Heres a wonderful opportunity to tour 28 beautiful new log homes without leaving your lounge chair. Sumptuous photographs bring the houses to life, while floor plans act as your guide to every part of the home. This is a tool for anyone who dreams of building a log home, with hundreds of ideas to sift through. These are real homes, chosen for their outstanding designs, tasteful decoration, and real-life, lived-in practicality.

Over 600 artful watercolor renderings of window treatments combined with a CD of all the images make this the most useful, practical book available. Professional decorators and homeowners alike will love it.\nThis book is an invaluable resource that will inspire you. A wide range of designs from traditional flowing swags and long jabots to modern styles with simple lines and colors make hundreds of combinations possible. You can mix them to create your own unique window dressing. A variety of large windows, like those commonly found in new houses, make this book unique.\nThe CD allows you to use these wonderful images with most graphic, design, and editing programs, enabling you to see how different treatments will look on your own windows. For those less computer saavy, these images can easily be printed and cut out. Hours of interactive fun!

Finally there is a simple book for do-it-yourselfers who want to undertake a small countertop project. Follow several countertops projects step-by-step through the process of molding, pour, and finishing. Projects include cast-in-place, pre-cast, and hand-packed. Doug Bannister demonstrates time-tested techniques and his break-through formulas for countertops that set up fast and stand up to quick finishing, installation, and long-term use. Years of experience can translate into a weekend project, like the kitchen and bathroom vanity projects illustrated in this wonderful, long-awaited book. The text and captions are presented in both Spanish and English.

If you have only dreamed about the beauty of building with timbers, this book will open your eyes. It will convince you that this method is not only practical today for homes and other buildings, but often is less expensive than "stick building."

Timber frame builder Jack Sobon and writer Roger Schroeder offer a book for builders as well as those wishing to have the work done for them. Here is practical how-to for both beginners and experienced carpenters who want to try this method. It offers:

The basics of timber framing.

How to design for strength and beauty.

How to combine modern tools and time-tested methods.

A starter project: How to build a 12 x 16 garden toolshed.

Dozens of illustrations and photos that make it all easy to understand.

A step-by-step guide that gives any gardener all the information needed to make garden furnishings that are both simple and beautiful. This book includes 50 complete plans for trellises, raised beds, planters, window boxes, and just about any imaginable project you can make to train and display plants in your garden and around your home. Featured projects are created using a host of easily found materials, including wood, metal, hypertufa, upcycled barrels, clay pots, sticks, latticework, copper tubing, re-rod, wire, landscape timbers, retaining wall block, and natural stone. Each plan includes photographs, a scaled plan drawing, cutting and shopping lists, and thorough step-by-step instructions.

The bestselling alternative energy reference book in North America--now in an updated edition

Want to take advantage of solar power in your home? Whether you're looking to save on your energy costs by adding a few solar components or you want to build a solar-powered house from the ground up, "Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition" takes the mystery out of this energy source and shows you how to put it to work for you

This new edition gives you hands-on tips and techniques for making your home more energy-efficient though solar power--and helping the planet at the same time. Plus, you'll get all the latest information on changes to federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and tax incentives that seek to make solar-power adoption more feasible.Expanded coverage of the technology that underpins full-scale solar-power systems for the homeNew small- and mid-sized solar products, projects, and applicationsRik DeGunther is a design engineer who started his own energy consulting firm

Featuring ten of the easiest and cheapest DIY solar projects, "Solar Power For Dummies, 2nd Edition" is the fun and easy way to meet your energy needs with this clean power source

Extend your working, living and storage areas with low-cost barns, sheds and animal shelters. Building Small Barns, Sheds & Shelters provides basic, easy-to-follow construction methods for attractive outbuildings. Here's complete information on tools and materials; foundations and floors; framing, sheathing and roofing; windows and doors; wiring and plumbing; and finishing details. Specific plans and how-to-build instructions for popular home and family-farm structures include:

-- Multi-purpose barns

-- Woodshed, toolshed and carport plans

-- Combination small barn/studio

-- Barn-style garage

-- Underground root cellar

-- Smokehouse

-- Housing for poultry, rabbits, hogs

-- Various fencing designs

Make, mend, and customise your own wardrobe with this highly photographic beginner's guide to machine sewing. A sewing book for beginners that's actually helpful. It's love at first stitch! This highly photographic, easy-to-use guide to machine sewing features more than 200 step-by-step techniques to help you master every stitch in the book! Inside the pages of this sewing reference book, you will find: - More than 200 sewing techniques, all clearly and closely photographed and explained in sharp detail - Discover how to read a pattern, use a sewing machine, and sew basic stitches, seams, and hems - Explore how to put your new-found skills to use to create, personalise, up-cycle, and re-purpose your clothes and soft furnishings. - Photographs and explanations of essential sewing equipment and materials - for both hand and machine sewing - A guide to sewing jargon and terminology that describes when, where, and how to use each tool and technique - Techniques to create something new or to customise things you already have Whether you're a seasoned sewer or just starting to learn how to sew, a fashion design student or sewing for yourself at home, Sew Step by Step will guide you through every hand stitch, machine stitch, and sewing technique you will ever need. With fully updated text and a refreshed design, this is an essential sewing handbook that you will want to keep next to your sewing machine to come back to time and time again. Close-up photographs accompanied by crystal clear instructions take you through everything from cutting out patterns to inserting collars, sleeves and pockets into garments. Explore how to put those skills to use to make, mend and customise your clothes and home furnishings. You will also learn how to find a suitable fabric for every project with an easy-to-use guide to different materials. It also makes a wonderful gift for beginner sewers and expert stitchers alike.

Packed with over 200 shortcuts and tricks, this might just be the most helpful book you will ever own.

When Sidney Raz hit 30, he realised there was so much advice no-one had ever bothered to tell him. So Sid went on a mission to make his life as easy as humanly possible. He began posting his discoveries online and quickly built a following of millions, all eager for his next hacks. This book is a culmination of that work, presenting Sid's greatest tips, tricks and life hacks to make cooking, chores, and life in general far more efficient. It's all stuff you wish someone had already told you, and now they have. Share them with everyone you know!

Hacks that take you one step closer to domestic god status include:

• Placing a wet paper towel by an onion will stop your eyes from watering
• Putting plastic wrap in the freezer makes it easier to use
• The shoulder strap on a leather jacket will stop the strap on your bag slipping off

Tips from a Professional Organizer on How to Have an Organized Home"Real Life Organizing is a real solution to the clutter challenges we all face." Peter Walsh, New York Times best-selling author and organization expert #1 Best Seller in Do-It-Yourself Improvements, Small Spaces, and Decorating & Furnishings An organizing book with clutter-free solutions for keeping an organized home in just 15 minutes a day from a professional organizer and host of HGTV's HOT MESS HOUSE Create a Pinterest worthy home on a small budget. Learn how to organize your home, simplify life and have more time for things you love. Professional organizer Cassandra 'Cas' Aarssen, the guru from YouTube's ClutterBug channel and HGTV's Hot Mess House, reveals her tips, tricks and secrets to a clean and clutter free home in just 15 minutes a day. Simplify your life. In Real Life Organizing, Cas walks you through the steps to create a beautiful, organized, clutter free, and almost self-cleaning home. You don't have to get rid of all of your things, be a yoga loving minimalist, or radically change your lifestyle or personality. The truth is you do not need to actually be an organized person to live like an organized person. Organized home. Through years of experience as an industry expert, Cas has uncovered easy and inexpensive tips, tricks and solutions that enable her to maintain a clean, organized and functional home with minimal effort. After you've read Real Life Organizing, you too will be able to live a more organized life without having to give up your sanity. Learn how to: Create a Household Management Binder Make a "Kids Cupboard" in your kitchen Create an IN/OUT system Organize paperwork based on your unique style Create a Kitchen Command Center Organize your holidays with a gift closet Build a toy organizing system Also read Cas Aarssen's other bestselling home organizing books, Cluttered Mess to Organized Success, The Clutter Connection, and The Declutter Challenge.

In this book, the natural beauty and texture of sticks, wood, stones and pebbles are celebrated in inspirational and practical designs. 25 original projects include a wall-hanging cabinet made from driftwood; a beautiful twig candelabra; door-stops made from stone; and pebble-mosaic slabs for a garden path or patio. It offers exciting projects from today's leading craft artists. It is a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about materials, equipment and techniques. It offers clear step-by-step instructions with over 300 specially commissioned photographs. It presents a contemporary approach to working with timeless, natural materials. The use of stone and wood for decorative and symbolic purposes is as ancient as the materials themselves: from basket-making to a Roman pebble mosaic; from African statuettes to the mysterious circle at Stonehenge, the use of the earth's simplest materials is still effective today. This is a unique collection of 25 practical ideas for decorating your home, created by a professional artisan. Every project is self-contained, and step-by-step photographs guide the reader through each stage. The introductory section covers some of the basic skills and equipment required, while exploring the different materials involved. For inspiration, there is a gallery of original pieces from contemporary artists. With its inventive designs, this is the first practical craft book to explore the beautiful potential of these natural materials.

'A book full of interior inspiration, fabulous hints and tips, and bucket-loads of personality, just like the authors! The perfect gift for the interiors lover in your life.' Siobhan Murphy, BBC Interior Design Masters Finalist From the Instagram team that brought you the Story Of My Home hashtag competition comes the ultimate guide to home interiors. The Art Of Home will show you how to make the most of your space, whether you live in a rented flat or own a detached house. It's illustrated with photos of some of the most incredible, fun and vibrant spaces you will ever lay eyes on. With a chapter dedicated to every room (and the front door, of course), you'll find tips to help you get creative with your space, solve common problems, manage renovations and make your home look uniquely fabulous. You'll find plenty to inspire you, no matter your style, and there are clever ideas to suit all budgets and help everyone turn their home into a place they never want to leave. The Art of Home is written by interiors experts and founders of the Story Of My Home hashtag competition, Joanne Hardcastle - @hardcastletowers, Jack D March - @jackdmarch, Marie-Claire Jackson - @thegingerhareofyorkshire and Wendy Simpson - @the_yorkshire_homestead. In addition to sharing their favourite photos from the SOMH community, they also give you a sneak peek inside their own homes, to get you thinking about ideas for your own space.

Everything that readers could want to know about decorative paint techniques, with a wonderful collection of gorgeous color pictures for added inspiration This vibrant and exciting guide will open up whole new worlds of painting techniques and styles for readers who want to add a bit of color to their walls, floors, ceilings...and lives

In Owner building made easy, Tamara Aspeling takes the would-be owner-builder through all the steps involved in the process in a way that's logical, accessible and chronological. She leads through the apparent minefield of regulations, estimating, drawing-up of building contracts and dealing with contractors, suppliers and professional people to the end result – your new home, just as you envisaged it, built the way you wanted it and with the minimum of fuss and expense. The book deals with the preparation of plans, obtaining local authority approval, costing and estimating, putting the project out to tender and selecting a contractor as well as negotiating a building contract that’s fair to both owner and contractor. Filling a much needed gap in the South African market, Owner Building Made Easy shows the first-time owner-builder how to anticipate and thus avoid unexpected pitfalls, and follows the house-building or renovation process sequentially from design to completion. Where appropriate professional help might save costly headaches later, Aspeling says so, thereby helping to avoid expensive lessons in false economy.

The immensely popular blogger behind Little House Living provides a timeless and "heartwarming guide to modern homesteading" (BookPage) that will inspire you to live your life simply and frugally-perfect for fans of The Pioneer Woman and The Hands-On Home. Shortly after getting married, Merissa Alink and her husband found themselves with nothing in their pantry but a package of spaghetti and some breadcrumbs. Their life had seemingly hit rock bottom, and it was only after a touching act of charity that they were able to get back on their feet again. Inspired by this gesture of kindness as well as the beloved Little House on the Prairie books, Merissa was determined to live an entirely made-from-scratch life, and as a result, she rescued her household budget-saving thousands of dollars a year. Now, she reveals the powerful and moving lessons she's learned after years of homesteading, homemaking, and cooking from scratch. Filled with charm, practical advice, and gorgeous full-color photographs, Merissa shares everything from tips on budgeting to natural, easy-to-make recipes for taco seasoning mix, sunscreen, lemon poppy hand scrub, furniture polish, and much more. Inviting and charming, Little House Living is the epitome of heartland warmth and prairie inspiration.

A retro-fit offers many benefits: cutting electricity and heating bills, increasing the resale value of homes, slashing carbon emissions and creating a healthier place to live. This book is the guide to making it happen. It looks at: - draught-proofing, insulation and damp - ventilation, heating and cooling - electrical efficiency and renewable energy - water use and re-use - materials' life cycles and incorporating nature - protection from climate change impacts - modelling energy flows and embodied energy - how we can meet the need to cut carbon emissions from dwellings by 80% by 2050. Projects can apply to apartment blocks, recent builds and older, solid-walled properties. Enlivened with helpful diagrams and photographs, plus plenty of pointers for further information, it provides a comprehensive resource handbook for any building professional and contractor, students - or any homeowner serious about efficiency (cash and carbon) savings.

The fun and easy way to repair anything and everything around the house
For anyone who's ever been frustrated by repair shop rip-offs, this guide shows how to troubleshoot and fix a wide range of household appliances-lamps, vacuum cleaners, washers, dryers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, blenders, radios, televisions, and even computers. Packed with step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, it's a must-have money-saver for the half of all homeowners who undertake do-it-yourself projects.