Furniture Books

UPHOLSTERY: A Complete Guide by David James is a logical book with clear concise step-by-step directions. With the directions from this book I have recovered six wing-back chairs and saved a small fortune...

As an Upholsterer's Dictionary it is a good book and rather thorough.There are endless detailed sketches of the equipment Upholsterers use,a glossary of common terms ,information about exhibitions and Fairs etc. However,it isn't a "how-to" book. There are no step-by-step projects or photographs. This is a very technical book,a guide to wanna-be upholsterers rather than a guide to anyone who simply wants to experience the joys of a home-made redo.

Ok, so I wrote it- this is Karen and I want you all to know I did my best to put everything I look for in a painting book- in this book. As an artist I am very visual so there are design ideas, adaptable patterns, and step by step instruction to turn your simple brush strokes into your own beautiful designs. And all the designs can be used on multiple surfaces- not just furniture.
My purpose in writing this book was to give you the tools, the information, and the tricks of the trade I have learned for the past 15 years to create your own pieces and enjoy doing it! I did my best and I hope you learn and enjoy the wonder of paint and design transformations.
And yes I did give it a 4 because I think its good but you always want it to be a little better. If you are an artist you always see where you could make improvements. Maybe on my next book. Thank you for your time and to all who helped me and encouraged me on this project. I truly hope you enjoy this book- but mostly I hope you learn from it.

I'm not artistically inclined, but think that after reading this book, I might actually be able to transform one of my old pieces of furniture into something quite nice! The photos and instructions are well thought out. There are patterns to enlarge and follow, too. Pretty much everything you need but paint and brushes is in the book. I'm going to give it a try. I've been inspired! There are 'workbook' pages for vines and roses and so on, so I think I'll practice some of the easier looking ones and then jump right in and paint my furniture and see what happens. Wish me luck!

I had no idea I was so creative. Weekend projects not only added value to our [] starter home, they saved my marriage (and my wallet!) I am anticipating more great ideas and simple tips from Ennis and would gladly pay double for another book if it means more home equity in the future. Thanks for sparking my interest in home renovation.

I found the instructions in this project book to be extremely useful and easy to follow. My wife and I have completed most of the projects with great results. Great Christmas gift for the home crafter! I gave a copy to my sister and she was able to transform her 60's rancher into a sanctuary.

When I think of "weekend" I think of part time or inexperienced. Because, why would an experienced woodworker be woodworking on the weekend? (There's a riddle there somewhere.)

Gardner's book is excellent but for the woodworker just starting out somewhere between an idiot and a beginner, I found it at a level of complexity that wasn't helpful to me.

The shelving unit on the cover is very attractive however if your not sure how a router works . . .well, you can see my point.

It should be called "The Weekend somewhat-experienced-or-knowledgeable Woodworker." 4 stars. Larry Scantlebury

The perfect book for both new & experienced amateur woodworkers wanting to make practical & stylish pieces for their home.

This book has over 25 original designs, including a traditional style console table, modern kitchen makeover, Gotic style bathroom cabinet & simple but stylish bed.

Each project has clear, step by step photographs & straightforward diagrams. Interesting discussion on how to use hardwood, softwood & manmade boards to the best effect. Plus tools, lumber & techniques - all the information & advice you'll need.

I AM NEW TO CARVING, AND THIS BOOK HAS PROVIDED EASY TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AND PATTERNS FOR A SUBJECT I ENJOY, NAUTICAL DESIGNS, AND THE CAPTAIN & CREW MAKE FOR A GREAT PROJECT THAT EVEN THE NOVICE CARVER LIKE ME CAN COMPLETE.

Me gustó mucho la obra. Muestra en pasos muy sencillos como realizar tallas en madera muy expresivas. Es muy recomendable para todos aquellos que gusten del trabajo en madera.

This is a great book with many project ideas. It is not a book of measured drawings. If you've viewed "The Woodwright's Shop," you wouldn't expect to see them anyway. Each project highlights different techniques with hand tools. I've personally recreated the bellows from this book with much success (If I do say so myself!)

I still re-read the section on hand-cutting dovetails each time I attempt them.

All-in-all, it's a great book that demonstrates woodworking techniques while forcing you to improvise your projects around the basic themes presented in its pages.

When you read Underhill you begin to understand the tradition of woodworking--the heritage of anyone whose ancestors had to hew out a shelter and live off the land (in other words, every one of us). The former master housewright for Colonial Williamsburg includes projects with instructions specific enough to get you started but vague enough to challenge you to inject individuality into your work. As a still-green intermediate woodworker and a history student, I loved it.

This was purchased as a gift for my son-in-law. As I told him, it is by far the best do-it-yourself home repair manual I have ever seen or used. It is clearly and logically laid out. Illustrations are in full color and large enough to easily identify the part(s) to be worked on. Diagnostics are systematic without being wordy, and very accurate. It also tells you when you have exhausted all do-it-yourself op;tions and need to call in a professional -- something some repair manuals don't do. It's the first and usually final place I look go to for information on home repairs, major appliances, electrical repairs, and plumbing repairs.

My only complaint is that the binding on my copy eventually broke after several years of heavy use. I guess I'll just have to buy another copy.

I had one once before but was lost.But the new ones cover more and they are real handy when you need info about working onthings and tells you what tools you will need.

Good book for the first time home buyer or anyone that is interested in doing some basic fix-it-up or simple repairs. There are good illustrations and explanations. Some of the book is outdated, but there is plenty here to recommend it.

I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my son. I started to leaf through it prior to wraping it and I am glad I did. This book was published in 1977 and although there is a lot of information - much of it is outdated - how many people do you know who own electric typewriters or bonnet style dryers in 2007??? I would have been very embarassed to give this gift. It has been returned and we purchased another book from the local home improvement store which contains all of the newest technology with regards to home repairs, etc. Sorry I was not happy with my Amazon purchase!!

I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I was expecting some good how-to pointers on fixing things around the house. I received a book that is very outdated. It gave instructions on fixing cassette decks and turntables. And who fixes broken toasters? I did find a few good pointers, but not like I expected.

Written more as this-is-how-I-do-it book but the ideas definitely make it worth the price of the book and the time to read it.

If you feel as I do that MDF and such make excellent cabinets, then this book is for you. In my opinion, particle board and MDF will outlast most people, or at least outlast their ability to live with a given style. For those wanting to build their own kitchen cabinets, this is an excellent book. I am more interested in built ins, but this is the book for me. Proulx has a system that works, and he includes cut sheets, cutting lists, and all kinds of stuff to make this an easy process for his readers. It should be pointed out that this book tells you what you need to know and no more, so it is not the first or the last word on the subject, but it may be the only book you will need.

but don't throw out the baby with the bathwater!

The late Danny Proulx was an EXTENSIVE contributor to cabinetry schools and magazines for many years before succumbing to a heart attack at a woodworking convention, but his passion lives on in this wonderfully simple and comprehensive book.

If you want to learn how to build high end custom cabinetry with all the nice details then look at udo schmidt's or jim tolpin's books. If you want to learn the basics to building a solid face frame cabinet with raised panel doors or frameless cabinets, this is an amazing introduction into the world of cabinetry as the author not only describes the steps but also gives you ACTUAL DIMENSIONS for both 5/8" and 3/4" materials for cabinets that are in the standard 3" widths. Not many people realize the merits of proulx's hybrid face frame/frameless cabinet which enable you to save yourself a lot of grief and pain in attaching european hinges and drawer slides to the cabinet sides directly without having to shim out to accomodate the inner lip of the face frame. This is the first book that I've encountered that describes this process. Finally, his section on frameless (or FULL ACCESS) cabinetry is invaluable for folks who don't want to buy a jointer and a planer (both are required) for machining solid wood for face frames. This is also one of the first books to explore this area of cabinetry. Lest you think that european frameless is junk, I recommend poggenpohl or omega cabinets as references.

Yes, the pictures of the cabinets are rather hideous because they utilize low grade plywood slab doors, but you can easily build cabinets that rival those that you see at home depot with SUPERIOR case construction methods but using raised panel doors. I would recommend using pocket screws to attach the face frame to the carcase instead of nails as well as using either confirmat screws, biscuits or assembly screws (NOT drywall screws) for assembling the carcases.

Realize that if you are serious about building your own kitchen cabinets and you want them to turn out good, you are going to need to INVEST some money in good tools including a table saw. You can forgo the slider by building a cheap miter sled but if you're going to be doing this in the future, I would strongly recommend the sliding table attachment by delta or jessem or dewalt or purchasing a guided circular saw rail like eurekazone or festool. Lastly, I would strongly recommend using prefinished material either plywood or melamine as the finishing process for my eleven kitchen cabinets easily consumed just as much time as building them.

I think this is a very good book for a first time cabinet builder. After reading several times I have begun to build our kitchen cabinets using most of the methods in the book. So far everything has turned out great and I expect that to continue. The book is straight forward, gives plenty of good examples with pictures. I especially like the standard cabinet cut lists which takes the guesswork out of the dimensions for most common cabinets. While Mr. Proulx uses particle board to build cabinets I have had many people tell me it is not a good material. After building 6 cabinet cases from 5/8" industrial particle board I feel it is a very acceptable material and I am confindent it will hold up in the long term using this method of construction. I added biscuits to all the cases to help alignment and strength. I recommend this book to all the newbies who want to venture off into cabinet making.

Overall, this book is of good quality and point you in the right direction to build your own kitchen cabinets.

The title of the book is misleading in the sence that this book only tackle the europen frameless type cabinet build with MPB.

One thing that I didn't like in this book is the fact that I had the feeling to read the same thing over and over and over again for each piece (base, top, corner, etc).

this set is absolutely terrific the items shown in all 3 volumes are perfectly described and the photos addded to each of them gives you perfect view of the thing described - not only the contents of each entry is very precisely formulated and does not cantain many mistakes but you can also see that the form of each entry fits to what is described

I recommend this set to everyone with no exception - it gives you much pleasure and also will learn you more about things you were using for ages but didn't know how they came into their existence and who created them

Same as the case for a couple of other reviewers, this product was broken and banged up when it arrived because it was poorly packed. One later reviewer said their's was packaged quite well and perhaps Amazon had learned their lesson; well they hadn't. Although a full refund is promised, it'll still be a hassle to take to a shipping drop-off. It's hard to believe that a virtual business depending 100% on 3rd party shippers doesn't know how to pack merchandise, particularly a product with a history of shipping issues documented on it's own web site. I'll buy the replacement at Barnes and Noble where I can make sure the merchandise isn't damaged before I pick it up.

The 3 books are nice. They include a lot of designs that span a good time range. There is a picture or 2 and a description for each of the designs that are in the book.

The books can be tough to carry around (they are a bit heavy), and the carrying case that comes with the set can be easily broken when you try to get it open to take the books out.

I recommend this 3 book set to anyone who is interested in design of products ranging from things like cars, planes, trains, to pencils, chairs, and the GameBoy. For a total of 999 Industrial Designed products.

Please beware, This package will reach you with the case for the books broken. Yes, this book set comes with a plastic case, when they send it to you it breaks in transit. I should know they sent it to me twice. When i asked to have the case sent alone, I received an automated reply that had nothing to do with my question. Maybe you will have better luck!

Excellent overview of some of the best designed contemporary objects - even includes some everyday items that at first thought would not rate, however in the context of the books certainlay deserve to do so (e.g. Bic crystal pen).

A must for anyone interested in design.

The 2007 Bomm Precious Moments guide is truly precious since it incorporates retail and secondary values into the same book. The cross-indexing by figurine title and model number is also wonderful. The photos are great quality, too. The guide is a must-have for all collectors!

Took a while to receive due to release issues, but once received, Book is great!

I think this book is a great way to keep track of my Precious Moments and give me a current value of each one. However, because values change from year to year, it could be a lot of work transferring them to a new book each year. I think every couple of years would be fine to keep track of what you have unless you purchase numerous figurines every year.

This guide is an essential reference for any serious collector or anyone buying or selling Precious Moments figurines. The lack of serious competition will make sure this sells. However, there is little improvement in this 3rd edition over the 2006 second edition. The addition of the newer figurines and an update in pricing, which seems to average about 16% increase, are the main differences. There is also a size difference. The second edition was a handy 8.5" x 5.5" but the third ed is 11' x 8.5", which I believe is too large for a soft cover book. There is no new information about each piece that is not in the earlier version. It would have been nice to include the size of each item. There is an annoying change in the index that consolidates several previous entires into entries by series. For example, instead of separately listing the sugar town skating pond there is one listing for the series 'sugar town' with 18 page numbers.

Overall, I was disappointed in this guide and would recommend that anyone not needing information on the last 2 years figurines stays with the 2nd edition and awaits the 4th.

Just received this book in today's mail, and frankly, other than the pictures of the pieces, it is, in my opinion, not worth the paper it is printed on. There is NO secondary market except internet auctions for Precious Moments any more. This guide lists "Free Puppies," for example, as a value of $2,100 - they sell regularly on auction for $300 - $450, depending on whether or not they have a box. Last week, one with an original brown cardboard box (extremely unusual), went for just under $600 in mint condition - a beautiful piece. The rest of the "Original 21" are priced through the roof - some of them 10 times and higher prices than what reality is. There is a disclaimer in the book claiming that the prices vary from spot to spot, and they got this information from dealers and collectors around the country. I wish they would give credit to these so-called knowledgable people, and it would be nice to know who paid $2100 for "Puppies" and how many years ago that happened.

For the pictures, the guide is fine, but beyond that, DO NOT rely on it for accurate price information - even many of the suggested retail prices in the book are incorrect.

I give this one a thumbs-down. There is no secondary market to amount to anything in collectibles any more, in my opinion, and this book's prices just encourage disillusionment among collectors so they keep buying (or investing?) in pieces, hoping to make good money when they sell. It ain't gonna happen - there is a ton more merchandise out there than anyone ever guessed back 30 years ago at the beginning of this.

Buy what you like, like what you buy, and don't expect to put your kid through college when it's time to sell - you might not get back enough money to even pay the bookstore bill!

For what it's worth - my opinion!