Home and Garden Recent Picks
October/November 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 Lampshade Lady's guide to lighting up your life : 50 custom lampshades & lamps, Judy Lake with Kathleen Hackett ; photography by Ryan Benyi and George Bouret.
"Turn those boring old lampshades into perfect accents for your home décor. If you can cut and glue, you can revive old shades, dress up flea market fabrics, and transform inexpensive basic frames into inspired designs that complement your home, style and personality. The Lampshade Lady shows you the basics of construction and gives you the skills and confidence necessary to let your imagination run wild. Materials like vintage postcards, classic children's books, baseball cards, heirloom photos, fabric trim, and even simple embroidery thread produce surprising and delightful opportunities for creativity. Plus - you will learn how to make your own lamps out of more thrifty finds like candlesticks, kerosene lamps, cowboy boots and just about anything you can run a wire through. Discover how the Lampshade Lady's designs and ideas really will light up your life." (Book Cover)
Decorating to go, Robin Bernard, Adrienne Nappi.
"'Home' is a state of mind--one that can be achieved anywhere, for any length of time, using the right decorating techniques. Add style without paint or nails and without breaking the bank; make the most of a small space; declutter--and get creative with storage; restyle and repurpose what you already have. Knowing that a living space is temporary can fill anyone with dread. Between the dorm, a first apartment, a starter home, or even military housing, you could go crazy trying to decorate your space only to tear it down for the next move. But Decorating to Go provides readers with great advice, design ideas, and creative solutions for giving a home a personal style that goes with you when you leave--whatever your budget." (Book Cover)
Easy elegance : creating a relaxed, comfortable, and stylish home, by Atlanta Bartlett ; photography by Polly Wreford.
"In Easy elegance, Atlanta Bartlett offers a liveable, practical and elegant alternative to today's fast-changing parade of interior trends and glossy show homes. Comfort, simplicity, an appreciation of the imperfect, and a sense of practicality are the key elements of Easy Elegance. The knack lies in the mixing of the old with the new and the luxurious with the everyday to create a home that's warm and welcoming, yet versatile and chic. Atlanta starts by taking a look at the four main elements of the look: Comfort, simplicity, function and individuality. Next, in setting the scene, Atlanta maps out the five different facets of Easy Elegance to help pinpoint the style that suits you best. Finally, Atlanta takes you through every room in the house, demonstrating how to put the look into practice, and revealing just how easy and effortless it can be to create a home that ticks all the boxes: warm, welcoming, relaxed, and stylish." (Book Jacket)
Quick and easy upholstery : 15 step-by-step easy-to-follow projects, Alex Law, Posy Gentles.
"In a world where disposable furniture fabricated from stapled foam is becoming the depressing norm, Quick and Easy Upholstery teaches the classic principles of traditional upholstery using natural and sustainable materials - linen, horsehair, hessian and calico - to create furniture that you won't find in shops. With clear step-by-step instructions throughout Quick and Easy Upholstery shows you how to rescue old and beautiful chairs, beds and footstools with fabulous new fabrics and renovate treasured family heirlooms in perfect period style. By saving money you would have spent to get someone else to do the work, you can afford to splash out on a really special length of cloth and create stunning pieces of furniture that reflect your own style." (Book Jacket)
Weekend woodworking with power tools : 18 quick and easy projects, stylish designs for your home, Alan and Gill Bridgewater.
"Thanks to the detailed directions and color illustrations in this large-format book,
even beginners will get professional-looking results right from the start." (Google Books)
The self-sufficient life and how to live it : the complete back-to-basics guide by John Seymour with Will Sutherland.
"When Seymour's The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency was first published in 1976, it became a handbook for those seeking a simple, self-supporting way of life. Now this out-of-print classic is available in a revised edition, which basically contains the same information, namely, lots of advice on growing food, raising animals, and preparing and preserving food The illustrations in the newer edition are in full colour and on glossy paper, making this volume much more attractive. In addition, an updated bibliography includes web sites, associations, and seed suppliers. It would be hard to find another similar book with so much information on small-scale farming in one place. This book, along with Seymour's revised The Forgotten Arts and Crafts, will appeal to those seeking simpler and environmentally responsible ways of living: "This way of life suits me," writes Seymour, "it has kept me fit and at least partly sane into my 89th year, and it has prevented me from doing too much harm to our poor planet." -Ilse Heidmann
Small+modern+urban=home, editor, Aitana Lleonart.
"New and practical solutions to make small homes appear larger, while still allowing style, comfort, and functionality. 'Small + Modern + Urban = Home' features new and imaginative ways to save space and money--from taking advantage of high ceilings to designing special, multifunctional furniture--and advice from world class architects who offer ingenious space solutions. This book features a selection of modern apartments, lofts, duplexes, and studio flats that will surprise you with their creative concepts, new design ideas, and endless possibilities for small home living." (Amazon)
Weekend projects : a step-by-step guide to more than 50 DIY projects, Reader's Digest.
"How do you hang your big screen TV? Why can't you ever find your tools when you need them? What should you do with that old sun-lounger? Well, Handyman magazine is here to help! You can find great solutions to these questions, plus 50 other projects that can be completed in two days or less, in this handy source of weekend inspiration. Straightforward, jargon-free instructions explaining each project are complemented by clear photos and diagrams that guide you every step of the way. You'll never be bored on a weekend again!" (Book Cover)
Attracting birds and other wildlife to your garden in New Zealand, Gordon Ell.
"Attracting birds and other wildlife to your garden in New Zealand takes you on a backyard safari and introduces many animals and plants, showing how they can be encouraged to take up residence, whether you have a small urban space or a more substantial garden. Gordon Ell has written widely for nature, and in this highly illustrated edition provides a guide that is packed with ideas and projects to make the home garden attractive to wildlife." (Book Cover)
Grow it, cook it, Sally Cameron ; photography by Charlie Smith.
"'Grow It, Cook It' is a cookery and gardening book in one. It shows you how simple it is to grow your own vegetables, fruit and herbs and then create tasty meals for your family. And you don't need a garden: the plants can all be grown in pots. Sally Cameron's 355 delicious recipes will inspire you in the kitchen, and show you how to deal with an abundance of produce (how to freeze, bottle and preserve). If your child is a budding gardener or chef, the Child's Play section has fun ideas to introduce kids to planting seeds and turning their produce into delicious meals they will love to eat." (Book Jacket) (A New Zealand book so everything works in our growing conditions)
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