Furniture Books

This is a great story! Mattress Mack is an impressive business person and such a positive contributor to his community and society. Gallery Furniture is like no other store in the country. It is truly a must see experience.

Mac is just another rich jerk with an inflated ego. He got rich by employing young pushy kids who won't leave you alone until you buy something or leave. If you decide to buy, his sales rats try to push you to not buy with cash, but instead apply for credit (with super high interest)from Gallery. This just lines Mac's pockets even thicker. What's the big secret? There's not one. He does sell quality furniture, but it's not cheap like his ads claim. His motto is "Gallery Furniture Really Will Save You Money! I save myself money and a major headache by not shopping there anymore.

By the way, Mac lost millions on bad investment deals like the Sam Houston Race Park. Then cried about it like a little girl.
He's a sore loser in my opinion.

A Texas entrepreneur who produced the most productive singlesite retail furniture store in America, Jim McIngvale is justifably known as 'Mattress Mack'. By promising - and delivering - extraordinary service and thinking big about the future, McIngvale built his empire. Always Think Big incorporates the basics of his approach for those who would think big in their own businesses.

"Always Think Big--How Mattress Mack's Uncompromising Attitude Built the Biggest Single Retail Store in America" provides a fascinating, well-written account of Mattress Mack's rise from penniless salesman to multi-millionaire businessman and philanthropist. Mack's combination of attitude, perseverance, and successful marketing techniques have made him a legend in Houston, but "His "Treat Everyone Like a Movie Star" techniques are valuable in any location or arena: small businesses, large corporations, schools, government, charitable organizations.

As other reviewers have noted, a good book of A&C furniture plans. For example, it has a plan for a Stickley bench, that I haven't found elsewhere. But, some of the finer details needed more explanation. For example, on the Stickley bench, there is a drawing of what the through tendon should look like, but it needed a close-up picture instead.

There is just a mention in the book of using house hold ammonia to fume in color, I'm going to try that on some scrap and see how it works out.

A minor nit - the author's wood choices are just plain bad. If you are going to make items like this, go spend a few more bucks and buy quarter sawn white oak. Better yet, make the entire piece from wood of one tree.

A good book, good plans with almost enough details. Worth your time to take a look.

This book has some good ideas and nice pictures but the plans are not as detailed as I thought they would be. If you are just looking to add to your book collection this would be an interesting filler.

This is a nice presentation of fifteen projects in the Arts & Crafts style. Designed from pictures in old catalogs, the problems in construction are solved by Blair Howard as he guides you through each project. The first chapters deal with the designers, their furniture, construction techniques, finish techniques, and materials. The remaining chapters are devoted to the actual pieces. Accomplished woodworkers might find the detailed instructions excessive, but beginners will appreciate the explanations. An excellent beginner's book for Arts & Crafts reproduction at home, with a few designs not seen elsewhere.

I enjoyed Blair Howard's writing style and as a beginning woodworker, appreaciated his completeness and that he went over the techniques he used for every single project, rather than leaving it up to the reader to decide which techniques to use. The book focuses a lot on mortise+tenon joinery, which I appreciate, and does go over the various ways of creating mortises and tenons with machines, though it does not do any more than mention how one would go about making mortises and tenons with hand tools. The projects are rather unique and I am interested in making virtually every one. I appreciated the variety of designers, instead of only presenting Stickley pieces.

No one with an interest in appreciating, collecting, or building windsor furniture should be without this book, 'nuf said. I especially appreciated the numerous detailed drawings of various types.

I have really enjoyed this book. It was recommended by a master Windsor Chairmaker and it is great. It would have been five stars except for the plans included. They are a little too small for old eyes.

This book is decent, but a bit expensive for what it offers.
If you want history and critiques of a bunch of windsor chairs...this is your book.
If you want to build one of these chairs, this is not the book for you.

I have been studying the Shaker lifestyle and artifacts for a good number of years and having read Dr. Kassays newest book leaves me with a feeling of the most comprehensive study to date.

A classic work on the Shaker community and furniture. Kassay's hand-drawn plans of specific furniture items reflect great detail while remaining relatively easy to follow. Logical organizaton of the content with excellent references. A "must have" for any serious woodworkers interested in or having respect for the Shaker lifestyle. Much deeper content than softcovers on the subject.

I'm, as a woodworker, an advanced amateur (I'm a Civil Engineer). One of my last works was a case with 27 (yes twentyseven) drawers of 15 different sizes and a door. A few months ago, attracted by a photo in the cover, I bought a book in London (England) about all the aspect of the Shaker Community and with a great surprise, I found there something very similar to what I had drafted and done. I didn't even know the existence of a Shaker Community before. Do you believe in reincarnation??? So I become extremely interested and tried to learn more about all the aspect of the Shaker furniture. I think this book has solved many questions I had and put in my mind many ideas. The drawings, in particular, are extremely clear and accurate and made with a loving care. After having seen this book I' m working to a sewing desk and to a woodworking bench in Shaker style. Certainly I didn't regret the money! Antonello Ruscazio - Sardinia Island - Italy

The book presentation itself, is beautiful. Mr Kassay has over thirty years experience teaching industrial style, and it shows in his book. All of the photos are black and white, which at first, struck me as odd -- but Mr Kassay highly successfully uses this medium to help convey the grace, simplicity and sleekness of the Shaker's furniture. In his excellent descriptions, he provides the colors, type of current finish, and the original, if known.

The measured drawings of the selected items are a work of art by themselves. They are beautiful line drawings with gray shading which gives a three dimensional presence. Mr Kassay carefully and completely exposes the hidden joinery that has often been omitted from the other classics of measured drawings of Shaker furniture. None of the other books that I have read, come close to providing as much detail of the actual craftsmanship of the joints.

At first impression, my favorite is his drawing and explanation of the Harvard side table with the under slung drawer from the Fruitlands Museum. It's stability has always looked questionable to me, and he openly discusses it and I gained insight how to modify mine to be more sturdy, but still very recognizable as a reproduction of the original.

Instead of showing photos of one or two examples of each type of item,for example, candle stands, he shows four or more. While he doesn't have measured drawing of each photo, he has at least one measured drawing of each type and provides dimensions on the other pieces. By providing many examples of items, he relates a broad sense of all of the Shaker's candle stands, rather than portraying, "this is the characteristics of this stand, look elsewhere for the big picture."

He also includes a good history of the Shakers. While the information is fairly common among the books about the Shaker's and their furniture, it makes his book a complete reference for new comers and for people who have only room on their shelf and budget for one book.

If the reader is interested in the beauty of the Shaker furniture, a beautifully done book, and extremely well done drawings, this is probably the book!

A great book to show customers. Includes a paragraph detailing each peice, a wonderful history of the shakers and their furniture, overall dimensions, and plans for a limited number of pieces. This book could use some color photos plans for each peice and more detail in the plans, but that was not necessarly the aim of the book, though it achieved what it meant to do well. When reading this book, one feels the struggle shaker cabinet makers were engaged in between simplicity and "the world".

This is a good beginners book on basic cabinetry making. Good step by step photos. Really like it.

I wanted to convert my garage into a small workshop and thought that this would be a good time to learn to make cabinets. Having never made cabinets before I thought a 'Basics' book would be a good introduction. I could have bought a much more expensive book that gave me an A to Z detailed analysis of cabinet making over the last 400 years but, all I needed was a start. This book shows you one joint; the dowel joint. This book shows you one style of cabinetry; the frameless cabinet. Although this seems limited, this book did a very good job of describing how to make a freestanding cabinet, bookshelf, hanging cabinet, and builtins using these techniques. If you are looking for a large, inclusive book on every style of cabinetry this is not the book for you. However, if you are like me and just need to know how to get started this is perfect.

This is a great book. I received the book from my brother, who also had a good experience with it. I have never built a cabinet before and my carpentry experience was nill. By following this book, I was able to built a great nightstand and am already looking forward to my next project. The book contains concise step by step examples accompanied by illustrations and photos that guide you through the process. The author also clearly details the supplies that are necessary which was a big help. I highly recommend this book.

Chris Geen San Francisco, CA

I thought that this book gave a great view of the basics. Although I make my living selling lumber, I knew nothing about making cabinets. I was very pleased with the book and would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn to dowel, cut a straight line with a power saw, etc..

I enjoyed reading and studying some of these projects. Each one of Norm's books have something new and interesting to learn about. My only question is when will there be a next issue? The TV projects are great and it would be nice to review the available plans and be able to order them on the net.

He's got this book laid out so that each chapter is it's own project. That's a good way to do it to make sure there's enough info to do it right. However, That means that in this relatively fat (expensive) book there are only 10 projects or so. The only project I really liked was the Adirondack chair, the others were too specialized for my simple tastes.

I bought this book at my local book store the other day. I must say it is excellent. It is mostly for non-amateurs, but they can give it a try. It says on the book, a companion to the series. I totally agree. Though you can probably make the projects from the book, it will be much easier to follow along with the specific episode. Nice illustrations. Scaled down plans are included.

If you are a fan of the New Yankee Workshop, then you have to get the book.

Excellent book! Well laid out and thought out plans. Now if only we could have Norm to run the band saw for us and cut out those curves for the chair.

I like Debbie Travis's style, but the homeowner faced with a kitchen smaller than about 15x15 or a bathroom smaller than 8x10 might find the design ideas difficult to incorporate into his or her own home. As the owner of a tract home with a (very typical for this city) 4x6 bathroom and a 9x10 kitchen, I didn't find much of use.

I loved this book, and any other books that Debbie Travis has on the market. Her ideas are fantastic, and she will get your creativity juices flowing to start other projects.

Lots of pictures of differant styles to really spark ideas for any style of kitchen. And of course, she has unique projects in this book as well.

I highly recommend this book. Directions are clear and concise. You have LOTS of choices of innovative projects that are adaptable for many different lifestyles. Good for young, young at heart AND older people who want something different in homes.

In many ways, the pictures in this volume reminds me of interiors shown in books on French style. Rather than trying to create museum-perfect rooms that represent a certain period in time, this book is about combining what you love in ways that are pleasing to the eye and easy to live with. So, if you wish to have a stylish home that mixes antiques with more modern furniture and is accented with collections representative of cultures from around the world, this book is for you!

If you are the type of decorator who likes to mix antique or just plain old furniture and possessions with new furnishings, this book is loaded with ideas on how to make it work. The first half of the book is dedicated to the elements of design--chairs, mirrors, lighting, pillows, etc. I did not find the text in these sections to be as educational as the text in the 2nd half of the book. The photos in this first section are wonderful (very high end) and the writer talks a lot about balance, scale, etc., but doesn't say what you actually need to do to accomplish the balance, scale, etc. The second half, dedicated to the indivudual rooms in the home, is much better. Not only are the photos beautiful, but solid suggestions are given as to what works and what does not. Most of the photos are of the homes of world-class designers or the very-rich. That was as problem for me because there is no way that I can afford the kinds of furniture and decorative accents used in the photos. For that reason, I'm giving the book a ****. I bought mine from an individual seller at a discounted price, so it was worth it for me.

This is by far my favorite decorating book!! If you have antiques (or just old or quirky things you really love) this book explains how to arrange them with other furnishings in a way that is both beautiful to look at and also very livable. I'm decorating my tiny house, and have been reading a lot of decorating books. This is the ONLY book I've come across that explains HOW to decorate. It breaks down this daunting task (it seems daunting to me since I don't know where to begin) into smaller components that make sense. Each chapter explains how to work with the different elements of your home, such as Furniture, Fabrics, Lighting, but also explains the elements of each room, such as choosing Flooring and Wall Color. It also tells you how to pull together items that don't necessarily match through use of Color, Texture, Pattern, and through Proportion & Scale (yes, even I was able to understand these concepts because of the direct, yet eloquent wording of the text and great pictures that reinforced the concepts being explained). Some of the pictures had the typical 14-foot ceilings and grand spaces that I will probably never live with, but many others were of small-sized rooms that were beautifully done. Even the 14-foot-ceiling pictures had many, many ideas that I could use because these rooms were decorated by function--most contained small groupings of furniture (i.e., sitting areas, dining areas, etc.) that broke up the large spaces and made them look comfortable and inviting. I just finished reading the book, and I'm looking forward to going back and really study it again. I do feel more confident that I'll be able to create a home that is lovely and comfortable.

This book explains in so many useful ways how to create a home, that makes you proud of living in it. The photographs are very beautiful and well chosen, and the author explains step by step how to mix colors, patterns and not to forget how to arrange furniture and pictures in order to create a relaxed atmosphere. You will not regret buying this book, it is next to the awesome pictures really worth reading! ENJOY!!!

As a woodworker it is always good to see what some of the leading edge furniture designers and builders make. Some are conservative, to see how the profession has reached it's height throughout furniture building history, others are way out there trying out the new possibilities, all awesome work! It truly is fascinating what these books inspire in furniture designer/builders and interior designers. The photography, in most cases is truly spectacular and very detailed there where it is supposed to be detailed. The only, slightly negative, comment I have is that information is cheap at best. Don't expect any information of why a piece was designed / built the way it was, or some of the woodworking difficulties that were overcome in building a particular piece. I am sure that there would be some very interesting captions and explanations to be written about the furniture and other items displayed in this, otherwise, wonderful coffee table book.

This book consists of pictures of wood designs categorized by type of work. Each design is a combination of craftsmanship and artistic creativity. The photo reproduction is excellent. The level of woodworking skill is incredible. I'm just an amateur, and many of the works used amazing techniques that I wouldn't even think about trying.

I was looking for project ideas and the variety in the book far exceeds my tastes. Less than 20% of the designs actually interested me, though many had ideas that I could learn from. The book doesn't include shop drawings or build instructions. It does, however, reinforce my determination to continue working wood.

Even if you are not a woodworker, this book is excellent. You will be amazed by some of these pieces of art. If you are a woodworker, you will be blown away. Every time I look at the book I am amazed by how creative people can be. Most of the other ones are out of print and hard to find, so I suggest getting this one while you can.

There is a considerable difference between the following plans part woodworking and the artistic design part. Like anyone else who enjoys the thrumming sounds of a happy workshop, following plans is a soothing process with a satisfying result. But getting an idea into my head (and then trying to make it real) is more frustrating - my life lacks the spare 'dream time' needed. As a substitute, I like to look at the work of others. And Taunton Press's series of design books is a fine place to start.

Each book is like a juried shop with some 10,000 original entries. There are sections on cabinets, chairs and benches, tables, boxes & chests, desks, beds & furnishings, sculpture & carvings, turnings, and accessories & musical instruments. Some 266 individual pieces are presented.

The range of style and approach presented is wide. Everything from the ultra-modern to the ultra-traditional, each and every one of them marvels of craftsmanship. Some of my favorites are the cover shot of two chairs 'relaxing' on a table (Richard L. Ford, Jr.), a meticulous Arts & Crafts derives Gent's chest (Dan Mosheim), and the totally outré chest as a caricature of a stove (Kimberly Keizer). This issue includes a long essay by Scott Landis on apprenticeship that made me wish I could start out all over again.

If you want to truely refine or up grade your woodworking skills, buy this book! The editors of Fine Woodworking are among,if not "the", leading comtributers to the art of woodworking today.

Some of the very best from the early years of Fine Woodworking Magazine by some of the Titans of the Seventies. These techniques are as fresh and informative today as they were when they were written.

40+ reprinted articles from Fine Woodworking magazine by such masters as Tage Frid, Ian Kirby, Mark Duginske, Jim Cummins and many others.

General subject matter includes:

Joinery -- box joint jig, blind finger joints, plate joinery, tapered sliding dovetails, hand dovetails.

Boxes -- bandsawn, box design, bookmatching boards for.

Carcases -- European style cabinets, blanket chests, open, stereo cabinets.

Drawers -- general how-to, bottoms, making your own hardware, miters/tape/glue, panels for lids.

Miscellany -- drawer stop ideas, hanging doors, panel cutting, french fitting.

All in all, this is a well rounded, authoritative and tremendously helpful volume for the advanced amateur cabinetmaker. I have personally used many of the techniques described herein on my own projects with much success and am all the better craftsman for it.

Highly recommended.

This isn't a bad book but it,s clearly a load of dated articles stuck together in an attempt to teach those who wish to make drawers & boxes a little something that in my opinion takes a long time to truely master. It's suggested in the book how easy it is to make dovetails, I've been making kitchens for years and it takes a long time to learn what you really NEED to know about these things. Take it from me it's easy to talk the talk.
There are better books out there that cover this subject in a more informative and enjoyable manner, try any of Jim Tolpin's woodworking books and you,ll see what I mean.