Books about Residential from Amazon.com

A handbook for living well in the twenty-first century

From legendary lifestyle expert Colin Cowie comes the last word in living a gracious, sensuous life on any budget. Colin draws back the curtain on his own chic, passionate, 120-miles-per-hour life, revealing how to create and entertain in an inviting home, garner respect in the workplace, and travel with ease and comfort. No matter how or where you live, or whatever your personal style may be, Colin Cowie Chic will place you on the fast track to experiencing life to the fullest.

This immensely practical handbook offers step-by-step instructions on everything from workplace etiquette to the art of no-sweat, fuss-free travel. Colin also takes the guesswork out of navigating today’s social situations with the kind of charm and confidence that will get you invited back anywhere you want!

The invaluable details he shares include:

Home:
Essential comforts for every room
Kitchen decorating ideas
Storage and organization shortcuts
Know-how for being or hosting a guest

Entertaining:
A wine-and-cheese primer
Options for stunning table settings
A no-fail hangover cure

Travel:
Unbeatable jet-lag remedies
Road-trip guidelines
A must-have packing list

Work:
Tips for motivating employees and coworkers
Desk etiquette for the office

And much more!

Packed with detailed lists, gorgeous photographs, and helpful illustrations, this is the only guidebook you’ll ever need to live a beautiful, elegant life (as you should!)..
Price: $15.61 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This may be the best comprehensive guide for home buyers. Home Buying for Dummies is coauthored by Eric Tyson, author of several other books in the For Dummies series, and Ray Brown, a long-time real estate professional Like other books in the series, this one is an easy and even entertaining read. But it does not gloss over details in pursuit of simplicity. Home Buying for Dummies covers all the bases, providing clear explanations and reasonable judgments on how to select a mortgage, hire a real estate agent, find the right house, and negotiate a good deal. The book goes further than most in providing helpful, specific information. For example, in discussing ways to save money for a future down payment, Home Buying for Dummies even includes the phone numbers for various mutual funds appropriate to different investment time frames. --Barry Mitzman.
Price: $7.74 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Finding the perfect house is never easy. Rebuilding one from a crumbling pile—to say nothing of making it into a home—is even harder.

With their infant son in tow, David Giffels and his wife comb the environs of Akron, Ohio, in search of just the right house for their burgeoning family. Running through David's head the whole time are the lyrics of a Replacements song, ". . . Look me in the eye, then tell me that I'm satisfied," and it gives all the more purpose to their quest. But nothing seems right . . . until they spot a beautiful, decaying Gilded Age mansion. A former rubber industry executive's domain, the once grand residence lacks functional plumbing and electricity, leaks rain like a cartoon shack, and is infested with all manner of wildlife. But for a young man at a coming-of-age crossroads—"suspended between a perpetual youth and an inevitable adulthood"—the challenge is exactly the allure.

All the Way Home follows Giffels's funny, poignant, and confounding journey as he and his wife and a colorful collection of helpers turn a money pit into a house that will complete their family. Nothing could prepare them for a home restoration epic that includes evicting squatters (both four- and two-legged), battling an invading wisteria vine, hunting a ghost, and discovering thousands of dollars in hidden Depression-era cash. But the story's heart lies deeper, in an unexpected series of personal hardships that call into question what "home" really means, and what it means to grow up.

Written with the humor and insight of Bill Bryson and John Grogan, All the Way Home is the engaging tale of a young father's struggle to restore a house and find his way . . . without losing himself.

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Price: $15.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The 2006 International Residential Code®brings uniformity to construction of one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories high. A comprehensive code for homebuilding, this book brings together all building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical provisions. It establishes minimum regulations using prescriptive provisions, and is founded on broad-based principles that make possible the use of new materials and building designs..
Price: $65.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Virginia Woolf was right. Women–and men, it turns out–yearn for a room of their own.

But instead of a little nook beneath the eaves, that room is now a shed. Today’s sheds, however, are not dusty shelters for plants and tools. Lace curtains have replaced cobwebs, charming antiques stand where shovels and rakes once rusted, and instead of corrugated walls, you will find cedar shingles and window boxes. Sheds are stylish and elegant and offer a hassle-free and affordable way to create more space without undergoing a major renovation. They function as artists’ studios, writers’ retreats, yoga dens, entertaining pavilions, children’s playhouses, garden rooms, or serene hideaways for any personal pursuit.

In Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, Debra Prinzing and William Wright showcase twenty-eight innovative and beautifully imagined spaces from New York City to East Hampton, from Seattle to San Diego, and from Atlanta to Austin to Santa Cruz. Some are elaborate and luxurious; others are delightfully modest. They are built in urban gardens and suburban backyards and tucked away on rural properties.

Stunning, lush color photography graces Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, bringing the reader into each space and face-to-face with all its nooks, crannies, and details; the text describes how the owners’ needs and interests inspired the shed practically and aesthetically. With sample plans for building a shed, advice on the practicalities of designing and decorating it, and thoughts from backyard philosophers who celebrate the appeal and possibilities of simple structures, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways is both an inspiration for creating your own backyard destination and an armchair journey to some of the country’s most private and serene places..
Price: $18.42 [Notify me when price goes down.]

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Price: $12.18 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A thorough, informative, and up-to-date reference on green, sustainable and energy-efficient home construction that clarifies definitions of green and sustainable and guides builders and architects through the process of new or remodel green construction, including issues of site, landscaping, durability, and energy-efficiency. It starts with clear explanations of the concepts and fundamentals of green, healthy and energy-efficient construction and walks the reader through the entire construction process, injecting expert advice at every decision point. Construction techniques, materials, and products are thoroughly explained, making the often vaguely understood concepts cleanly understandable. The book gives builders and architects the tools to respond to growing requests from homeowners for green and energy-efficient houses, whether new or remodeled. Homeowners can use the book to understand the concepts, process, and options, whether they're doing it themselves or working with a professional..
Price: $16.47 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Axel Vervoordt began purchasing antiques in his teens and has steadily built a vast collection of exquisite objects from around the world. He is renowned for his prestigious exhibitions at major world antique fairs, including the New York Design Fair and TEFAF Maastricht. His interior designs, in both traditional and modern settings around the world, combine antiques from all continents with a Zen sensuality, and they blend the old with the new to create harmonious interiors. His unusual pairings may include Chinese porcelain with English furniture or a Roman relic alongside a 1930s Flemish painting.
The extent of Vervoordt’s talent is revealed in the twenty-three homes in Europe and the United States presented here through Christian Sarramon’s photographs. The variety of styles reflects Vervoordt’s eclecticism, and his authentic and welcoming interiors are inspirational treasure troves. From the rustic charm of a Swiss chalet to the classic finesse of a Bordeaux château to the modern allure of a Miami mansion, Vervoordt’s creations are perfectly in tune with the character and history of each space..
Price: $47.25 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From the sophisticated Milan duplex of runway diva Donatella Versace to the rustic Montauk retreat of all-American Ralph Lauren, So Chic: Glamorous Lives, Stylish Spaces opens the door to the private worlds of today’s most fashionable people. Culled from the archives of ELLE DECOR, America’s most elegant interiors magazine, So Chic is a guided tour of the homes of tastemakers, trendsetters, and stylemongers—whether timelessly classic, mixmaster modern, or just plain funky. Plus, it offers “Inside Information, ” a compendium of style tips from star homeowners, who offer advice on how to hang pictures, plan a party, live with antiques, dress a seductive bed, and much more..
Price: $23.51 [Notify me when price goes down.]

beach house.
The words alone have the hypnotic associations Henry James once famously ascribed to summer afternoon–“the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Lifelong beach girl Mary Emmerling captures that implicit promise of freedom in her captivating volume celebrating the American beach cottage.

Much of the beach house’s allure is in its reflection of a simpler way of life, a pared-down existence where the breeze is the housekeeper, the furnishings don’t mind a damp swimsuit, and the most precious treasures are seashells and memories. In Mary Emmerling’s Beach Cottages, Mary invites us into seventeen coastal retreats that capture that spirit, and introduces us to the people who take joy from them.

Join Mary on a warm, intimate tour of unique seaside escapes, including:

•A pint-sized artist’s studio in Key West
•A dramatic black-and-white retreat in Newport Beach, California
•A shell-lined jewel box in Laguna Beach, California
•A nautically inspired Cape Cod getaway
•A haven in Galveston, Texas, with sea-grass rugs and matchstick blinds
•The homes of designers such as Barclay Butera and Rachel Ashwell
•Mary’s own charming cottage, complete with beach balls, sailfish, and beaded curtains

With gorgeously photographed profiles of easy-going seaside homes and innovative design solutions for everyday living, Mary Emmerling’s Beach Cottages is both beautiful and inspirational. Like a beloved seaside haven, this is a book to return to again and again.
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Price: $18.90 [Notify me when price goes down.]