Books - As featured in Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine

Each month Homebuilding & Renovating magazine's Upfront section reviews books for self-builders and renovators.

Books reviewed in Homebuilding & Renovating magazine:

Books about Town and Country

Italian Rustic (Artisan Books, £30) by Elizabeth Helman Minchilli.

Country Colour (Jacqui Small, £30), by Judith Miller.

Gosling: Classic Design for Contemporary Interiors (Prestel, £45)

Restoring a House in the City (Artisan Books, £35)

Books about...Green Building Techniques

The Solar Electricity Handbook 2009: A Simple, Practical Guide to Using Electric Solar Panels and Designing and Installing Photovoltaic Solar Pv Systems

Energy Efficiency in Old Houses by Martin Godfrey Cook

Homes for a Changing Climate: Adapting our homes and communities to cope with the climate of the 21st century

Green Roofs: In Sustainable Landscape Design (W W Norton & Company, £40).

Books about ...Decorating

Hot Reads from the December issue o f Homebuilding & Renovating magazine.

Ambiance (Pace Publishiing, £25), by Ricky Wond Design.

Decorative Painting Techniques for Walls, Floors, Ceiling and Furniture (Creative Publishing £16.99)

Decorating School (Hearst, £11.99)

Building Surveys (Butterworth Heinemann, £24.99)

Home Buying & Selling Manual (Haynes, £19.99) by Ian Rock.

Property Ladder: Sarah Beeny's Design for Profit (Octopus Publishing, £14.99)

Kevin McCloud's Grand Designs Handbook (Collins, £14.99)

The Homeowner's Guide to Managing a Renovation (Sterling, £11.99) by Susan E Solakian.

Books about ...Landscaping and garden structure

For ideas on creating dining spaces and landscaping around pools, dip into Patios & Walkways: Idea Book (Taunton, £11.99), by Peter Jesweld. Read more about this book...

You won't be lost for inspiration for new garden steps: Hardscaping: How to Use Structures, Pathways, Patio & Ornaments in Your Garden (Sterling, £11.99), by Keith Davitt, blends design inspiration with practical know-how. Read more about this book...

From pergolas to creating your own follies, Creative Ideas for Garden Structures (Southwater, £6.99), by Jenny Handy, provides design ideas with a sprinkling of useful tips. Read more about this book...

Modern Garden Design: The Big Book of Ideas (Becker Joest Volk Verlag, £34.95), by Ulrich Timm and Gary Rogers, is a vibrant text full of inspiration for large and small gardens alike.  Read more about this book...

Books about ...Home Remedies

The Rising Damp Myth.
For a text on an unpalatable subject, Jeff Howell's The Rising Damp Myth (Noscone Publications, £16.99) proves a digestible read. The text explains why rising damp is a "Mythical building defect", and exposes modern methods of treating it as "mostly bogus". £16.99 - Read more about this book...

Black & Decker: The Complete Guide to Finishing Basements
With guidance on the tools and materials needed, and step-by-step instructions - from building a soundproof partition walling to creating a wine cellar - Black & Decker: The Complete Guide to Finishing Basements (Creative Publishing, £16.99) will aid DIYers of all abilities. £16.99 - Read more about this book...

Remedying Damp, by Ralph Burkinshaw (RICS Books, £49.95), is brimming with technical know-how for professionals, but domestic case studies provide an invaluable insight for getting to the root of damp for renovators. £49.95 - Read more about this book...

Black & Decker: The Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement (Creative Publishing, £20) is a mammouth text, with step-by-step guides to an array of DIY tasks (as an American text, information given on rules and regulations may not apply). £20.00 - Read more about this book...

Books about...Kitchens

Room by Room: Kitchens: Kitchens - Your House Made Simple (Room By Room)From design concept to advice on stocking your pantry, Room by Room: Kitchens: Kitchens - Your House Made Simple (Room By Room), gives a synopsis of the kitchen from start to finish. Great for inspiration, but it may not be the first choice for DIYers seeking a practical text; More info  Purchase this book

Practical Ideas for Kitchens and Bathrooms (Loft Publications, £20.25) is a flick-through guide, with pictorial ideas for all aspects of the kitchen - from choosing a style to smart storage. More info  Purchase this book

All New Kitchen Idea Book (Idea Book (Taunton Home) by Joanne Kellar Bouknight provides visual inspiration, punctuated with clever ideas for creating a stylish but functional kitchen to suit your lifestyle. More information  Purchase this book

Concrete Countertops Made Simple (Taunton, £16.99)
Why purchase your kitchen worktop when Concrete Countertops Made Simple (Taunton, £16.99) by Fu-Tung Cheng, provides a step-by-step guide to creating your own? Comes with a DVD - perfect for DIYers that like getting their hands dirty. More info  Purchase this book

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