Whether making a delicate violin, a pair of skis or a graceful armchair, you'll need to bend wood. This text presents the basic methods and trade secrets from the experts.

Every object tells a story...We all have treasures hidden away in the attic, well-loved and well-worn belongings that have been passed down from generation to generation. They may be damaged or no longer working, but we can't bear to part with them. The expert craftspeople of hit BBC series The Repair Shop are dedicated to restoring and conserving these heirlooms. They know that the true worth of these possessions doesn't lie in their monetary value, but in the memories they hold and the stories they tell.This remarkable new book takes you inside the workshop of dreams to discover some of the most moving stories from the series, including some previously unseen restorations. From a grandmother's music box lovingly restored so that it once again plays the tunes remembered from childhood, to the leather armchair saved from the Nazis and damaged in a bombing raid, these restorations offer a fascinating and emotional glimpse into the personal histories of people from across the UK.A much-needed antidote to today's throwaway culture, Stories from the Workshop of Dreams reveals the hidden life of our favourite things.

On a farmlike compound near New Hope, Pennsylvania, George Nakashima, his family, and fellow wood-workers create exquisite furniture from richly grained, rare timber. Tables, desks, chairs, and cabinets from this simple workshop grace the homes and mansions and executive boardrooms of people who prize such excellence. In this lavishly illustrated volume, George Nakashima allows us in intimate look at his artistry, his philosophy, his life. It is the portrait of an artisan who strives to find the ideal use for each plank in order to create an object of utility to man and, if nature smiles, an object of lasting beauty.
The author's search for the meaning of life took him as a young man to Paris, Tokyo, and Pondicherry, India. In India, he found the inner peace for which he had been searching and began to find ways to work with timber. He writes movingly about the grandeur of ancient trees and stunning figured woods and explains how he selects and prepares his materials. Above all, he impresses us with his devotion to discovering the inherent beauty of wood so that noble trees might have a second life as furniture. The Soul of a Tree looks at the world through the eyes of an artist and evokes the joy of living in harmony with nature.

Moroccan design, from the tiled floors to the colored walls, sculpted ceilings, embroidered fabrics, Berber tents, fountains, gardens, and more In a world filled with beige interiors, Morocco is the perfect antidote: a refuge for addicts of saturated color, a haven for devotees of intricate pattern, a destination for admirers of striking architecture. For anyone who wants to add Morocco's spicy design mix into their own home, Maryam Montague, the personality behind the award-winning blog My Marrakesh, explains how to do so with the building blocks of Moroccan design--from the colors, patterns, and textiles to the archways, fountains, gardens, and so much more. With illustrative text and gorgeous photographs, Maryam shows how Moroccan design comes to life in real villas and riads and in her own magnificent home and guesthouse. Eager DIYers will love the ideas presented in sidebars and in how-to projects that can be applied to homes anywhere. Filled with all the richness of Morocco, Marrakesh by Design will transport readers straight to the souks and salons of this exotic city while showing them the multitude of ways to live with the enticing elements of Moroccan design.

Let the Confetti Fly! Take the ordinary into the extraordinary with all-out celebrations that put the pizzazz in any party! Far beyond birthdays, certified celebrator Brittany Young will show you how to make every day a special occasion and bring fun and joy into your home. Whether you're looking for entire themes or that one amazing, icing-on-the-cake idea to push your next get-together over the top, you'll find it here. You'll also discover easy DIY party crafts, gifts, and tablescapes, delicious, "halfway homemade" recipes, and plenty of holiday inspiration throughout the year. You don't have to be party planner extraordinaire (but you will be after reading this book) or spend a lot of money to show loved ones they are special. You just need some creativity, inspiration, and of course, lots of sprinkles!

In the late nineteenth century, general housework in the British home was so labour intensive that it required an army of servants to undertake it. Since then, the ways in which we look after our homes may have changed dramatically but the best and simplest of methods from that time still work for us today. From floor to ceiling, and leaving no awkward corner untouched, here are the tricks and techniques that generations once took for granted, distilled for modern use: how to get rid of water marks or heat rings on polished wood; the antibacterial qualities of simple vinegar; the damp cloth versus the dry duster; and using lemon juice to clear limescale. Combining fascinating 'below-stairs' social history with startling facts and useful tips, Lucy Lethbridge restores fast-disappearing skills to keep at bay dust, rust, mildew, stains and pests. Here, beautifully illustrated and entertainingly presented, are a bygone era's keys to a clean house.

Use your shelves to display your collections and create ever-evolving works of art with Geraldine James's inspirational ideas. Find out how you can use what you already have in a stylish and unexpected way to revitalise a room. Whether you want to group a collection of colourful vases against a dark wall, use picture rails to line up a selection of prints, or organise plants and treasured finds from the natural world, any shelf can be a stage for artful arrangements with this innovative guide. You can find a home for all your prized possessions, and the best thing about shelves is that you can change a display whenever the mood takes you. Chapter by chapter, discover ideas for how to arrange virtually anything and begin a journey into colour, textures and themes to create elegant focal points that give a home character and charm.

The bandsaw is a woodworking favourite and this highly visual guide covers all there is to know about working with one, from basic uses to some of the more advanced. The bandsaw is a woodworking favourite and the workhorse of any wood shop. Craftsmen and women turn to this practical tool for a wide array of tasks - cutting curves, ripping stock, making a variety of useful joints, using guides and templates and transforming thick boards into veneer. Now woodworkers can learn to make the most of their bandsaw in this valuable addition to the acclaimed "Complete Illustrated Guide" library. The format is highly visual, covering all there is to know about working with a bandsaw from basic uses to some of the most advanced techniques, including shaping operations and sophisticated joinery. Safety and bandsaw maintenance complete this essential guide.

On the heels of the recession, there's been a resurgence of interest in small houses (1500 square feet and less) and even smaller retreats (800 square feet and less). People appreciate that living smaller is easier on their bank balance, their time and the environment. Plus, small houses and retreats are fun. Magazines and newspapers (like the New York Times) are featuring these smaller wonders more and more frequently, and architects are displaying more of them on their websites. Now is the time to re-present fundamental small-house design strategies - complete with whole-house case studies for homeowners eager to simplify smartly. The opening chapter presents ten clearly defined strategies for creating a great small house (including borrowed view and daylight, multipurpose spaces, pockets for privacy and using quality materials where it counts), setting the stage for 25 small houses profiled in the second part of the book. The houses are organised by the nature of their location (beach, rural, village, urban) and include new construction and renovations/additions.

Vintage Home is both a practical collector' s guide - what to look out for - and a celebration of the period. It covers both serious and costly designer creations, which sell in major auction houses worldwide, and cheerful mass-produced kitsch, which you can pick up in car boot sales, charity shops, flea markets and yard sales. It looks at objects from around the world that were made for every taste and budget. Designers in the twentieth century were driven by the possibilities of mass-production and excited by the host of new materials. The period is also infused with the importance of women after the First World War and the emergence of a youth culture, and the new market for modern, fashionable goods from the 1950s onward. Where the older generation were used to ' make do and mend' , the young embraced wholeheartedly the disposable society. They replaced the old with something new and fashionable, a taste epitomised by colourful plastic furniture and paper dresses. The consequence is a fabulous array of every type of object for the collector.

With "The Woodwright's Companinon," Roy Underhill continues to demonstrate "how to start with a tree and an axe and make one thing after another until you have a house and everything in it." This volume features chapters on helves and handles, saws, the search for the whetstone quarry, crow chasers and turkey calls, hurdles, whimmy diddles, snaplines and marking gauges, candle stands, planes, window sash, riven shingles, and pit sawing. The final chapter offers a glimpse of traditional woodworking techniques still used by the Colonial Williamsburg housewrights. More than 260 photographs complement the text.

There's one resource we just can't get enough of: Time. In this issue of Make: , we celebrate that most fascinating and finite resource. First, build a miniature neomatrix word clock that colorfully spells out the time. Next, waste less time in the shop with a healthy helping of time-saving shop tips. Then, take a metaphorical trip to the past and dive into the history and theory behind modern mechanical clocks. Plus, 19 projects to make, including: 8 more crazy clocks to build 3D print an old-school bellows-style camera Program a wall-mounted display to track your social media stats Craft a 2-in-1 leather carrier for beer and wine for your next picnic Build a stylish motion-reactive LED table-top display and more!

Everyone has baking soda on hand to help cookies rise and keep the pantry smelling fresh. But this simple compound also has dozens of other applications for health, cleaning, gardening and even crafting. In The Baking Soda Companion, Suzy Scherr explains just how useful this all-natural pantry staple can be. Make extra-fluffy scrambled eggs, clean the coffee pot, soothe bug bites, mix up toothpaste and shampoo, remove stubborn grass stains, repel garden pests, and more. This is a straightforward, informative guide for anyone who wants to incorporate simple, affordable and natural solutions into their day-to-day routine.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND OFFICIAL COMPANION TO THE HIT BBC SERIES

BBC’s The Repair Shop is a place where Britain’s most skilled and caring craftspeople rescue and resurrect items that owners thought were beyond saving. Their shared love of craft has helped hundreds of people recover and relive cherished memories, and inspired millions to rediscover their own prized possessions. The skill required to properly restore those items may be beyond most of us, but there are small things we can all do to care for the items we love the most. How do you replenish the stuffing in your child’s beloved, tatty teddy bear, for instance? Or remove a water mark left on your wooden table? What’s the best way to prevent your leather from cracking?

Direct from the Repair Shop's 'Workshop of Dreams', this ‘make do and mend’ guide collects advice and stories from each of the show’s experts, to help you understand and care for those aging treasures and heirlooms around your house or gathering dust in the garage. Whether it’s wood, ceramics, leather or silverware, you will get to know your materials, tools and terms from Britain’s best, as the Repair Shop experts share their tips on restoring and conserving, reveal their favourite tools, and provide a series of small, manageable projects that help tackle the most common problems that occur in their given medium. Their book, like the show it accompanies, with help you safeguard your sentimental legacy for generations to come.

Travel through 20 sophisticated homes of designers deeply influenced by their international adventures abroad A road map for bringing far-flung design ideas back home, Travel Home shows us how to curate interiors that reflect our favorite places and experiences in ways that are beautiful and authentic. Touring the homes of leaders in global design who share a deep affection for travel, the book explores interiors with influences as widespread as Marrakesh, Paris, Cuba, Tokyo, Portugal, and beyond. Vivid photography is supplemented with insightful essays, interviews, and hardworking tips for cultivating your own global home. For globetrotters and armchair travelers alike, Travel Home showcases the interplay between travel and design, revealing how we can take inspiration from the beauty we experience in the world and bring it into our everyday lives.

House as a Mirror of Self presents an unprecedented examination of our relationship to where we live, interwoven with compelling personal stories of the search for a place for the soul. Marcus takes us on a reverie of the special places of childhood--the forts we made and secret hiding places we had--to growing up and expressing ourselves in the homes of adulthood. She explores how the self-image is reflected in our homes; power struggles in making a home together with a partner; territory, control, and privacy at home; self-image and location; disruptions in the boding with home; and beyond the "house as ego" to the call of the soul.
As our culture is swept up in home improvement to the extent of having an entire TV network devoted to it, this book is essential for understanding why the surroundings that we call home make us feel the way we do. With this information we can embark on home improvement that truly makes room for our soul.