We Americans love to look at ourselves. How we vote, where we work, what we think about church and school -- studying ourselves is a national pastime. What has been missing in all this self-examination, until now, is a book about the greatest national obsessions of all: the hobbies we pursue, the collections and amateur sports to which we devote so much of our lives. The Banana Sculptor, the Purple Lady, and the All-Night Swimmer chronicles the amazing variety of ways in which we relax, compete with others and ourselves, and indulge some of our richest fantasies. Here are wonderfully warm and witty accounts of Americans as they: attempt to swim all the Great Lakes, often in horrible conditions; quit a job and begin raising sheep to accommodate a newfound passion for spinning; eat at every McDonald's in the nation; carve The Last Supper from wood; cross all the world's suspension bridges; build huge banana sculptures; roller blade, scull, and bake; and collect marbles, Noah's arks, talking birds, and much more. In these pages you'll meet a marvelous array of ordinary people who do unusual things, sometimes to extremes, as they define for themselves worlds of imagination, contest, and excellence. These are people who thrill to the chase and sometimes plain wear themselves out having fun, whether it's flying kites as big as a king-size mattress, canoeing in the Canadian wilderness, or meticulously recording the daily details of their everyday existence. In Working, Studs Terkel gave us an unforgettable oral history of the working life of an earlier generation. The Banana Sculptor, the Purple Lady, and the All-Night Swimmer is a history for our own times -- of the passionate pursuits by which so many of us define ourselves and of the universal search for happiness and a sense of fulfillment. Maybe you'll find yourself in the forty people profiled here. Maybe you'll find a hobby that you'll want to make your own. Either way, your life is likely to be enriched, just as the lives of the people you will read about are enriched by the depth of their commitment and the beauty of their accomplishments.

Far more than just an interiors book, FamilyLifeStyle HOME is a bible for living with children in domestic environments that are as effortlessly stylish as they are educational, as comfortable with small children during the day as they are elegant for evening entertainment. Planned as the first in a new series that celebrates how parents can live, entertain and travel in style just as much as with children as before having children, FamilyLifeStyle HOME is fresh, fun and friendly.

Originally published in the 1920s, Furniture for Small Houses offers a fascinating glimpse into everyday homes of the time. Reflecting a general desire in the years following World War I to improve the surroundings of ordinary people, Percy A Wells presents a series of designs that are forerunners of today's modern furniture in their simplicity and practicality. Photos and plans accompany clear explanations of each item's features, making Furniture for Small Houses a wonderfully illuminating resource for designers, historians and anyone with an interest in furniture-making or interiors.

Ethan Allen and HGTV may have plenty to say about making a home look right, but what makes a home feel right? In House Thinking, journalist and cultural critic Winifred Gallagher takes the reader on a psychological tour of the American home. By drawing on the latest research in behavioral science, an overview of cultural history, and interviews with leading architects and designers, she shows us not only how our homes reflect who we are but also how they influence our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

How does your entryway prime you for experiencing your home? What makes a bedroom a sensual oasis? How can your bathroom exacerbate your worst fears? House Thinking addresses provocative questions like these, enabling us to understand the homes we've made for ourselves in a unique and powerful new way. It is an eye-opening look at how we live . . . and how we could live.

This is an essential guide for anyone contemplating life on the hot side: international location photography. A fantastic resource book for anyone interested in contemporary style, it is a 'must have' for those building or decorating a home anywhere: tips on efficiency and tricking nature are invaluable. It has been compiled by a highly respected journalist and authority on interior design. With global warming affecting the world, and with more of us adopting second homes as an escape, we must ask, how do we cope in a hot climate? There are high-tech and lo-tech methods to cool a house down, but first we must select our materials for building and witness what others have done. Suzanne Trocme analyses the methods and devices for successful hot living. The lively text is supported by new photography of hot houses in different locations in the world's warmest territories. The book is broken down into 3 main chapters, each one looking at different aspects of designing a house for a hot climate. Chapter 1 looks at terrain and how this can be used to keep a house cool, the second chapter looks at the different materials that can be used to achieve the same effect and the third chapter covers colours and furniture to be used in the home. Taken together, this book is the ideal purchase for anyone buying a second home or moving to warmer climes.

Better Homes In America Plan Book For Demonstration Week October 9 to 14, 1922.

Gather cloth, favorite photos, and found treasures to create innovative fabric screens that look great anywhere, anytime. Easy enough for no-sew fans, appealing enough for stitchers, these screens display memories and mementoes much like a scrapbook. Personalized screens also make great gifts for friends and family. Assembly is a snap with double-sided fusible stiff interfacing plus fabric glue or a few stitches. Crafters of every kind will want to express themselves with Dimensional Delights.

Independent Catholics are the fastest-growing variety of Catholic in the West. They are found in every city of every state in the U.S. and Mexico, every Province of Canada, and throughout Australia, Europe, and South America. This book arises out of a need in the Independent Catholic community for a compact and concise introduction to the movement. This is intended to be a book that can introduce interested people to the movement in a friendly, easy-to-read style that will not tax their patience or their wallets. The Independent Catholic movement is wonderfully diverse, and it is not possible to adequately cover the full spectrum within an introductory volume of this size. Rather, this book focuses on the most common varieties of Independent Catholicism in hopes of providing a short, useful orientation to the newcomer.

This is an inspirational book that explores over 150 ways in which books can not only be stored, but made to play a full part in the character of a home, be it large or small, minimalist or full of cluttered charm. Books are among the commonest but most treasured possessions in a home, yet their storage and display is often neglected and not given serious consideration as part of the interior design - something all the more necessary as the functions of home and workplace now often merge. Chapters are devoted to separate rooms, looking in turn at reception rooms, home offices, and libraries, as well as kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms, with over 180 colour photographs from around the world providing a wealth of inspiration. Ingenious space-saving devices are illustrated for storing books in odd spaces within the home - for example in staircases, corridors, and hallways. There is a chapter on caring for books, plus practical pages providing useful technical hints for planning and building bookshelves (scale, proportion, materials, fittings, etc), complete with illustrated step-by-step instructions showing how to carry out your own imaginative book-storage projects. Special double-page features appear in each chapter on topics such as ingenious designer solutions, book plates, and creating furniture out of books.

"At Home with Books" takes the reader into the houses of forty booklovers to view their very personal libraries and reading spaces. Not only is it a visual delight, but it also includes professional advice on editing and categorizing your library; caring for your books; preserving, restoring and storing rare books; finding out-of-print books; and choosing furniture, lighting and shelving. This indispensable resource, newly available in paperback, will be an inspiration for every bibliophile with a growing home library.

Lifestyles today are often defined by hectic schedules, and more and more people want a special room in their own home where they can relax and enjoy their leisure time. And with the sophisticated technology and wide range of products -- inlcuding plasma TVs, home theater, game stations, and surround sound -- now available to the general public, any room can be transformed into an incredibly fun and engaging space.

Rooms for Fun contains everything consumers need to know to renovate or convert unused space -- whether it's the garage, the basement, or an extra bedroom -- into a room devoted to enjoyment and tailored to their individual tastes and interests. Full-color photographs will inspire, detailed layouts will aid in construction and decoration, and an extensive resource section will help locate manufacturers.

The fun rooms featured in the book include:

Home Theater: audio visual equipment, including the latest information on plasma screen TVs, DVD players, and other electronic devices; speakers and the different ways of installing them; seating options; and soundproofing.

Entertainment Center: billiard tables, ping pong tables, dart boards, game stations, fun accessories, decor, a home bar, and more.

Sports & Fitness Room: gym equipment, small indoor pools, and even basketball courts.

Home Studio: the ideal set-ups for painting, drawing, sculpting, ceramics, writing, and astronomy.

Music Room: sound systems, CD storage, and more.

Also included is a resource section for more information on the included designs.

Discover a unique blend of practical advice, design know-how and Eastern wisdom that will instruct and inspire you to make your home and garden a sanctuary for the spirit. At Peace at Home takes Juliet Pegrum's guiding principles of harmony, simplicity and unity, and brings them alive for us in our gardens and in every room of our homes. Offering a variety of practical and enlightening advice on such topics as: space, colour, texture, light, contrast, materials, objects and surfaces; and showing how an unpretentious style that reflects our individual needs and desires can provide the basis for a simple "easeful" environment in which to live at peace. The essentials of simple living are conveyed through an unparalleled portfolio of photographs, accompanied by quotations reflecting the accumulated wisdom of both East and West.

Originally published in 1915, this book goes into great technical detail on the qualities of different types of wood, tools, filling, staining, varnishing, polishing, gilding, enameling, and finishing all kinds of woodwork. Fred T. Hodgson was an architect, editor of the National Builder, and author of many other books on construction techniques.

This book offers complete step by step fully illustrated instructions, clearly showing how you can create three very different types of wire tree sculptures. All material and tools needed to create these tree sculptures are readily available through easy to locate sources, such as craft stores, hobby shops, hardware stores and florists. This book is the calumniation of years of creating wire trees, and other natural forms, using only different types and grades of wire. Clearly written and profusely illustrated by Sal Villano, the detailed instructions are very easy to follow. You will be guided step by step, in the creation of a Willow Tree an Oak Tree and a Wind Swept Tree sculpture.Upon completion of the three small trees you will then be able to create many of the other larger wire tree sculptures shown on the authors web site at: http: //www.salvillano.com">salvillano.co

The Complete Book of Flooring is an essential guide for anyone planning a new floor or floor covering. It looks at the complete process through a complex and rapidly changing construction plan to the finished article. Factors such as insulation, noise pollution and health are increasingly important. Accordingly, flooring products have now reached a high level of integrity and longevity, and can be made of wood from sustainable sources, natural fibres, a totally renewable material or the luxury of 100 per cent pure wool carpet.

The authors of the hip Think series seek out inspiring, imaginative, and innovative interior design from around the world. This best-of Think compilation is the ultimate interiors lookbook, bringing together a fantastic selection of highlights from the series. You'll find vintage, modern, minimalist, eclectic, Art Deco, brutalist, and rural chic styles, from the edgiest and most artistic homes. You'll get new ideas for your own home, and enjoy dream-worthy images of beautiful interiors with an international allure. Text in English, French and Dutch.

This is your best guide to prepare for a career in professional interior design.

Discover the field of interior design, how to choose the correct school, the tools to achieve that perfect job and how to expand yourself in the profession.

This book has been prepared for those who want to enter or begin the job search process. Those currently in the field may also find this book helpful. The material enclosed is compiled from support agencies and leaders in the field of interior design. This book will help you every step of the way; hopefully you will use it as a tool and keep it for future reference.

Feel you are permanently stuck on the "trash" side of "trash to treasure"? Got more "stuff" than style? Jumpstart your imagination today with a new book from Pamela Cole Harris. Now you (yes, YOU!) can learn to create elegant, unique furniture from everyday objects, beginning with your coffee table! Learn principles that will allow you to create elegant furniture out of all your clutter (and your neighbor's)!

Features: Brian brings a bright new perspective to the principles of colour, helping consumers to make confident decisions; Unlike other paint books, the process of painting is emphasised; Clever 'Wall Wizard' tips make painting simple and fun. For example, mix 1 gallon of warm water and cup of fabric softener to clean brushes in 10 seconds; Decorative techniques for ragging, sponging, glazing, and using unusual tools for designer effects; Detailed coverage of tools and supplies, including varnishes, stains, and glazes.

`Making' is the next generation of creating; it's the union of traditional techniques, from print-making and jewellery-making to knitting, with cutting-edge technology, often yielding astonishing results, such as laser-cut jewellery and 3D-printed porcelain. `Maker Spaces' takes an in-depth look inside 13 beautiful homes, studios and workspaces of the pioneering creative minds of some of the best-known makers, from a colour-filled, uplifting studio space in super-trendy East London to the retro reverie of a stunning San Francisco apartment. Their clever styling ideas and imaginative, ingenious creative spaces will delight and inspire in equal measure. `Maker Spaces' also includes examples of the incredible things that their owners create, as well as advice on how to turn your ideas into beautiful products. This innovative, engaging book will give you the ideas and impetus to create inspirational and achievable interiors, fresh from some of the most exciting and dynamic makers and designers in the world right now.

Is the kitchen a workspace or a living space? Most people would surely answer that it is both. The average family spends more time in the kitchen than in any other room in the home. Yet in many houses and apartments the kitchen is at best a purely functional area to be clothed in efficient-looking fitted cupboards, units and surface, or cluttered with unattractive tables and stools. In this book, a kitchen architect shows that a kitchen can be efficient and contemporary yet at the same time offer the traditional comforts and style of an elegant living space. It shows 'unfitted' kitchens solutions working in every type of kitchen space - from large and lofty to small and awkward. As well as presenting case studies, it is full of ideas that will interest not only anyone planning a new kitchen but also designers, architects, decorators and craft enthusiasts.

Here is a truly unique and exciting folk art that makes people want to call Aunt Mary in Des Moines and tell her how easy it is. You can almost learn it over the phone. Created and named by Mary Lou Cook, pastecraft is simple and fun for the ?veriest? beginner, as the author says. Using paste, fabric and shellac to cover solid objects, PASTECRAFT is practical, creative and absolutely no-fail. It can transform throw-aways into something of beauty for gifts and home decorating. One can cover old trunks, suitcases, books, the refrigerator, frames, coffee tables, trays, file cabinets, and on and on and on. This book is a ?must? for every home, classroom and therapist?s office. It brings ideas, inspiration, self-esteem, and joy to the maker, and it even convinces the so-called ?non-creative? person that he or she can truly do wonders with simple ingredients. And, included in this book is almost forty pages devoted to calligraphy, including instructions, ideas, quotes, and broadsides that can be reproduced for framing. MARY LOU COOK, a.k.a. MLC, is a true Renaissance woman, a master teacher, author, calligrapher, nuclear waste activist, inspirational speaker, Bishop of the Cloth, peace advocate, philosopher, bookbinder, needlewoman, counselor, and designer. And, to top it off, she has been named a Santa Fe Living Treasure. MLC has received many national and international honors and awards, and is often featured in book and the media. She calls herself an octogeranium. A rare flower indeed!

Important Note about PRINT ON DEMAND Editions: You are purchasing a print on demand edition of this book. This book is printed individually on uncoated (non-glossy) paper with the best quality printers available. The printing quality of this copy will vary from the original offset printing edition and may look more saturated. The information presented in this version is the same as the latest edition. Any pattern pullouts have been separated and presented as single pages. If the pullout patterns are missing, please contact c&t publishing.