Furniture Books

This book was very helpful, I have done a lot of sewing, but no upholstering, so I made a sample boxed, zippered, cushion with welting, and learned from my (minor) mistakes before using expensive special order fabrics.

I have taken an upholstery class before, but have never tried to do a large sofa. I found this book gave me just enough information following the directions for an overstuffed chair to tackle the project. If I were a beginner, I don't think I would have been as confident using this book, but would have wanted something a bit more detailed.

This book has great pictures and illustrations and the instructions are easy to follow. I checked it out at the library and loved it so much, I added a copy to my own personal library. It is a great reference book and well written.

I bought this book because I couldn't afford to buy new living room furniture and wanted to at least recover the cushions. However, the instructions and illustrations were clear enough that I was able to reupholster both the couch and chair. And they look amazingly good--which, I confess, amazes me!

This book is very helpful. The pictures are large enough to see essential details and the instructions are clear and allow a complete beginner to obtain professional results.

Book was as described and delivered on time. As I live in Australia this was a bonus as ofter delivery is delayed. Excelent service.

Lots of pictures, ideas, descriptions and this book serves its purpose of giving me ideas on current and future projects.

Recommended

I built a new shop & needed a workbench. This book had several options from VW to Rolls-Royce. Size, heigth, thickness, type of wood, tool tray, Many vise options, round or square dogs etc. It helped me decide on the bench to build. If you are looking to build one of the benches in the book, there's not allot of detail to the plans & you may need to order plans (depending on your woodworking skill level). Good references to find parts & plans. Also good history of work bench evolution.
I'm building a bench close to one in the book.

Initially i purchased this thinking it was going to give me the answer i was looking for. However what this book has done is help me explore my options of my own custome workbench.
This book is an excellent read and shows there is no one size fits all with workbenches.

Scant on details but good for ideas to design and build your own bench.......especially if you have not even seen one before.

a lot of thought went into these designs... i know. designing your own would be fun but why when someone else has done the 'experimenting'. What i like is that the equipment can be broken down and taken to a party. someone commented that as cheap as BDSM furniture is, just buy it but you will save hundreds using these plans.

After receiving this book i was excited, but not for long. Of the 398 marked paged (i.e. the ones with numbers) it seemed half the book was dedicated to woodworking, leather working, and rope techniques as well as some standard BDSM safety and practice standards you'll find on any BDSM information website. That being wordily said, This book is wonderful for someone who has NEVER picked up a hammer or screwdriver in they're life. It explains fundamentals of laying out designs, and the above mentioned techniques, however half of the plans and projects look like junk, though in the authors defense he did design the majority of the furniture to be easily portable. If I did it over with the knowledge of the books quality yes I'd get it again, for the reason of it does teach how to properly lay out plans and the majority of the leather craft projects look decent. so three stars from me though I'm not a beginner so half the book was wasted on needless information for me. Now to draw up some NICE looking bondage furniture.

Excellent service.
The book is very good and guides you step by step on how to make various types of bondage equipment and floggers at a low cost.

The book is a must for all those who like spice in their sex lives.

I've been in the BDSM scene for over 20 years now and while I've purchased a good many of my toys and implements, I've always been wanting to build my own items, but haven't always been the sort that could make a diagram or better yet know what the right materials would be for constructing some of the more hardier items that go with the genre.

With this book its very clear-cut, very easy to understand and best of all it does the majority of the measuring for you, just follow the directions and voila, you can save yourself time and money with the things you can create, and at a fraction of the cost for someone else to create and then ship it to you.

If you are into the lifestyle and want to make your own things to use in the dungeon, then this is a great book. It is filled with alot of easy to make items and they work great too. It also shows you alot of things to use that you wouldnt think of.
Enjoy the book

This book is great for the beginner or intermediate woodworker looking to gain insight into the process of cabinet doors and drawers. Lots of photos and step-by-step instructions. Great suggestions on hardware, tools and techniques.

If you want to see what kind of doors you CAN make, this book is not bad. If you are hoping to learn how to make a particular type of door, this book is not very informative. It lacks a lot of details that you'd need to know if you were going to actually make the door that the book describes.

Danny Proulx has put together a great book with some really good examples of all types of doors and drawers. I've used some of his ideas in my kitchen remodel.

In its introduction, the book claims to fill a gap in the woodworking litterature concerning the building of cabinet doors.

I found that this book is really targeted to beginner (nothing wrong about that) and only contains some quick and simple way of building doors.

A third of the book is devoted to basic joinery (and the book si pretty slim to begin with).

There is also an extensive section on european style hardware, the different type, how to mount them etc. The traditional hinge is mentionned in a small paragraph. There is no explanation of the different style, how to mount it etc.

Some information are just not correct such as stating that the main tool to build raise panel are the table saw and the router.

Some information is just not there. What about wood movement in solid wood panel how much clerance should I leave, where etc.

The worse part is the chatper on drawer. The book is title cabinet doors and drawers. Only 2 simple style of drawer are described. No mention on how to fit them properly. Dovetails are described in the joinery chapter but not even apply to the drawers !!!

And I am still looking for the formula to get the radius of the arch panel.

I also would have loved some nice color pictures.

All in all I don't this book is completely useless for the beginner, but don't expect this book to be a reference on how to build doors or drawers. There are tons of litterature out there that provide more in depth coverage + description on how to build the whole kitchen cabinet for a similar price.

I eagerly awaited the arrival of this book after reading the 5 star reviews by other readers. I do not know where to begin to express my dissapointment with the book's contents. I guess I am a more advanced woodworker than I previosly thought. I am starting my own business specializing in custom made, solid wood, raised panel doors. Obviously, I already know how to make them (one would hope !). Since this is what the book's title is all about, I figured I could pick up some good tips. Well, this book is obviously for beginners only. With this in mind, I feel bad for any beginner trying to make sense out of some of Mr. Proulx's "formulas". I got to the chapter where he shows a picture of drawing an arc for an arched panel door. I thought, "Hmm, at least I can see if he as an easy formula I can adapt (there are many !) to draw an elipse/arch based on the door width". Nope, he states the radius of the arc once, with no explanation of why, how, where he arrived at this figure. To add insult, in later pages/chapters involving similar cuts to be made, he says "Refer to chapter #, or page so and so where this procedure or formula was explained/illustrated". Aggravating to say the least. Also, all door types made are with a router and router bits (no mention of shapers in here). Nothing wrong with this, but while I have always gotten by making raised panel doors on a table router all these years, I would think that a pro/author of such a book would mention that a shaper is the way to go, especially when rasing a panel !. He also mentions 3 possible thicknesses of panels to be used in conjunction with frame (rail & stile) thickness. He completely omits my favorite: a 3/4 thick panel that is "back-cut" to make the panel flush on front and back side of the door. There's a lot more, but I'll stop here. If you already know how to make a cabinet door and drawer don't waste your money on this book. If you don't already know how, you can pick up some decent general basics. However, if you're a beginning woodworker, don't even try to understand the section on european hinges (drawings and explanations). These belong in a more advanced edition.

This book is filled with inspiring ideas and recipes. I am excited to get started - Only problem is that it is always raining on the days I can work!

I can't say enough how thorough Ms. Warner-Hunter's books are - they are step-by-step, material suggested, inspirational, and illustrated (photographic)! As an artist, this book was helpful in clarifying issues I had with materials: and, as a teacher, I believe even a middle or high schooler could follow this manual. Lark books are fabulous and this one of the best!

Start with her first one, Making Concrete Garden Ornaments, then try this one to expand you skills. An excellent way to get a feel for this art form!

Check it out from your local library first - not one I'd add to my permanent collection

Super book with detailed information on creation from beginning to end! Super for beginners and seasoned artists.

This was a required text for a design class. I found it pretty useful (in conjunction with the other text), and ended up keeping both for reference books when the class was completed.

GReat book pretty updated, I dont plan on selling it off in exchange for another in the future. It is a great referrance for anyone to keep who would like to reminded of all design terminlogy. A great foundation book for anyone pursuing Int. or Arch. Design.

This book is easy to read, easy to navigate and has great illustrations. Worth the price and an asset to any designers collection.

The book is very helpful and has great examples and reference photose

This is a great book to study the basics of interior design, and I have referenced it many times, long after that first class. Highly recommended!

I totally "loved" this book. One of my favorites. I am totally into "camp,cabin,and adirondack" decorating books and this book totally delivered the goods. Gorgous pictures gives one many cozy decorating ideas and just a book to daze and dream away an afternoon with.

In looking for ideas for the second home getaway we are planning, I came across this book and added it to my collection. It is handsome but, as the title would suggest, limited to one style. If that is your thing, fine. In this genre, the book that keeps rising to the top of the little stack on my coffee table is called SECOND HOME/Finding Your place in the Sun (or Fun or something like that). Second Home shows rustic styles and romantic cottage ones, too, taking me on a little tour of the United States as I turn the pages. The author obviously did his homework, too, because Second Home is filled with information on how to shop for real estate, evalute an area, decide what you want (and where you want it), etc.

As I just wrote in a review of Cabin Fever, this book, too, is a delight to look at. But it is limited (as its title says, of course) to one style that is a bit more rustic than what we have in mind. Still, this is a lovely book to peruse. As we gather information on vacation homes, our favorite book is a new one called Second Home, which includes visits to everything from oceanside homes and lake cottages to mountain cabins. Second Home also includes information on how to shop for a second home, how to decide what location is right, and tips on building, decorating and so on. I've never met a vacation house book I didn't like, and I like them all. But Second Home is our favorite because it has such variety of home styles and helpful tips in it.

In planning the vacation home we hope to have soon, we bought this book and a new one called SECOND HOME. Adirondack Style is more of a dream book and includes historical information about the style. It's also limited to one style, of course. The book called Second Home works on a couple levels as a dream book but it also includes information on shopping, building, decorating, and so on, and it shows a wide range of second home styles around the country. We like both, but if we had to pick only one, it would be Second Home. (A book called Cabin Fever is fun, too, but limited to very rustic styles.)

Between this book and another, also from amazon, called Cottage Style, I have more than enough to fuel my vacation house daydreams. A great start for 2000 and for my own dreams of early retirement.

I had high hopes for this book because of the reviews here, but I thought the book included WAY too much basic instructional woodworking (and yes, it is all power tools as another commenter wrote).

So since more than half the book is taken up with instruction, I thought there wouldn't be enough room for 40 projects. Thing is, the projects are mostly VERY simple and functional. There really does not seem to be any sort of eye towards craftsmanship and design. And they are almost all ugly. The picture frames included are literally the ugliest I've ever seen. Obviously, style is in the eye of the beholder, but I can't be making furniture to go in my home that looks like that, and my home is Ikea, Crate and Barrel, and Bombay to give you an idea.

This is one book that won't be getting much use, I'm afraid. The only good thing I can say about it is that the projects are explained thoroughly (or appear to be, I haven't made any of them) and the techniques described in the front probably will make the book worth having around for reference.

I used to like woodworking when I was in middle and high school, but I haven't done it since then.

This book walks through a lot of good information on woodworking and also includes plans for around 40 projects. The book is easy to read and accessible to all skill levels.

If you are new to woodworking or haven't done it in a while, I would highly recommend getting this book.

I am new into woodworking and this book is the best intro to woodworking I have seen. This is outstanding.

The second half includes doezens of plans for different wood projects. Although I don't plan on making any of these, it gives a great insight into how to build different things.

Anyway, this is highly recommended.

I've been hesitant to review this book because, despite its title it is by no means a 'complete' book, and yet it is well written, and what it does it does well. It is well written, and covers many of the important subjects - Setting Up Shop, Designing Projects, Introduction to Wood, Joints, Finishes, etc. And it provides a host of projects suitable to the beginner. It's hard to fault what it does do, but there are several problems with what it doesn't do.

First and foremost of these gaps is that the book is entirely power tool oriented. Given that a woodworker rapidly gets surrounded by a host of machines, it never hurts to spend time on saws, planes, and the other hand tools that are part of good woodworking. Good hand tools are berely cheaper than machine tools, and selecting the right ones is one key to achieving top-grade results.

The book flies too high to provide important detail on the tools that it does cover. Power saws, planers, drill presses and anything else require knowledge in order to be used safely and successfully. And to make the right choices when purchasing. This book would serve best the beginner who has access to a full shop, not one who is in the process of putting a shop together.

The projects are very straightforward - too simple in some cases to keep the attention of someone who wants to attain levels of artistry. There is no effort to rank the projects by complexity, or connect the skills required to section of the book. This can trap a beginner into a task that takes experience to complete. I'm also informed that some of the shopping lists are incorrect, so make a point of checking before buying. Nothing is more irritating than having something become scrap because you followed the directions.

So be warned that this book is of the greatest value t someone who is both a complete beginner and has access to a full shop. Access to a competent woodsmith wouldn't hurt either. If you fit in that niche the this could be a satisfactory purchase. If not look about you. Several of Taunton Press's efforts may be more useful to you.

I just got this book a few days ago, and I've had a hard time putting it down. There are lots of full-color pictures, with thorough descriptions of almost every aspect of woodworking. I've already learned a lot about different types of wood, how to make several kinds of cuts with several kinds of tools (including suggestions for what to do even though I don't have a large selection of power tools), and have some projects picked out to start as soon as I can get the lumber! It is a very thorough book, unlike several others I looked through at my local bookstore. I would highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in woodworking! It is both fun and informative. Almost half of this substantial book is general background information and instruction, including a detailed glossary, and the rest is a good selection of detailed, well-illustrated plans.
Enjoy! Go make sawdust.

This 1968 play from Miller is one of the author's better works in a career full of 'better works'.

While 'The Price' is definitely one of Miller's lesser known plays, there is certainly no reason for it to be so. It stands tall and ranks up with there with Miller's best, probably only being surpassed by a sparse number of his other works.

Many a synopsis can be found elsewhere on this page, so I'll skip that.
I will say that this play is a slow-burner. Miller takes his time establishing the characters, their relationships to each other and the world that they all inhabit. The writing throughout is simple yet elegant (though the dialogue at times is a bit outdated).

The core relationship between the two brothers has a great deal of depth and never strays from being completely and utterly real. Each of the brothers is tremendously well-written and well thought out. Miller never cheats in his writing of either of these two characters; each stays true to himself at all times and never acts out of character.

"The Price" is always sure of itself, its footing is always true and Miller always knows exactly where the play is going. The entire last third of the play is an absolute knockout as the steady, methodical pace that Miller has spent the beginning of the play cultivating, suddenly blows its top and the brothers really dive into the hearts and minds of each other.

Even the character of the appraiser, Solomon, whom at first seems like a boring, comedic stereotype, quickly reveals himself to be something deeper.

My only complaint about the play is that its sole female character, Esther, doesn't really need to be present. It can be argued that Solomon and her balance each other out, but I just don't think the supportive evidence is there. Esther could be removed and the play would essentially be the same. Her character just isn't needed and on top of that, she's easily the weakest written character in the play. I'm sure a talented actress could make her worthwhile and even heartbreaking in a way, but on the page she's just lifeless.

The construction of the play is tight and terrific, the character of Solomon is terrific and quite wise and funny (even in 2007) and the core relationship between Victor and Walter is absolutely explosive. This play should be read.

An excellent production of Miller's classic. Ideal study aid for students and amateur groups wishing to put on the play.

This is an outstanding dramatic work that I think is underestimated. We often think of Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, or After the Fall when we think of Miller's plays. However, The Price is a surprizingly taunt, well written and penetrating work of art.

The plot is nicely situated in an old attic full of massive antiques from a once wealthy family - whose capital as well as the father's will to succeed are both destroyed in the depression. Two brothers meet after twenty years of silence of to finally settle the estate of the long deceased father. The elder, Walter, has become a nationally recognized medical specialist whereas his younger brother, Victor, has become a policeman, father, and the primary caretaker of their father. Sharp words are exchanged in an encounter that has been postponed for many years. The dialogue is superb, blunt, crisp, and powerful.

Two other figures in the play help move the drama forward. Victor's wife is willing to voice opinions that Victor suppresses. The elderly Gregory Solomon, the used furniture dealer, offers some dramatic relief.

In the end, the play is really not about the price of an attic full of used furniture. Rather, it is about the priorities that we all make in our lives. Sometimes the priorities are totally conscious and sometimes unconscious. These priorities then lead to choices. Sometimes the choices are active and sometimes they are the choices of passive default. Finally these priorities and the choices they engender lead to consequences. Again, some of these consequences are recognized and some remain hidden. In the final analysis, priorities that lead to choices that lead to consequences all have a price. This is a play about how two men reconcile the prices they have paid for the priorities they had in life. The term 'reconcile' may not be the best choice of words, for at then end of our adult life, who really feels reconciled with all their choices and the consequences?

In the final analysis, this is a beautiful exploration of those summative moments where we place meaning onto life and it all it entails or we fall into despair. It is time for a revival of this powerful play.

Arthur Miller's "The Price" is as excellent as his View From the Bridge, All My Sons, and Death of a Salesman. And, I am quite positive it equals to what I have not read it yet, "The Crucible."

Estranged from his brother Walter for 16 years, 50 year old, policeman, Victor Franz is finally reunited because the need is to sell furnishings of their dead father. Victor is bitter over the choice he made in his youth to care for his father, who became one of millions of victims of the crash of 1929 and the Depression. Victor supported his father who was broke and shamed over the Depression. He became a policeman, instead of taking a career in science that he seemed primed for.

His brother Walter, however, made his choice in life to become a successful surgeon, and he has endured his share of life's problems, and some that only belong to the rich. The two brothers have kept away from each other because of their own guilt. Walter made his choice in life to be educated and knew that Victor was saddled with supporting the father thus, foregoing his career.

And very Milleresque, the plot thickens with an important twist.

The lengthy play could have been shortened, because the best dramatic dialogue doesn't happen until the end of the 2nd act. But to Arthur Miller, that's where his expertise comes in, engrossing you in small dialogue, building the character's past, ideals, morality, etc. and then, time to create those certain twists he is familiar for.

The successful four-character, two-act play first appeared on Broadway in 1968. Victor's wife, Esther, and the aging antique dealer, Solomon, have secondary roles. The setting is in the attic of a Manhattan brownstone in the present time, 1968. The building is to be demolished; therefore Victor called upon Solomon to give him a price for the furnishings. Victor repeatedly asks for a price, but the "price" metorphorically becomes the price you pay in life for choices you made. Excellent play!!.....MzRizz

I recommend highly Arthur Miller's:
All My Sons (Penguin Classics)
A View from the Bridge (Penguin Plays)

Victor Franz, who is negotiating the price of the contents of his family home with an appraiser, had no interest in claiming any of these objects when his father died sixteen years before, and his wife Esther has no interest in them now. Victor, however, has contacted his estranged brother Walter in a final effort to settle the estate. Though the appraiser drives a hard bargain, the reader realizes that the real price playwright Arthur Miller is discussing is not the value of the furnishings but the price each person must pay for not knowing or willfully ignoring the facts about issues affecting his life.

Victor and his brother Walter have been estranged for about twenty years, ever since Victor was forced to drop out of college, where he was a brilliant student studying science. It was the Depression, but Victor could have stayed in school if his brother Walter, already a doctor, had loaned him a mere five hundred dollars. Walter refused. Victor's college career ended, and he became a policeman, staying at home to care for his unemployed, ailing father for the rest of his life. Victor has never forgiven Walter for his betrayal of trust.

When Walter arrives to see Victor, the contrast between the brothers is obvious their in dress and attitude. Soon, however, the audience realizes that Victor does not have all the facts about Walter's refusal of the loan. Likewise, Walter does not realize the extremes to which Victor had to go--rummaging through the garbage to find food for the family--while Walter contributed only five dollars a month toward his father's support. The manipulations by the father also become obvious, and as Victor and Walter express their rage, the full picture of this pitifully dysfunctional and uncommunicative family is revealed.

The tensions and history between the brothers drive the action, with some comic relief coming from Gregory Solomon, the appraiser, who himself has had family issues resulting from lack of communication. Where this play is weak is in the crucial characterization of the two brothers. Walter, the successful doctor, is a stereotype who inspires no sympathy, and though the audience discovers mitigating information about Walter, it is not enough to make the audience change their minds about his essential character. Likewise, Victor, the policeman, is seen in new ways as a result of Walter's information, but that new information does not change the audience's opinion of Victor or lead us to see him in a different light. A fascinating study in family dynamics, with some surprises, this play lacks the dramatic personal changes and realizations by the main characters which we see in Miller's best plays. n Mary Whipple

If you just want to see alot of chairs with basic information, this is the way to go. Real pretty.

Interesante como guía general.
Buenas fotos, pero falto de contenido, y de pobre edición.

I make chairs (and other furniture) out of found wood. I bought this book out of profits from the sale of one chair, and within the first 50 pages, I had ideas for several more chairs I wouldn't have thought of on my own. I just look at the pictures; not particularly interested in the history or designer or derivation. If you want ideas for making chairs and you can figure out the construction details for yourself, this is a useful book.

Well-made book, BTW. Isn't going to fall apart if I leave it in the shop and can stand up to a fair amount of sawdust.

The order came in quickly, book was in tip-top condition. You can cnsider this a quality book if you like chairs and the history and the evolvement of design in chairs. The pictures are fun to look at and you can marvel at the creativity of the designers.

Very good overview.. wish they would have spent more time on mid-century modern leaders like Edward Wormley of Dunbar fame.

Those in the know -- seek out Wormley for a clear viewpoint on the essence of modern design.

Turn up the stereo and pass me a martini...