Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Room Additions: Designing & Building *Garage Conversions *Attic Add-ons *Bath & Kitchen Expansions *Bump-out Additions (Black & Decker Complete Guide) Review

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(More customer reviews)Expansion is one way to keep a home meeting your needs and dreams. "The Complete Guide to Room Additions" discusses the many ins and outs of do-it-yourself home improvement on the scale of adding rooms to one's home. Adding on to one's home is very much cheaper than buying a new home when one's old home fails to meet your needs. In a comprehensive guide, Black & Decker walk readers through the planning stages, converting old rooms, and all the details in the process. For anyone planning expansion of their home, they'd do well to consider "The Complete Guide to Room Additions".

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Building a major addition to your house can take over your life or drain your bank account if you aren't fully prepared with top-notch information. The Complete Guide to Room Additions is both an insurance policy for dealing with contractors and a planning guide that arms homeowners with vital information about the remodeling process. But it also is much more than that: it's a hardworking how-to manual filled with hundreds of photos that show you the hammer-and-nail details that go into these major projects. From garage conversions to kitchen bump-pout expansions, dormer additions and more, this book will be an indispensable tool for any project that adds new square footage to your home's footprint.

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Complete Kitchens: Plan & Build Your Dream Kitchen (Better Homes & Gardens (Paperback)) Review

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(More customer reviews)+s:
The tips in the book are both substantive and informative. The book covers all areas of remodeling from designing a floorplan to selecting and installing cabinets.
-s:
This book has very few photos.
recommendation:
A MUST HAVE for anyone remodeling or redecorating their kitchen and a good addition to the book collection of any decorating junkie.

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Readable, reliable information to plan, design, and build a dream kitchen—all in one package.
Guides homeowners through the process, regardless of how much hands-on work they plan to do.
Features a wide range of kitchen designs, sizes, and configurations to accommodate a variety of lifestyles.
Presents readers with dozens of aspects in kitchen design to help them thoroughly consider projects.
Must-have guide gives step-by-step instructions to install wiring, plumbing, cabinetry, surfaces.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Creating Your Dream Kitchen: How to Plan & Style the Perfect Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)Lots of photos and good suggestions on design and things you should consider when planning a new kitchen. This is for upper end kitchens, trendy, not so much just a general remodel. Nice!

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Fantasizing about the perfect kitchen? Susan Breen, one of America's leading kitchen consultants and writers, shows how to make that dream come true.With brilliant photos, detailed floor plans, professional tips, and illuminating case studies, design expert Susan Breen reveals the art of creating the perfect kitchen. She covers it all, examining every style from contemporary to country traditional, and getting right down to the nitty-gritty facts on working with kitchen designers, architects, and contractors. With her help, readers will learn how to use their available space wisely, so the kitchen not only becomes a great place to do the cooking, but a warm and welcoming space for conversation with family and guests. Breen discusses the great new cabinetry and countertop materials; technological advances in appliances, plumbing, and lighting; storage; selecting the sink; and choosing freestanding furniture. The 12 case studies of real all-American kitchens feature their owners' personal stories, and capture all the thought processes that are crucial to making the right design decisions.A Selection of the Homestyle Book Club.Susan Breen has written more than 100 articles on home design, residential architecture, and kitchen and bath planning. She is author of Entertaining for Wimps, and her work has appeared in House Beautiful Kitchens/Baths, Better Homes & Gardens Remodeling Ideas, Good Housekeeping Do-It-Yourself, and many other magazines.

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Remodeling a Kitchen (Build Like A Pro) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just read the two previous reviews, and felt compelled to write my own. I've had this book a few months and haven't yet redone the kitchen. I worked in construction for many years, but never did kitchen design, though I did do some installations. I re-did the kitchen in our previous home, but didn't change the layout too much.
I'd hate for people to bypass this book based on the prior bad review. If you could only have one book to guide you through your whole project, this one would be hard to beat. It walks you through the process step-by-step, and warns you of potential issues like "hidden systems" - heat, electrical, etc. which can save you loads of aggravation.
I don't have a problem with a significant part of the book being dedicated to design. If you gloss over the design step and move right into construction and end up with a kitchen that doesn't quite fit your cooking/life style, what have you got?? You can get a design at a store that sells cabinets, and guaranteed you'll get a design that fully utilizes their pre-built, one size fits most cabinets they're looking to sell. Maybe that works for you, but maybe not. I find the design part the most challenging. If you don't want to get into it, think about finding a kitchen designer. You may get lucky at IKEA or another big box store. Personally, I have to know I'm getting what works best for us before the money starts going out.
As for needing more information on construction, I don't see it. I think this book has most of what you need. If you didn't quite get something, like installing tile, then there are many places to do research. To me, it's easier to find a description on how to build a cabinet than it is to get a good design. I feel that this book both covers design and takes a thorough look at construction. I have a few books on design alone, and would suggest that approach if you're serious about doing it yourself.
I've always been happy with Taunton Press books. [...]


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Remodeling a kitchen is fun, practical, and one of the best return-on-investment, home-improvement projects out there. Taunton's proven Build Like a Pro series takes this popular remodeling project step by step from planning, through construction, down to the custom details. It's all in here--from design guidance to choices in materials.- Step-by-step projects and pro-level advice instill confidence in readers.- More than 325 color photographs illustrate the remodeling process from start to finish.- Hands-on information includes tips, tool lists, and advice on choosing materials and fixtures.

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Black & Decker The Complete Guide to Decks: Updated 4th Edition, Includes the Newest Products & Fasteners, Add an Outdoor Kitchen (Black & Decker Complete Guide) Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, I'm not a builder. I'm a guy with an office job who sits behind a desk all day long. I think the last thing I built was a birdhouse in third grade and it didn't even last long enough to hang it on a tree. So, I knew building a deck was a BIG project. But, this book made it SO easy! The photos are incredible. They don't use sketches and drawings, they have actual photos. The steps are easy to follow and the instructions are clear from the tools needed to the types of screws to use. If you're looking for a how-to guide on decks, this is the best one!

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America's best-selling deck book—better than ever

In this revised and expanded fourth edition of the all-time bestselling book on decks, homeowners learn, in unsurpassed detail, the process of designing, building, and maintaining a deck. Not only are all the classic deck-building techniques included, but the book also shows how to incorporate the latest contemporary options, such as how to work with eco-friendly wood and reclaimed plastic. Hiring a contractor to build a deck easily adds up to tens of thousands of dollars, but with the help of this book, readers can design and build the deck they want without the high price.

For homeowners who already have a deck but are in the market to update or maintain that deck, The Complete Guide to Decks features important projects for repairs, upgrades, and major additions, such as adding full electrical service, lighting, and kitchen appliances. From design to construction, and tools, material, and planning, this is the only book consumers need to build the deck of their dreams.

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Kelly's Kitchen Sync: Insider kitchen design and remodeling tips from an award-winning kitchen expert Review

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(More customer reviews)I am an interior designer who works with a contractor in a design/build partnership. We plan to give this book to every potential client. This book decodes the language and process behind a kitchen remodel. It's timely and even overdue in this era of extreme customization. And that it is well organized and even humorous makes it a delight to read. There are so many books that inspire beautiful kitchen design, but lack the nuts and bolts. This book doesn't do what the others do. You won't find amazing dream kitchen photos in this book. Consider it a field guide, a don't-leave-home-without-it book. I will no doubt refer to it on every job. Thank you Kelly for your contribution towards making good kitchen design happen!

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"80% OF CONSUMERS WANT TO REDO THEIR KITCHENS." - Kitchen and Bath Design News
And most of them will want to pull their hair out at some point in the process! Appliances or cabinets don't fit or open right . . . the sink is so tight that the faucet gets a wedgie . . . the floor or walls aren't straight or plumb . . . the range hood is a head-banger . . .your contractor forgot to ask you about . . . everything!
From DIY go-getters to reluctant remodelers to smart consumers who just want to stay on top of their projects, everyone who dabbles in kitchen design and remodeling needs some "I wish I'd thought of that" help and support.
Packed with truly insider kitchen design secrets and remodeling tips shared in a humorous, realistic way, Kelly's Kitchen Sync has answers to questions you didn't know you should ask. Don't let your project get bogged down by your own horror story! Let Kelly help you get it done right, on time and on budget.
You'll learn how to:
'Separate expectations from the reality of what will work for you and your kitchen
'Figure out where to go, who does what, when to get outside help
'Ensure your design matches the space, appliances, and how you use your kitchen
'Choose materials that will work best, and when and where to splurge
'Keep costs down by making good choices and avoiding costly mistakes
Kelly Morisseau has kitchen design in her blood. Her blog, Kitchen Sync, is a top-ten kitchen design blog on the internet. A second-generation designer, both her parents were kitchen designers long before anyone understood the term. Kelly's award-winning experience includes more than 25 years as a professional kitchen designer, both on her own and for leading design/build firms. She is a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer (CMKBD) and a Certified Interior Designer (CID) in California.

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New Built-Ins Idea Book: Media Centers Nooks & Crannies Window Seats Kitchen & Dining Areas Work Centers (Idea Books) Review

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(More customer reviews)The two Taunton books that I've bought (Built-Ins and Trim) are excellent books. The images that are chosen are great, and really do give you ideas (maybe too many). The write-ups are succinct and straight-forward. I've bought 6-8 interior decorating/design books in the last few months, most are disappointing, but the New Built-Ins Idea Book is excellent. You will not be disappointed.

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Do-it-yourself home projects have become a national pastime, and nothing satisfies that urge more then creating built-ins. The fact that they are a permanent part of a house makes it more critical that they be done with as much skill and imagination as possible. That's where the New Built-Ins Idea Book comes in. Written by Sandor Nagyszalanczy, a former senior editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and an acknowledged expert in the field, this illustrated guide shows step-by-step how to create built-ins that are both practical and appealing. Here are hundreds of design ideas for projects for every room of the house, including kitchens, bathrooms, libraries, kids' spaces, dining rooms, bedrooms, and the increasingly popular media spaces. The book shows a wide range of possibilities for incorporating built-ins, from niches to bookcases to spaces that replace those stacks of clothing in the closet. Complete coverage of materials, lighting, color, and hardware, along with careful, comprehensible drawings and photographs, is included.

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