Furniture Books

A unique book of horticulture and artistic research covering all areas of Texas. A well written study of individually designed and maintained yards and gardens of the state. The book includes all major ethnic groups, people of all levels of education and socioeconomic groups. The book shows just how creative people can be with nature. I felt a personal acquaintance and passionate appreciation for each gardener. Beautiful pictures make it a colorful as well as interesting book.

This amazing book is, I think, about what it takes to make someplace your own. Nokes gets people to talk about how they've tried to do that -- some by fitting in, others by standing out. Some grow huge windbreaks around their houses or retreat to manmade caves, others make sugary palaces or refurbish old ferris wheels and invite everybody to come ride. What a lot of dedication any "home" takes! And these, because the ambitions behind them were so grand, are especially vulnerable to time and weather. People say "you can't take it with you." I don't know about that. But on the home front, if you dreamed it up, made it, and maintained it, it won't be long for this world without you. Look now, before these paradises vanish!

I think this is one of the most informative books on the feelings & message of a homeowners garden!It is not your normal book on formal botanical gardens. In this day of planned & gated communities where every house & yard looks the same,the author,s book shows that creativity still abounds in nieghborhoods with no restrictions on what kind of garden you can build!These homeowners have used their yards to express who they are & their personal feelings of how their garden should be.Many thanks to the author for showcasing these individual gardens of Texas!

This book was a disapointment to me. As an artist, I had hoped to find many photographs of incredibly imaginative places that would help provide inspiration to my own creative process. Unfortunately, there were many photographs--but most of them (the larger ones anyway) were of the creators themselves and the many small photographs that were featured were not that aesthetically interesting. In fact, I often wondered why they were chosen to begin with. I did not find most of the "expressions" to be that extraordinary.

I ordered this book for my business, and have used it a great deal. It's a wonderfully photographed book, with great references.

This is a good book if you collect dollhouses (already made and furnished). There is great information on the history of dollhouses with sections highlighting examples from England, Germany, and America. Related topics, not always covered are here as well...dolls, plastic furniture, and metal work are included.
I found the book to be a bit too technical to enjoy-kind of reminded me of a textbook. No roombox interiors are in this book.

A True Gem for the Vintage Dollhouse enthusiast. Tons of clear pictures as with all of Diane Zilners books, which show we collectors and Antique Dealers alike the true identities of the wonderfully expressive imaginations of miniature makers from the past.

I highly recommend this book to new and old collector's alike -Michael J. Kouri, Antique Toy Appraiser-member of U.F.D.C. & the Schoenhut Collector's Club, author of "The Adventures of Peg Wooden". You might also want to check out American Dollhouses and furniture of the 20th Century. Enjoy!

Excellent photos and descriptions of a huge range of joiners tools and equipment - really interesting.

We like this tool price guide book, but we just wish it was set up so you could look up tools by their maker rather than by just what they are. If you wanted to look up a certain Stanley Plane you would have to go to the planes section and read each description to find a Stanley plane. The index does not go by the maker of the tool, it just goes by what type of tool you are looking up. Still a useful price guide with beautiful photos.

I purchased this book for my boyfriends birthday. He is very interested in old tools, and old things in general. He Loves it. He takes it out to the machine shed and compares tools, or just glances at the pages in the evenings. The two largest sections are those on plumb bobs and planes.

If you want lots of inspiring pictures for funky furniture, this book is not for you. But if you want lots of detail on paints/glazes and techniques for classic faux & paint finishes this book will become one of your favorites. It is a must for any library. It is easy to understand as long as you have a small understanding of basic terms. Explainations are detailed and often multi methods are offered to obtain similar results. The author even manages to explain the history and origins of many techniques. This is a "must have" book for anyone with an interest in paint techniques.

this book is a must if your into faux finishing.just page through and you well see what I say is so.thats all I have to say!

This is far more comprehensive than any of the numerous books on this subject. If you want lots of pretty pictures and information for a few DYI projects, any of the others are good. But if you want close-up photos and detailed explainations and line drawings of how to do hundreds of painted finishes, this is the book for you. You can't even imagine what a painted finish can do until you see this. 382 pages - says it all.

bent ply by dung ngo and eric pfieffer takes an in depth look at the forming of plywood from it's early stages at the turn of the century up through the mass-production techniques of today. the authors have compiled detailed information on everything from how plywood veneers are made to the construction of molds for forming. the end of the book contains a wide variety of examples of bent ply furniture. the book even comes bound in plywood! a must for anyone with curiosity about forming plywood.

This tome does justice to plywood and all its possibilities, and its contributions to date to modern and modernist life. Great rare history of industrialized wood (bentwood too). A must read for modern furniture fans.

There are paperback books and hardback books, but I don't think that I've ever before seen a book that was as hardback as these. The front and back cover are made of plywood. Fitting I suppose. Certainly interesting you your bookshelf.

Inside, the book is divided into three main sections.

The first is a history and description of the uses to which bent plywood has been put to in the past. Surprisingly the first patents on plywood go back to 1895, just about the time that the steam engine was becoming powerful enough to spin a log against a slicing knife. Continuing the history through World War II talks about (and shows pictures of) plywood airplanes.

The middle section is on the production of the plywood furniture, it starts with the bare logs and how they are cut into veneer and finally put into bent-ply furniture. It talks about a bent ply desk designed by Mr. Pfeiffer. This desk has veneer made in Latvia, the assembly of the desk is in Italy, and it is produced for the American market.

The last section of the book shows a wide selection of furniture articles, illustrating what can be done with bent ply.

I just finished perusing a copy of this book (owned by a friend) and came to a few conclusions. Scarpa is an amazing designer. His works are worthy of study and it would be nice if this book were in print so I could enjoy his work in the comfort of my own home.

What a mind this man had. Carlo scarpa would without doubt be in anyone's top class list (those who know of him anyway) a truely inspiring book, fabuolous designs and the text to-boot. It contains a reasonable overview of the projects contained (some over several pages -which is always nice to see)great photo's, both of the building its interior and details to inspire. Talent oozing out of every design. A Great man and a sad loss.

i have not yet seen a definitive book which really communicates the art of this architects work. this book is a good value but lacks enough detail drawings or plan drawings although is has some. photography is good and again we need more on this architect.

The book was written a long time ago but the information is still relevant and good to know. The printing job is abysmal almost all the pictures are so dark it almost impossible to make out what they are.

This little book is about 100 years old, but it is a rare gem that you won't find easily. It's a truly wonderful craftsman's manual on how to make victorian-style concrete pottery---the kind that you would see in a beautiful victorian garden or mansion. Although very old, it's filled with photo demonstrations and diagrams of exactly what to do. It shows beautifully crafted planters with ornate relief work and the craftsman's techniques of making it. The book is a how-to book. I have never seen another book like this. I am surprised that it has not been republished, because there are a lot of people out there who have an interest in making things at home for their own garden, and garden ornaments and potter are becoming more and more popular. I highly recommend this treasure of a book.

I am a full-time artist who works in cement & concrete. This book reveals many of the old-school tricks & techniques that have been all but forgotten and is an absolute treasure. Please...someone... reprint this fine old collection of craftsmans savvy!

Siendo el diseño escandinavo un capítulo aparte (y radical por cieto) en la historia del diseño de mobiliarios, este es un excelente libro, que da una visión resumida y global sobre el tema.
Recomiendo fervientemente ver el capítulo de Finn Juhl.
Un comentario aparte merece la edición: un diseño gráfico que sobresale.

A compilation of chairs from Danish designers; Danish Chairs is an invaluable source for the Danish enthusiast. It provides multiple views of every piece and gives a short biography for each designer. It is an informative reference for any collector.

Well laid out book, with good details on a wide range of danish chairs. Clear, large pictures, excellent useful text. Valuable to any researcher. What more could one say?
Buy it.

The book is not very appealling to look at, it certainly doesn't inspire a person. However it has a lot of practical information. A book to put away and pull out when you need to refresh your mind on certain measurements.

This book would be a pleasure for anyone interested in doll houses. There is a charming story by the author about how her interest in all things miniature started. The pictures are inspirational. The best part of the book are the full size directions to make everything pictured. There are enough projects to fill an entire mini house and to make the family also. Everything can be made from things around the house or very inexpensive supplies. I have made all the people and some of the furniture and accessories with fantastic results. This book is perfect for the beginning through advanced hobbiest. It's really a shame that it is out of print.

It is a real shame that this book is out of print and no longer available. I searched for this book for 15 years or longer. I finally found it by describing it on the internet. (I didnt remember the authors name or book name, just pictures and things to make in the book.) By some luck, someone had a copy in almost excellent condition. This was THE book that I based every other dollhouse book on, and they couldnt compare. The people to make in this book always fascinated me as a child and I longed to fill my dollhouse with the family and their furnishings. This book should be reprinted and used as the standard for all dollhouse books! If you find a copy of this book, it is worth the price you'll pay to add to your dollhouse collection.

This work is a good attempt to condense the topic of ancient Egyptian woodworking into a comprehensive whole. Hats off to Dr. Killian!

A childhood fascination with things Egyptian has never left me, and my library is dotted with texts and picture books. It has occurred to me that, it would be fun if a bit of this enthusiasm leaked into my woodwork, but the truth is that Egyptian furniture grown fragile over time is poorly represented in collections, and information on the actual crafting and joinery is next to nonexistent. So when I saw Geoffrey Killen's little volume I picked it up.

Killen is about as thorough as it is possible to be on what is, unfortunately, a low budget publication. Sixty pages, mostly black and white illustrations and photos, this certainly isn't a picture book. But I do have a much clearer idea of how woodcraft was done a few millennia ago. I would have liked a bit more attention paid to Egyptian aesthetics. Looking at the boxes and chairs I have the feeling that the Egyptian sense of proportion is different from out Western tastes.

This lack isn't surprising. Nowhere does Killen pretend that this is a 'how to be an ancient Egyptian' book. It is a good start on the history of the subject, and provides a long list of museums where I can pursue more, and more colorful information.

This is a typical Shire book, in that its length is 64 pages but packed with interesting and informative details. This popularly focused volume deals with woodworking materials; woodworking techniques and fittings; Predynastic and Early Dynastic periods through to the Roman Period. It gives a brief survey of collections in museums and provides a good glossary. All in all, it is a good refresher course for scholars and an excellent reference for beginners.