Selected Home Improvement and Decorating Titles, September 2004—June 2005

Compiled by Suzanne Mantell -- Publishers Weekly, 10/11/2004

ABRAMS

I Hate Red, You’re Fired! The Colorful Life of an Interior Designer by William W. Stubbs (Oct., $35) is a memoir by the designer Bill Stubbs, who recounts the extraordinary adventures of his stellar career. Lushly illustrated, The Abrams Guide to American House Styles by William Morgan (Nov., $40) is a compact all-color photography guide to the approximately 20 styles of domestic architecture common in the U.S., from Colonial to Craftsman to modern to Art Deco. Lofty domiciles are the province of Treehouses of the World by Pete Nelson and Radek Kurzaj (Nov., $35), which manages to be at once gloriously fanciful and eminently practicable. Paging Peter Pan.) The Colonial Revival House by Richard Guy Wilson (Dec., $45) tours a variety of these stately residences throughout the U.S. with an expert on the subject. The Ranch House by Alan Hess (Jan., $45) offers a definitive look at a style popular in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s—and newly popular today.

ANDREWS MCMEEL PUBLISHING

A lighthearted variation on feng shui can be found in Decorating with Funky Shui: How to Lighten Up, Loosen Up, and Have Fun Decorating Your Home (June, $14.95 paper) by Kitty O’Neil and Jennifer O’Neil, who counsel on arranging objects in your home so they deliver more fun. Mary Engelbreit’s Home Sweet Home: A Journey Through Mary’s Dream Home (Sept., $29.95) by Mary Engelbreit chronicles how the popular artist/designer’s fantasy house became a reality.

A Treehouse of Your Own: A Step-by-Step Guide to Building an Amazing Treetop Retreat by John Harris (Nov., $18.95 paper) is an illustrated how-to by the founder of The Treehouse Company, a treehouse design and building firm.

BROADWAY BOOKS

Bringing Tuscany Home: Sensuous Style from the Heart of Italy by Frances Mayes with Edward Mayes (Oct., $29.95) mixes tips on home decor with advice on other forms of practical Tuscan hospitality. The Color Palette Primer: A Guide to Choosing Ideal Color Combinations for Your Home by Joann Eckstut (Mar., $24.95) has an introduction that details basic color theory followed by 272 pages of color palette printed in a six-color process.

BULFINCH PRESS

From HGTV personality Joan Kohn comes Joan Kohn’s It’s Your Bed and Bath: Hundreds of Beautiful Design Ideas (Sept., $40), with insights and ideas for renovating or starting from scratch. Patterns and bright hues are the elements for home makeovers in Susan Sargent’s The Comfort of Color: Inspire—Transform—Create by Susan Sargent with Todd Lynn (Sept., $29.95). Nell Hill’s Decorating Secrets: Easy and Inspiring Ways to Bring Style into Your Home by Mary Carol Garrity (Oct., 29.95) offers tips and ideas for recreating this popular decorating expert’s relaxed style. Golden rules of decorating formulated over a 25-year career appear in Kelly Hoppen Style: The Golden Rules of Design by Kelly Hoppen (Nov., $40), a British designer who is just now launching stores in U.S. The New Decorating with Pictures: Collecting Art and Photography and Displaying It in Your Home by Stephanie Hoppen (Nov., $24.95) is an updated version of Hoppen’s 1991 book covering everything from paintings to rock photography to picture frames.

CENTERLINE MEDIA

Tired of home advice? Try a fictional account of home improvement in The Carpenter’s Notebook by Mark Clement (Nov., $24.95). The publisher describes the novel as The Bridges of Madison County meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

CHRONICLE

Emily Post meets Home Depot in The Villain’s Guide to Better Living by Neil Zawacki (Oct., $14.95 paper), an expert in fiendish lifestyle guides. Total Feng Shui: Bring Health, Wealth, and Happiness into Your Life by Lillian Too (Jan., $19.95 paper) is a comprehensive look at this popular Chinese tradition, which suggests that small changes—the placement of a potted plant in your home, for example—can lead to big ones, such as improved financial health. 1,000 Tiles: Ten Centuries of Decorative Ceramics by Gordon Lang (Sept., $29.95 paper) provides examples from Mesopotamian to contemporary postmodern for artists and designers looking for inspiration, especially in the realm of pattern and color play. New Scandinavian Design by Katherine Nelson (Nov., $50) is a survey of contemporary Scandinavian designers whose work goes “beyond blond.” San Francisco Style: Design, Décor, and Architecture (Oct., $40) by Diane Dorrans Saeks takes readers into apartments, grand houses, lofts and bungalows scattered in different neighborhoods of the City by the Bay, and includes a list of where to shop, view art and get an inside look at San Francisco style. The Complete Book of Paint by Lynne Robinson, Richard Lowther and Liz Wagstaff (Apr., $19.95 paper) combines the best of two earlier books, Paint Recipes and Decorative Paint Recipes,into one oversized reference guide that offers more than 50 painting techniques and finishes for walls, floors and furniture. At Home in the Hudson Valley by Allison Serrell (June, $40) takes a look at New York’s Hudson River Valley and 20 of its exceptional dwellings, including Karim Rashid’s Carl Koch Tech Built house in Croton-on-Hudson, an original Marcel Breuer home in Salt Point and architect Peter Franck’s celebrated residence in the Catskills.

CREATIVE HOMEOWNER

Home decorators perplexed by window dressing can check out 1001 Ideas for Windows: The Ultimate Source Book for Curtains, Blinds, Fabrics, and Hardware by Anne Justin (Sept., $24.95 paper), a comprehensive guide that gives equal time to drapes, blinds, curtains, cascades and sheers, among other possibilities. Cabinets, Shelves & Home Storage Solutions: Practical Ideas & Projects for Organizing Your Home by the editors of Creative Homeowner (Oct., $14.95 paper) addresses that pressing problem: lack of adequate storage space. New to the Smart Guide series, which provides highly focused information about a single subject, is Smart Guide: Decorative Paint Techniques (Oct., $8.95 paper). Decks: Plan, Design, Build by Steve Cory (Feb., $19.95 paper) leads the homeowner through the entire process.

CREATIVE PUBLISHING INTERNATIONAL

Step-by-step color photography characterizes The Black & Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Repair (Sept., $34.95), a revision and expansion of the company’s all-time bestseller; among many other additions and updated features is a new chapter devoted to home health, safety and security. The IdeaWise series, which launched earlier this year with IdeaWise Yards & Gardens and IdeaWise Kitchens, continues with IdeaWise Decks & Patios (Nov., $15.95 paper) and IdeaWise Garages (Dec., $15.95 paper). Home Maintenance 101 (Jan., $24.95) fulfills the promise of its title as a do-it-yourself repair guide for the novice homeowner. The Complete Guide to Outdoor Wood Projects by the editors of Creative Publishing International (Jan., $24.95 paper) features easy-to-execute directions for a wide range of projects.

F&W PUBLICATIONS

From North Light Books: If these walls could talk it might be because they’d been visited by Rebecca Baer, whose Elegant Lettering for Your Home (Jan., $24.99) provides readers with everything they need for applying hand-painted lettering to home accessories, furniture and, of course, walls. The Art of Trompe l’Oeil Murals by Yves Lanthier (Dec., $26.99) gives insight and instruction into wall painting that fools the eye (and delights the spirit). Painted Illusions: Create Stunning Trompe L’Oeil Effects with Stencils by Melanie Royals (Sept., $24.99) advises novice home decorators about this artistic “fakery,” while It’s Faux Easy with Gary Lord by Gary Lord (Nov., $24.99) shares trade secrets about 30 finishes for wall and ceiling treatments.

FILIPACCHI PUBLISHING

Photographer Hisashi Tokuyoshi got parents of all stripes to show off their children’s inner sanctums in Cool Kids’ Rooms (Sept., $16.95 paper). Thirty home makeovers animate the pages of Renovate: What the Pros Know About Giving New Life to Your House, Loft, Condo or Apartment by Fred A. Bernstein (Oct., $45), with before and after photos, floor plans and a resource guide. Elle Decor’s Country Homes: Elegant Weekend Retreats from Around the World by Jean Demachy (Oct., $39.95) offers high-style country decorating ideas that can be adapted to smaller homes and apartments. Francois Baudot and Jean Demachy’s A Passion for Collecting: Decorating with Art and Antiques (Nov., $49.95) shows off collections by the likes of Gianni Versace, Paloma Picasso, Tina Chow and Benedict Taschen, and suggests ways that readers can handle their own treasured objects.

FIREFLY BOOKS

Kitchen Culture: Reinventing Kitchen Design by Johnny Grey (Oct., $39.95) casts an architect’s eye on the room that has most preoccupied people in the last 20 years. A practical guide for finding one’s inner mosaicist, The Complete Mosaic Handbook: Projects, Techniques, Designs by Sarah Kelly (Nov., $35) provides photos, history, design tips, techniques, a gallery of master works and 30 how-to projects. Simple Soft Furnishings: 50 Stylish Home Sewing Projects to Transform Your Home by Katrin Cargill (Oct., $24.95 paper) is an illustrated step-by-step guide to easily achieved projects.

HOME USER PRESS

The user-friendly Better Houses, Better Living: What to Look for When Buying, Building or Remodeling by Myron Ferguson (Sept., $24.95 paper) catalogues a long list of design problems that plague houses, with the hope of helping buyers and builders avoid the same pitfalls.

LLEWELLYN

Design principles, Western mythology and folklore blend in Sacred Home: Creating Shelter for Your Soul by Laurine Morrison Meyer (Oct., $12.95 paper), as the author shows readers how to transform the home into a sanctuary for body, mind and spirit.

MEREDITH PRESS

Yes, You Can! by Amy Wynn Pastor (Mar., $19.95 paper), a home-repair DIY book for women by a former carpenter on TLC’s Trading Spaces.

New BH&G titles due in January—all paperbacks at $19.95—are Better Homes and Gardens Sheds & Gazebos; Better Homes & Gardens New Cottage Style: Decorating Ideas for Casual, Comfortable Living; ...Masonry and Concrete Step-by-Step; and ...Decks Step-by-Step. Also out in January are updated versions of two previous titles: Additions Planner, with accumulated sales of 85,000 copies; and Porch & Sunroom Planner ($14.95 each, paper), with 130,000 copies sold.

From Stanley Books: New to the Stanley Complete Projects Made Easy series are Complete Decks and Complete Built-Ins, Shelves & Bookcases (Jan., $19.95 each, paper).

From HGTV Books: The Best of Designers’ Challenge (Jan., $19.95 paper), in which three different designers offer makeovers for 18 different rooms; Kitchens and Baths (Mar., $19.95 each, paper); and

OXMOOR HOUSE

Pottery Barn Dining Spaces and Pottery Barn Work Spaces (Oct., $24.95 each), the latest additions to the Pottery Barn Design Library, are sourcebooks for ideas and inspiration.

PERIGEE

Budget Living Party Central: A Year’s Worth of Fabulous Entertaining by the editors of Budget Living (Oct., $19.95 paper) is chock full of festive (but frugal) ideas on how to use your house as a setting for all kinds of wonderful parties. Lynda Lyday’s Do-It-Yourself: The Room-by-Room, Step-by-Step Guide to the Most Popular Home Repair and Renovation Projects (Apr., $16.95 paper) is filled with practical advice, insider tips and fix-it projects, all courtesy of the dynamic host of the DIY Network’s Talk2DIY.

CLARKSON POTTER

Nina Campbell’s Decorating Notebook by Nina Campbell (Sept., $40), a favorite among decorators, aims to teach laypersons to think like professionals when it comes to traditional interiors. A Passion for Antiques by Barbara Orhbach (Oct., $30) imparts lavishly illustrated advice on how to use antiques to create distinctive rooms. Doug Wilson, of TLC’s Trading Spaces, provides inspiration, know-how and insider designing tips in Doug’s Rooms (Nov.,$19.95 paper). Whether or not it overtakes feng shui as the next big thing, Wabi Sabi style has a lot to teach, and The Wabi-Sabi House by Robyn Griggs Lawrence (Dec., $25), fills readers in on the Japanese art of imperfect beauty. The book recounts the rich history of this design trend and shows readers how to clear clutter and block noise and find joy and beauty in the seemingly ordinary. Discover more about all aspects of swimming pools—construction techniques, materials and design options—in the lavishly illustrated The Swimming Pool by pool expert Martha Baker (Mar., $50). Debbie Travis’ Facelift: Solutions to Revitalize Your Home by Debbie Travis (Apr.,$19.95 paper) is by a popular personality whose skill lies in de-stressing the redesign process.

READER’S DIGEST

Reader’s Digest Complete Do It Yourself Manual, Completely Revised and Updated, from the editors of Family Handyman and Reader’s Digest (May, $35) is a totally overhauled version of the original Complete Do It Yourself Manual, which has sold nearly 10 million copies since it debuted in 1973. Quick and Easy Sewing Projects: 50 Low-and-No-Sew Projects to Accent Every Room in Your Home by Gloria Nicol (Jan., $26.95) offers ways to perk up a familiar setting, as do Curtains and Shades: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative Window Treatments by Melanie Paine and Cushions and Covers: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creative Soft Furnishing by Gina Moore (Jan., $14.95 each, paper). The Complete Book of Home Decorating: Inspiring Ideas and Practical Techniques to Making Your House Your Home by the editors of Reader’s Digest (Mar., $19.95 paper reprint) looks at planning, room style, colors and patterns, options and practical hands-on home decorating instruction.

REGAN BOOKS

Designer Todd Oldham, writing with Julia Szabo, considers the virtues of moderne in Handmade Modern: 72 Easy Projects to Remake Your Home and Office (Mar., $19.95 paper) and is currently developing a TV series based on the book. Designing Spaces: Transforming Every Room with Easy, Elegant Style by Vern Yip (Apr., $19.95) blends sophisticated design principles with affordable ideas from a designer who wows viewers on TLC’s Trading Spaces.

REVELL BOOKS

Marlee Le Dai takes readers on a journey through their own homes in Living Spaces (Sept., $14.99 paper), exploring the meaning and spirituality they can find in every room. A subject not often enough aired when discussing house renovation is marital harmony. Laura Jensen Walker takes on the subject fearlessly in This Old Dump: Renovate Without Decking Your Mate (Sept., $11.99 paper).

RYLAND PETERS & SMALL

Country Escapes by Bo Niles et al. (Sept., $29.95) is aimed at the armchair decorator and offers many pages of gorgeous country homes. Your Home as a Sanctuary by Josephine Collins (Sept., $19.95) shows how harmonizing your home and your soul doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Lighting by Elizabeth Wilhide (Sept., $29.95) is an updated edition of a comprehensive sourcebook on the subject. Children’s Rooms Essentials by Judith Wilson considers how kids would like their bedrooms, play spaces, eating places and bathrooms to look; Color Essentials by Leslie Geddes-Brown (Oct., $12.95 each) explains how color can transform interior spaces. Home Style Sourcebook: Inspirational Decorating Schemes for Every Home by Leslie Geddes-Brown, Katherine Sorrell and Judith Wilson (Oct., $35) contains myriad ideas for transforming spaces into places you’d want to live.

GIBBS SMITH

Prefab Home by Michael Buchanan (Oct., $24.95 paper) provides a close-up look at the emerging world of prefabricated or modular housing. The author’s own prefab home building project was filmed and featured as special episodes for Bob Vila’s Home Again TV show, currently in syndication. Blueprint Remodel: Tract Home Transformations That Turn Everyday to Extraordinary by Michelle Kodis (Sept., $24.95) looks at tract housing in America and considers how to turn a tract home into a dream home. Empowerment is the name of the game for House About It by Sheri Koones (Sept., $24.95), which includes everything you need to know about building or remodeling a home, from doors and windows to flooring and plumbing. The House That Jill Built by Judy Ostrow (Mar., $24.95 paper) takes a look at women building and doing major remodeling—Rosie the Riveter in action, says the publisher.Small Strawbale: Homes, Projects, and Designs by Bill and Athena Steen and Wayne Bingham (Apr., $24.95 paper) encourages the reader to build thoughtfully and beautifully. Wabi Sabi Style by James and Sandra Crowley (Mar., $19.95 paper) takes a constructive look at this Japanese approach to home decor and ambiance.

STERLING PUBLICATIONS

From Hearst Books: Considerations of scale, color and the priorities of each room are among the subjects of the “classes” featured in House Beautiful Decorating School by Tessa Evelegh (Oct., $29.95). Essays on the concept of “home” by contemporary writers including Edna O’Brien, A. M. Holmes and Christopher Buckley are the meat and potatoes of House Beautiful If These Walls Could Talk: Thoughts of Home edited by Elaine Greene (Oct., $19.95). Country Living by Marie Proeller Hueston (Nov., $29.95) is interested in the display of objects and how to apply good design principles to a collection of any sort; included are tips for editing a collection, lighting it and building custom shelves. In House Beautiful: The Fabric Style Book (Dec., $24.95), chairs, lampshades and sofas switch from stripes to florals to solids to show how much difference a covering makes.

From Chapelle: Designer April Cornell brings her vibrant sensibility and vivid paqlette to April Cornell Decorating with Color (Nov., $24.95). Decorating for the First Time by Eileen Cannon Paulin (Dec., $19.95 hardcover) is presented in a Q&A format and includes formulas for measuring walls, windows, floors and other spaces.

STEWART, TABORI & CHANG

Designing a Home with Wood by Heather E. and Earl G. Adams Jr. with Carla Steinbach (Sept., $29.95) addresses both the professional contractor and the do-it-yourself homeowner as it considers house features such as carved entranceways, ornate moldings, beamed ceilings and kitchen cabinetry. Two titles that explore the faraway and the dreamy are Houses of Saint-Tropez by Marie Bariller (Oct., $45), with its details of some 25 dwellings, and Island Life: Inspirational Interiors by India Hicks and David Flint Wood (Mar., $40), an exploration of three restored tropical homes and one restored hotel.

SUNSET BOOKS

Lowe’s Complete Tile & Flooring Book (Oct., $26.95) is a guide to the most common situations and includes advice on selecting the best material and tools as well as step-by-step instructions. Curb Appeal (Jan., $19.95) takes a look at what passersby see when they pass by your house and makes suggestions, via before and after photos, on what you can do to “Make It Look Better.”

TASCHEN

Big and bold and covered in cloth,the two-volume Inside Asia, edited by Angelika Taschen (Dec., $125), moves around the continent country by country depicting interiors ranging from native to international in style. Morocco Interiorsand Provence Interiors (Nov., $19.99 each) afford glimpses into those area’s homes, while Living in Mexico (Nov., $29.99) shows what domestic life can be like south of the border. 1000 Lights, Volumes 1 & 2 by Charlotte and Peter Fiell (Feb., $39.99 each) covers the history of lights and lighting fixtures.

TAUNTON PRESS

Creating the Inspired House: Discovering Your Place Called Home by architect John Connell (Sept., $34.95) presents an intimate look into the lives of 21 families across the country and their pursuit to create a living environment inspired by their lifestyles. The House You Build: Making Real-World Choices to Get the Home You Want by architect Duo Dickinson (Oct., $34.95), published under the joint imprint of the American Institute of Architects, tackles a question of particular interest: Can you really build a beautiful home on a budget? (The answer, in case you were unsure, is Yes.)The Farmhouse: New Inspiration for the Classic American Home by Jean Rehkamp Larson (Sept., $32) shows off 20 new and remodeled farmhouses from the past five years. Due in February are two additions to the Taunton Home series, which takes a close-up look at houses room by room—Taunton Home: New Kitchen Idea Book by Joanne Kella Bouknight and ... New Bathroom Idea Book by Andrew Wormer ($32 each).

THAMES & HUDSON

The lushly photographed At Home in Greece by Julia Klimi (Sept., $40) shows off Greek homes and tells the stories of the people who commissioned or restored them.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE

Tricia Guild in Town: Contemporary Design for Urban Living by Elspeth Thompson (Quadrille, distributed by Trafalgar Square, Sept., $24.95) imparts to readers the effectiveness of mixing vibrant color and pattern and using modern arts and crafts to enrich urban living. Brilliant Color at Home: Paint, Fabric, Light, Glass by Elizabeth Hilliard (Kyle Cathie, distributed by Trafalgar Square, Mar., $25) uses a color-wheel system to show how brightly colored paints, fabrics, patterns and lights can enliven any area of the home. Tips for Vintage Style by Cath Kidston (Ebury Press, distributed by Trafalgar Square, Mar., $14 paper) cheers on those who love timeworn objects and materials and shows how to use them to create a home that looks timeless and welcoming.Changing Rooms: Complete Home Makeover by Andy Kane and Carol Smillie (BBC Books, distributed by Trafalgar Square, Apr., $17.99), based on the BBC America hit series Changing Rooms, is a complete guide to giving your home a designer sheen. Tommy Walsh Living Spaces DIY by BBC handyman Tommy Walsh (HarperCollins UK, distributed by Trafalgar Square, Apr., $24.99), takes an in-depth look at all the living areas of the home whether for minor repairs or major renovations. Pure Living: How to Detox Your Home by Sally Bevan (BBC Books, distributed by Trafalgar Square, Apr., $13.99) shows that you don’t have to empty out your house to make it safe but simply make good choices on a daily basis.

TUTTLE PUBLISHING

A new guide to the art of feng shui is available in Feng Shui Solutions (Dec., $18.95 paper), a practical workbook, and Feng Shui Essentials (Feb. $21.95), a step-by-step guide to the flying star evaluation that is currently in vogue.

From Periplus Editions: The Idea series, which features the work of the best architects and designers from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Bali comes Contemporary Asian Bathrooms (Sept.), Contemporary Asian Kitchens and Dining Rooms (Dec.), Contemporary Asian Living Rooms (Feb.) and Contemporary Asian Pools and Gardens (Feb., $30 each). Also from Periplus is Eat, Work, Shop (Sept., $50), which showcases the work of seven of Japan’s foremost architects as it is displayed in shops, restaurants, salons, bars and spas.

WATSON-GUPTILL

From an author with a long track record in home decor comes Mary Gilliatt’s Dictionary of Architecture and Interior Design: Essential Terms for the Home by Mary Gilliatt (Nov., $24.95), an A to Z reference work, and Mary Gilliatt’s Home Comforts with Style: A Decorating Guide for Today’s Living by Mary Gilliatt (Oct., $35), a room-by-room guide to what contributes to someone’s comfort level and why. Susan Sargent’s New Country Color: The Art of Living by Susan Sargent and Jake Chapline (Oct., $19.95 paper reprint) vividly illustrates the importance of color in a room.

WILEY

Building Your Own Home for Dummies by Kevin Daum, Janice Brewster and Peter Economy (Mar., $19.99 paper) starts from scratch (acquiring land) and moves methodically forward (finding an architect, calculating design costs and overseeing construction) and is packed with tips, checklists and step-by-step guides.