Art and Design > Home Improvement

DoP 2000, Lower Hutt Toni Craig and Alan Muxlow developed Construction Labour Constants: A Ready Reckoner to support accurate pricing of construction tasks. For construction companies, subcontractors, private developers, landscape services and trainees, this essential reference offers: labour constants for a variety of trades to assist experienced estimators involved in the pricing of construction work detailed examples under each trade for the newcomer to estimating, demonstrating how the labour constants are used to build... read more

Has life become a bundle of stress and mess? Top-selling author Susan Waggoner has the solution. This ingenious, fun-to-read illustrated guide - newly in paperback - offers tried-and-true household hints and practical solutions to everyday problems, from the "A-to-Z Guide to Food" to "The Tao of Laundry." Whether it's a no-scrub trick to make bathroom faucets gleam or surefire advice on keeping your house harmonious with as little fuss as possible, "Country Living Simple Country Wisdom" is the key to creating a home that's cheerful... read more

This practical illustrated guide is packed with clear instructions on how to deal with just about every domestic situation, including the odd crisis, not just at home, but also on the road. With this handy guide for reference, in no time the reader will be able to clear a blocked sink, replace a fuse, change a tyre, choose the right nail for a repair job, use a power tool and remove marks on the carpet. First published February 2008.

While most books are about patents and protecting your inventions, this book is about getting to the heart of inventing .This is a single reference that you can use when you want to start a new invention or project, or you can read it purely for the information that is in it. This book is not aimed at the professionals, even though there are some sections that they may find useful. You do not need a university degree to be creative and to be good at inventing, Inventing for the Rest of Us is written more for the average pers... read more

Building on the enormous success of his book "Shelter, Lloyd Kahn continues his odyssey of finding and exploring the most magnificent and unusual hand-built houses in existence. Among the intriguing domiciles described in "Homework are a Japanese-styles stilt house accessible only by taking a cable across a river; a stone house in a South African valley whose roof serves as a baboon trampoline; multilevel treehouses on the South China Sea; and a bottle house in the Nevada desert. Over 1,500 photos illustrate various innovative arch... read more

This ground-breaking book – a bestseller for several years – shows how to build or adapt your home so that it’s almost completely self-sufficient in power and water.

Richard Blizzard explains clearly and simply how to construct a whole array of indispensable and stylish garden items using straightforward materials and techniques. It features eighteen stunning garden projects to be completed in a weekend from the master of accessible and achievable woodworking. Full step-by-step instructions throughout are accompanied by easy-to-follow drawings and superb colour photographs of the finished projects. Each new technique is introduced progressively, allowing beginners to build their confidence and ... read more

An easy-to-use manual with projects tested by experienced carpenters. -- Step-by-step instructions are demonstrated with color photographs for every project.

Is it possible to have a perfectly organised closet? With "The Complete Custom Closet", the answer is yes! Readers are first asked to evaluate their storage needs, then using intermediate carpentry and cabinetmaking skills they learn how to transform their spaces by adding drawers, shelving units, shoe racks, lighting, and much more. Creative projects show how to install an entire dresser into a closet and how to turn a closet into an effective home office.

"Not So Big Remodeling" introduces the Not So Big philosophy (quality vs. quantity; less can be more; putting pounds into character rather than into square footage) and suggests how it can serve as an approach to remodelling. You can remodel Not So Big, with small changes that have a big impact and you can remodel incrementally, as you have the time and money to do so. Even when you remodel your whole house at once, it's usually best to conceive of the remodel as a series of Not So Big changes. Taken together, these Not So Big chan... read more

"The Complete Guide to Maintaining Pools & Spas" will both inspire and educate readers on the practical points of owning and maintaining a home swimming pool, hot tub or recreational whirlpool. For those considering a recreational water feature, an exciting gallery chapter and a planning/design chapter will display the latest trends and products, and unique new ways to integrate a pool or spa into the landscape. The book also includes an overview of each type of structure, including above-ground and in-ground swimming pools, stand-... read more

A home reference manual which includes advice about stain removal, first aid, cleaning, security and child safety as well as features on home making skills from basic cooking techniques and recipes to entertaining and etiquette.

Tricia Guild's status as a designer is legendary. Her company Designer's Guild sells collections of her fabrics, paints, wallpaper, and furnishings all over the world. Here, in this truly personal book, Tricia reveals the many sources of her inspiration and gives an insight into the way she works. Her passions are many and various: art and music; architecture and design; theatre and opera; novels and poetry; food; flowers and gardening; the broad sweep of landscape and the miraculous minutiae of nature; texture and form; light and ... read more

This lavishly illustrated, inspirational book is written in a friendly, accessible style that demonstrates how easy and effective home decorating can be. It is a starting point for beginners, yet also full of tips for those with more experience. Making your home look appealing is a great way to add value and if you're renting, there are many simple ways you can add a personal touch, even if you don't want to invest a lot of time and money making drastic changes. Jeannine McAndrew shows how simply spending a day or two painting a ro... read more