Furniture Books

This book is full of very helpful information on many aspects of furniture restoration and repair. Unlike many books on the subject it gives you the information you need without wasting your time or money.

Bennett has created a clear guide that both beginning and experienced restorators will find helpful. His techniques preserve the integrity and value of antiques by treating them conservatively. I especially appreciate Bennett's directions for formulating fillers and cleaners. If you want to do a proper job of restoring a fine antique this book is an essential tool.

I had the opportunity to read this as I was stuck at a party and it was on the coffee table... What a treasure! While I had some very basic knowledge of the impact of shape and color in domestic spaces, this book clarified that which I thought I already knew then expanded upon it tremendously after establish a solid vocabulary.
A great book for any homeowner or anyone interested in design and interior spaces.

This collection of thirty young designers' work is inspiring. Their ideas are diverse, compelling, and innovative, just what you hope a showcase like this would be. Each designer is represented by a short statement and a handful of photographs of project, and this is accompanied by a handful of essays and designer biographies too.

The connective thread through this talent is that the designers are women. That is as light a touch as the editor seemed to want to put on it - it is not a dogmatic approach like "women design in this way..." although you could point to a certain continuity of elegance, of wit, it would be difficult to argue (and the book doesn't try to force the point) that these necessarily are gender issues in design. In fact I think that the opposite and more optimistic point is where the book really succeeds - that contemporary women designers are creating such a diverse, multithreaded output that attributing certain inevitable characteristics merely to gender might be a limiting approach.

This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary design.

The inserted sections show 16 color fullpage photos with
144 pages of practical instruction on fun project examples.
Lots of black and white illustrations detail assembly steps.
Dimensions of basic furniture and required wood pieces are listed.
Examples are often outdoor furniture. The skill level is
basic.

Readers with a ready access to driftwood will find this an ideal crafts guide to using driftwood as a building material. Tables, benches, arbors and more can created easily through these step-by-step instructions, which include listings of tools and materials needed. An excellent furniture-maker's guide.

There is a typo on the last sentence of my review that I did last week for this book where it states I I've, please remove the I.

Thanks Nate Richey

Although Duck Calls of Illinois, 1863-1963 by Robert D. Christensen is limited to Illinois calls made prior to 1964, it encompasses all of the early documented history of the modern duck call. This is because all of the documented history happened to occur in Illinois.

This is a fascinating and very well done book that no duck call collector could possibly do without. Over 100 Illinois call makers are represented including Charlie and Haddon Perdew, Clifford, Grubbs, Martin, Trutone,Barto, Olt, Allen, Ditto, Leonard, the Glodo family, and the Roseberry family. The great photography will help in identifying many of your unknown calls.

$65 might seem like a lot of money for a book, but considering the rather limited market it is a bargain. The best $65 I I've spent since I started collecting calls.

Nate Richey

I bought this as a gift for someone, but they already had it. that goes to show it's a wanted item. I gave it to another friend instead of returning it and they love it. The illustrations are awesome. it's great for beginners and advanced. i love how it shows you the final product and also the step-by-step, color, illustrated directions. it gives info on hardware, stains, wood types, etc... i highly recommend this book. you just need some tools.

This book reflects the best qualities of the furniture it beautifully documents. It is elegant in its simplicity and thoroughly meets the needs of functionality. The photography is well done and shows clearly the nuances of the various pieces in authentic environments. The accompanying descriptions are brief and to the point. These points alone would make this a valuable book to own but the best part comes with the detailing of the components that make up this furniture. This covers everything from metal hardware and how it is made and used, through tools, paints and finishes, wood types and components and more.
The part of this book that most impresses me is the illustrative method for the various projects. Speaking as a retired technical illustrator I can only say "Well done!". The projects are clear and show the proper sequencing of steps without restraining the design. This means that a project can be fitted to the materials available and the needs of the user, much as the original furniture was made. Along with this are well executed illustrations for jigs and setups for modern power tools. The details for mortise, tenons, and traditional effects using modern tools are outstanding. I would treasure this book for this aspect alone.

This brick played a large part in inspiring TreeHugger.com. Full of pictures and key info about sexy, green furniture, transportation, materials, clothing, and more, it's the bible of green design. Each selection in the book has a handy legend that explains the eco-design strategy applied, the materials used, designer, etc. It's a fascinating read for both the average green-interested consumer and the hard-core green designer. Instantly up your eco-status by sliding this into your coffee-table collection.

Full of great inspiration and ideas for a professional designer and casual reader alike, this little book is a must-have addition for anyone interested in alternative design, architecture, or furniture. It is full of pictures and short descriptions of each item, making it perfect for flipping through in your spare time. It reads almost like an in-depth catalogue, but with the integrity (and lack of ads) that comes with being a book. The designs are fantastic, even if they werent eco-friendly. Great book for those who prefer reading tid-bits after seeing a picture they like rather than reading page after page. GREAT IDEAS!

I received this book yesterday and cannot put it down. The pictures, drawings and advice are fantastic. I am very interested in upholstery projects for my home and am ready to move from a "beginning Intermediate" level to "Intermediate". This book is just what I needed for more guidance. I have an extensive collection of upholstery books, and except for "Simply Upholstery" and the "Singer Upholstery Basics" books, I have been mostly disappointed with the books I have received as they were not helpful or showed unrealistic projects. This book is like being in an upholstery class with a smart, interesting teacher. I hope Dorothy Gates writes more books on this subject. I would certainly buy it!!

I took an upholstery class a few years ago and this book is by far the best in taking you through the steps of how to properly upholster furniture! If you only buy one book on upholstering, make it this one. I am now buying another copy of this book for a relative who'll be doing her own re-upholstering.

Many wonderful projects for the experienced or weekend handyman. Simple, yet classic pieces that will enhance any yard.

If you want to build your own shed, playstructure or make a simple picnic table, this is the book for you. The instructions are simple, clear and accurate. Fence building techniques, reatining walls, and building steps into slopes are also outlined in great detail!

I bought this on a whim and was I ever surprised to see how many creative, easy and fun ways there are to decorate a terra cotta pot. Many of them use "found" materials, like the foil wrappers from fancy candies, or leaves and branches found in parks and yards. I've already made plans to make quite a few of these for next years holdiay giving and know they will be a big hit.

Excellent reference for one that has the yearning to be creative with paints. The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow and the book is full of wonderful examples and colorful pictures. My back porch is going to look so colorful with my potted artwork. I used three of the pots (stamped plaids shown on the back cover of the book) inside my house and made silk flower arrangements in them. I highly recommend it!

good basic information, not so informative for me as I have been reading comprehensive books on this subject for a while.

What a gem! This book has all that is needed about your flea market find. The only complaint is that it didn't cover enough items!
Find information on history, care and preservation. The title says "restore" but I feel that it is preservation that the author covers. Exactly what I wanted as I don't want to make something new and then make it look old again!