Home and Garden Recent Picks
February/March 2009
The title-underlined links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
The clutter clinic : organise your home in seven days, Romaine Lowery.
"The clutter clinic offers room-by-room guidance on how to de-clutter and reorganise your home. Romaine Lowery’s highly visual and inspirational guide will show you how to make the most of the space you have available. Her easily achievable suggestions, useful tips and shortcuts make a seemingly overwhelming task simple. And once you have de-cluttered, she advises on various ways of shedding and recycling unwanted possessions. “If you think it might be easier to move house than make room for all your possessions, you need to call Romaine Lowery – an expert in de-cluttering, home styling and storage solutions.” (Evening Standard.)
How to reduce your carbon footprint : 365 simple ways to save energy, resources, and money, Joanna Yarrow.
"We all have a carbon footprint – it’s a way of measuring how much pollution is created by our activities, from driving a car to heating our homes. The good news is that it is easy to reduce your carbon footprint without sacrificing your lifestyle. By adopting a few new habits, each of us can save a significant amount of energy and ease our dependence on the planet’s resources – and save money in the process. How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint offers a host of energy saving ideas that you can use today. Packed with surprising statistics and practical suggestions, the book covers everything from insulation and refrigeration to cycling and recycling. Whether you choose just one tip, or start to give them all a try, you’ll find that sustainable living is good for your bank balance, your health, and the planet." (Book Cover)
The new Asian home, Kendra Langeteig.
"To make the home a sanctuary from the hectic tempo of contemporary life, home design has increasingly shifted towards a more natural Asian perspective. In a matter of decades, the typical house has transformed from a structure conceived with a set floor plan and standardised building methods, emphasis on natural materials in harmony with the site, and greater transparency between indoor and outdoor space. The desire to reconnect with nature has produced widespread interest in Asian design as a creative alternative. More than a healthy trend to bring a natural aesthetic into the home that provides balance and well being, the shift towards a holistic Asian world view is response to the global change. The new ecology in home designs affirms an ethical environmental awareness that encourages us to take to take better care of the earth and ourselves in the way we build our homes." (Book flap)
Hand made modern : mid-century inspired projects for your home, Todd Oldham with Julia Szabo.
"Designer Todd Odham offers a cheerful array of projects to decorate your home - from test tube gardens to daybed libraries, colour copy wallpaper to faux-fur blankets, for the ultimate Handmade modern results.
“Although Todd Odham’s style could not be more different from my own, as evidenced in his new charming and very colourful book Handmade modern I greatly appreciate his clarity of vision, his playfulness, his easy how to instructions and terrific results . This is a book for do-it-yourselfers – a group that is growing in size every day as homemakers of all ages find comfort and joy in the handmade. And who says everything handmade has to be steeped in tradition? Todd Odham opens up a whole new genre.” (Martha Stewart)
Natural style : decorating with an earth-friendly point of view, by Janet Sobesky ; photography by Karyn R. Millet.
"Natural style is the essential guide to designing your home for maximum comfort, style and good health. It’s a look that’s simple and soothing, not subject to the whims of the latest trend setter. Natural Style is about achieving more with less, opting for organic and eco-conscious materials, and more including; How to make every room in your home more earth friendly and functional, designing without clutter and excessive ornamentation, filling your rooms with the beauty of the outdoors." (Book jacket)
The Luxury Bathroom by Samantha Nestor ; with Jen Renzi ; photographs by Andrew French
"The phenomenal array of unique materials and the limitless imagination of designers and builders have made bathrooms the new design frontier. The space has become a nucleus of style and taste, but perhaps more notable for seducing its owners to spend time there. And, after all, what is more luxurious than time? With the endless possibilities for what was once a boxed-in space, the bathroom has become the Cinderella star of the fancy dress ball. And so The Luxury Bathroom will inform and entertain as it celebrates not just the bathroom, but really the imagination." (Book jacket)
Absolutely beautiful containers : the ABC's of creative container gardens, by Sue Amatangelo.
"With a patio, porch, or windowsill, gardeners can grow almost anything anywhere using containers. Arrangements in this guide begin simply, with one type of plant in a decorative container. The projects move on to combinations of two plants, then on to more complex pots involving three or more plants--some of the arrangements are even meant to go from container to garden plot. Design principles including color, texture, height, and depth are considered, and ideas for themed containers are included for holidays and other festive occasions. Species range from the tried-and-true garden varieties, such as impatiens and petunias, to newer plants on the market, such as a striking red ornamental millet. The planter plans include detailed photographs, diagrams, and instructions on getting the very best results from container gardening, for lasting natural beauty in any space." (annotation from syndetics)
100 great kitchens & bathrooms by architects, edited by Andrew Hall.
"This book features 100 architect-designed kitchens and bathrooms, a stunning collection of recent interior projects in a vast array of styles created by architects from UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Brazil and elsewhere. The perfect balance between luxury and utility is achieved in these comfortable, visually pleasing and functional designs." (Book jacket)
The grower's cookbook : from the garden to the table, Dennis Greville & Jill Brewis.
"If you like the idea of growing and cooking your own food, but have little expertise, limited space and very little time, then this is the book to turn to. In the growers cookbook the authors combine their gardening and culinary talents to provide you with a wealth of information and inspiration. How to choose, grow, harvest and store a range of vegetables, herbs and fruit with advice on how to prepare and serve them with recipes. Grow, cook, enjoy." (Book cover)
Composting : the ultimate organic guide to recycling your garden, Tim Marshall.
"An update of the best-selling Recycle your garden, which not only explores how composting works and outlines the multiple benefits for your garden but it also shows how to build a foolproof heap and maintain it well. From ash to algae, human hair to shredded newspaper, this book shows how the materials used for composting can go much further than kitchen and green waste. A comprehensive listing of all materials used for composting and their various values is included. Other features include sections on biodynamic composting methods and ingredients, composts for different climates, maintaining a thriving worm colony and the many ways to use the rich, crumbly organic matter your compost will produce." (Provided by publisher)
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