instructions for analyzing your shoreline and choosing the right dock for your needs.

You'll refer to The Dock Manual throughout the year for expert advice to help you:

* Make repairs and upgrades

* Winterize your dock

* Build angle, roller, and stair ramps

* Paint, stain, and treat your dock

* Deter and repair decay to wood and plastic

* Incorporate design options like trims and colors

Filled with practical advice as well as history, Blu Greenberg's book is a comprehensive guide to the joys and complexities of running a modern Jewish home. How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household is a modern, comprehensive guide covering virtually every aspect of Jewish home life. It provides practical advice on how to manage a Jewish home in the traditional way and offers fascinating accounts of the history behind the tradition. In a warm, personal style, Blu Greenberg shows that, contrary to popular belief, the home, and not the synagogue, is the most important institution in Jewish life. Divided into three large sections-"The Jewish Way," "Special Stages of Life," and "Celebration and Remembering"-this book educates the uninitiated and reminds the already observant Jew of how Judaism approaches daily life. Topics include prayer, dress, holidays, food preparation, marriage, birth, death, parenthood, and many others. This description of the modern-yet-traditional Jewish household will earn special regard among the many American Jews who are reexploring their ties to Jewish tradition. Such Jews will find this book a flexible guide that provides a knowledge of the requirements of traditional Judaism without advocating immediate and complete compliance. How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household will also appeal to observant Jews, providing them with helpful tips on how to manage their homes and special insights into the most minute details and procedures in a traditional household. Herself a traditional Jew, Blu Greenberg is nevertheless quite sympathetic to feminist views on the role of women in Jewish observance. How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household therefore speaks intimately to women who are struggling to reconcile their identities as modern women with their commitments to traditional Judaism.

This best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing.
Japanese organizational consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly declutter your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Whereas most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, the KonMari Method's category-by-category, all-at-once prescription leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have been repeat customers (and she still has a three-month waiting list of new customers ). With detailed guidance for every type of item in the household, this quirky little manual from Japan's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help readers clear their clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home--and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

For 70 years, readers have been enjoying Meinecke's classic odes to the simple life, Your Cabin in the Woods (1943) and Cabin Craft and Outdoor Living (1947). For the first time, these books are combined into a deluxe two-color vintage package, featuring hundreds of charming illustrations by Victor Aures, known for his work with the Boy Scouts of America. In writing both practical and inspirational, Meinecke details how to turn your dream into a reality, from building plans to choosing land to using tools. However the book's enduring appeal owes in large part to its warmly engaging tone and firm belief in the restorative power of nature. He delights in the satisfaction of hard work, writing "in the doing you find yourself tired, muscles a bit sore, hands hardened and rough, but you will say over and over again, 'I did it.'" Meinecke's homespun wisdom is a comfort in your toil, "Take full enjoyment in the building. Take time out to rest. Most city folks seem always to rush things through. Why? Lay off until tomorrow. Take an afternoon nap. Stop the clock for the weekend. Get off to an early start in the cool of tomorrow morning. You may be crowded in your work in town, but this should be your rest cure, your recreating. Don't spoil it by city driving standards."

Running a small business can be daunting to the contractor whose expertise is in building -- not finance or law. This book helps to demystify the day-to-day challenges that contractors face. Running a Successful Construction Company is acknowledged as the leading book in its field. Includes 50 color photos and drawings.

A must-read for anyone with an adventurous spirit, a yen to whittle and chop, and a desire to get out into nature and play with sticks! These 50 achievable ideas for making and playing with sticks - all with beautiful step-by-step illustrations - make a great gift. The next title in Pavilion's best-selling outdoor adventure series, 50 Things to Do with a Stick will introduce you to the joy of making something out of almost nothing. With a few gathered twigs and sticks, start with simple ideas such as making plant markers or tent pegs and work up to constructing a lantern or woven basket. Working with wood is common to nearly every culture - it's nature's most adaptable raw material, malleable yet strong, and biodegradable. Until the 1960s woodworking was taught widely in schools, but since then has been in decline, robbing generations of the satisfaction of making useful things by hand. Richard Skrein begins by guiding you in choosing sticks and tools. Four chapters with evocative illustrations take you step by step through projects to use at home; to make music and decorative objects with; to play with; and to use out and about - the perfect accompaniments to a camping trip (2020 and 2021 saw unprecedented campsite bookings in the UK, and this trend is set to continue). This is the perfect book for anyone wishing to be more self-sufficient. Find your inner explorer with these battery-free, no-emission ideas! Chapters include: Home Sticks: cutlery, coat hooks, brooms, candlesticks Stick Craft: jewellery, weaving, mobiles, picture frames Stick Play: catapults, musical sticks, magic wands, story sticks Camp Sticks: lanterns, ladders, stools, stick bread! Word count: 15,000 words

Bless your clutter. Yes, you heard right: Bless it. Bless everything in your life that is superfluous, broken, burdensome, and overwhelming--because it is all here to teach you an important lesson, perhaps the most important lesson there is: what really matters.
Everyone's lives could use some serious decluttering. But decluttering isn't just about sorting junk into piles and tossing things in the trash. Decluttering can inform us of our burdens, help us to understand our attachments, and aid us in identifying what is truly valuable in our lives.
Written by a medical doctor and a spiritual intuitive, with case studies of people just like you, "Breathing Room" takes you on an enlightening room-by-room tour where each room in your home corresponds to a "room" in your heart, and where declutter-ing will not just make space but improve the spirit.
So, if it's weighing you down, if it's become an obstacle, if it's making it near impossible for you to find the things you really love--it's time for you to let it go and find a little breathing room.

In the DONE IN A DAY series, a step-by-step instruction book containing twelve basic projects for the garden, each of which can be completed in one day. Each project can be personalized by variations and is illustrated with photographs and exploded diagrams.

This A-to-Z guide illuminates the numerous health benefits of 50 common, easy-to-grow houseplants along with detailed care instructions and beautiful illustrations of each plant. With plant-scaped rooms popping up all over Pinterest, style blogs, and home decor magazines, houseplants are the hottest home accessory right now-and for good reason. Plants are a quick and easy way to add life, color, and texture to any indoor space. But houseplants offer so much more than just visual interest to a room. They can purify the air, reduce stress, improve sleep-and much more! Houseplants for a Healthy Home explains the specific health and wellness benefits of 50 common, easy-to-grow, and popular houseplants, while introducing you to new favorites bound to brighten your life. You will find an A-to-Z guide of a variety of the plants that includes a beautiful illustration of each plant, along with the plant's health benefits and clear, detailed care instructions. Let Houseplants for a Healthy Home lead you to a life in full bloom.

A natural swimming pool is an exciting addition to a garden. It is the ultimate play resource that provides a healthy, chlorine-free environment for swimming, a living ecosystem for nature lovers and whole new world of aquatic plants for gardeners. This practical handbook describes a wide range of pools from simple "swimming ponds" to models with separate plant regeneration areas, and others that resemble traditional pools. It explains how plants are used to keep the water clean and advises on pumps, skimmers and filters to limit the growth of algae, encourage the growth of biofilm and keep the water sparkling. Natural swimming pools are easy to maintain, have low running costs and require less fill-up water than conventional pools. This book provides tried-and-trusted advice on a feature that is increasingly in demand among aspirational, eco-minded gardeners and designers.

When it comes to home renovation, there's no substitute for experience. Renovation 5th Edition contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of remodeling contractors, architects, and tradespeople who shared their first-hand experience with Mike Litchfield as he interviewed and photographed them on job sites across North America. As a founding editor of Fine Homebuilding magazine, the author of 16 acclaimed books, and a home renovator himself, Litchfield was able to record lifetimes of practical, field-tested solutions and trade secrets from the cream of the crop--the remodeling pros that other pros admire. Both first-time renovators and professionals who want to supplement their knowledge of specific trades will find Renovation 5th Edition invaluable. Renovation 5 reflects the new realities of planning carefully, spending wisely, maximizing space and building durably. Its 656 pages contain extensively revised chapters on planning; doors, windows and skylights; electrical wiring; structural carpentry; masonry and foundations. Its illustrations are crisp and informative and its 1,000+ photos were selected from more than 45,000 that the author has taken over the years. This classic work covers renovation from start to finish. Best of all, Renovation 5 is written in a down-to-earth conversational style that is clear and easy to understand. Written with a sharp wit and a dry sense of humor, Renovation 5 is not only immensely useful, but great fun to read.

The restoration of historic homes has gained immense popularity lately. Unfortunately, there are just as many lost to demolition and unsympathetic alterations. That is not Fairview’s story though – because it was love at first sight when the Benkensteins walked through the historic Georgian house for the first time. Against all advice, they bought the 1861 property and opened the doors of their newly restored family home to guests.

But running a guesthouse is not all moonlight and roses. Philda shares honest insights into the life of the guesthouse owner. The ups and the downs. Memories, anecdotes, inspiration, the wonderful and sometimes the more difficult guests and a few tried and tested recipes. To quote Nikos Kazantzakis in Zorba the Greek. ‘Wife, children, house, everything. The full catastrophe’. More than twenty-eight years of experience in the hospitality industry demands a story or two.

This entertaining memoir is as much about the stories of the people who call Fairview home, and home away from home, as it is about restoring a long-neglected historic dwelling and creating a plant collector’s garden. The Standers lived at Fairview from 1894
to 1974, and an account of this old house could only be complete by mentioning the lives led within the Fairview walls in those times.

Field Guide to Stains is divided into handy sections for easy access to information when time is of the essence: Fruits and Vegetables, Meat and Protein, Household Items, Garage and Yard, and more. Readers will learn more than just removal techniques details include general descriptions and likely seasons, times, and areas of occurrence. Did you know that a yogurt stain is more likely to occur in January (when New Year s resolutions demand more healthy eating), and that correction fluid stains are more prevalent in April (when the pressure to complete your taxes on time is at a high)? Includes more than 100 full-color photographs of stains, each one cross-referenced to its description and step-by-step removal advice. Quick-reference icons guide the reader to the most essential information in each entry. This guide has a sturdy, stain-proof exterior making it a necessity for every cubicle, glove compartment, and college dorm. Field Guide to Stains is a must-have for everyone about to venture out into the wild, to the kitchen, or to a night on the town!

A reclusive designer living in a custom tiny house in the middle of the Montana wilderness. A couple who traded their expensive Bay Area apartment for a slip at a nearby marina, where they live on a docked sailboat. A family of five who decided to simplify their lives by moving into a school bus, selling most of their possessions in the process. Nomad features their stories, and many more. From vanlifers to boondockers, liveaboards to tiny-house dwellers, these freedom seekers have forged a new way of life for themselves - one that values experiences over things, is environmentally conscious, and is often more budget-friendly than their "rooted" lives ever were. The ubiquity of the internet has ushered in a new era of connectivity that makes working from an Airstream beside a roaring river or running a photography business from a mountaintop a reality. It's now possible to do whatever you want from wherever you want and still have a foothold in the world. This book shows you how, with tours of 26 unconventional homes and the people who live in them, plus all the information you need to make your own off-the-grid dream a reality. There are chapters on bathroom and storage - two of the most challenging aspects of this lifestyle - plus a comprehensive guide to finding the right home, assessing the cost of renovation, handy products for small spaces, and indispensable resources (including sources for replacement RV parts, portable power solutions, tiny wood stoves, and much more).

With his signature wit, charm, and seemingly limitless knowledge, Bill Bryson takes us on a room-by-room tour through his own house, using each room as a jumping off point into the vast history of the domestic artifacts we take for granted. As he takes us through the history of our modern comforts, Bryson demonstrates that whatever happens in the world eventually ends up in our home, in the paint, the pipes, the pillows, and every item of furniture. Bryson has one of the liveliest, most inquisitive minds on the planet, and his sheer prose fluency makes "At Home" one of the most entertaining books ever written about private life.

The Power of Vastu Living introduces a wonderfully accessible, room-by-room approach for organizing and decorating homes, apartments, and work spaces according to the timeless healing principles of vastu -- the sister science of yoga and ayurveda. Kathleen Cox's breakthrough system, Vastu Living, delivers all the practical tools you need to incorporate the organic, soothing properties of ancient vastu design into an increasingly overcrowded, hyper-stressed, and e-saturated world. Now you can

...in every conceivable environment, from the kitchen, living room, home office, and bedroom to the company office, reception area -- and even the dreaded cubicle.

Elevate modern life through the 5,000-year-old healing properties of vastu. Enhance your inner peace, rediscover your sense of mind-and-body harmony, and always, always make room for the soul.

Praise for The Three Big Questions for a Frantic Family

"A guidebook for frantic families who want to reduce stress, tension, and pressure, and make the adventure of family life more exuberant."
--Frances Hesselbein, chairman and founding president of Leader to Leader Institute, formerly the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit

Management; former CEO, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.

"This is terrific. Just like he does in his business books, Lencioni combines great fiction with uncommon wisdom and practical advice. He provides simple toolsthat will help any family reduce stress and increase vitality."
--Tim Tassopoulos, senior vice president, operations, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

"By interjecting concepts like strategy and organizational values into families, Lencioni may just revolutionize the way we see our roles as leaders at home. This should be a classic."
--Jim Levine, author, Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing Work and Family

"Finally, a family book that doesn't bore me with academic jargon or make me feel inadequate as a parent. I loved it and put it to use immediately."
--Patty DeWitt, school teacher, wife, mother of three

"Patrick's delightful story is as engaging as it is powerful. He elevates the difficult role of managing a family to the place where it belongs."
--Elisa Morgan, CEO, MOPS International; publisher, FullFill