Books:House & Home,Remodeling & Renovation,: BuyAustralian.com

	The Book of Kitchens The spaces we cook in have come a long way from the smoke- and heat-filled corners that were used as kitchens in medieval houses. Today kitchen culture is led by an impressive array of hi-tech gadgetry and designer-conceived utensils which give even the amateur cook an over-abundance of choice. But when and why did the major events in this evolution take place? Who or what brought about the progression from ice houses to the first refrigerator, from roasting spits turned by servants to childproof kitchen ranges? For the first time, The Book of Kitchens retraces the fascinating history of the kitchen space, its appliances and utensils, from Antiquity to the present day. The author Anthony Rowley, a distinguished cultural historian, reveals the origins of the kitchen, centered around the basic sources of fire and water, and the first appearances of modern elements such as the gas stove and the refrigerator. He unveils the history of the spectacular array of utensils that the modern kitchen has acquired, and looks at how kitchen design has been adapted to allow for the room's increasingly central role in the definition of the modern home. Along the way, he invites us to explore a variety of kitchens, from the spectacular suite of rooms given over to the head chef and his staff in French Renaissance chateaux to the humble fireplaces of Albrecht Durer's Nuremberg home or Thomas Jefferson's kitchen in Monticello from a simple, family room in Uruguay to Terence Conran's modern kitchen in his London home. Anthony Rowley's authoritative text is complemented by a unique selection of images, including photographs of kitchens around the world, kitchens famous for their owners or chefs, and kitchens depicted in fine art. At the end of the book, a detailed Connoisseur's Guide selects the best international designers and suppliers of kitchen appliances and kitchenware, and gives information on historic kitchens and culinary museums open to the public. Together, the li Author: Anthony Rowley Publisher: EDITIONS FLAMMARION ISBN: 9782080136787 Format: Hardback Book List Price: $29.95 Our Price: $26.66
	Energy-efficient Building Although energy costs are near an all-time low, modern energy efficiency offers more than just savings: It offers comfort. With the help of this book, homeowners and builders can build lasting comfort into their homes -- and save money. This new addition to the best-selling Best of Fine Homebuilding series brings together 29 of the best articles from Fine Homebuilding magazine that cover topics from choosing ductwork and housewrap to building more efficient fireplaces and storm windows. The articles detail specific projects home-owners or builders can do to improve the energy efficiency of a traditional home. Over 200 photos and 50 color illustrations make concepts and product comparisons easy to understand, even for non-professionals. All of the articles are intended to solve common home energy problem: such as those associated with doors, skylights, water heaters, and heating systems. Energy-Efficient Building is an essential reference for homeowners and builders alike and invaluable to anyone building a new home. Author: Publisher: Taunton Press Inc ISBN: 9781561583409 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $23.95 Our Price: $21.32
	Homeowners' Guide to Renewable Energy The coming energy crisis caused by a peak in global oil and natural gas production will profoundly affect the lives of all North Americans. As the price of these vital fuels rises, homeowners will scramble to cut their fuel bills. Two options for meeting the upcoming challenge are dramatic improvements in home energy efficiency and efforts to tap into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources to heat and cool homes, to provide hot water and electricity, and even to cook. These measures can result in huge savings and a level of energy independence. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy tells you how. It starts by outlining the likely impacts of fossil fuel shortages and some basic facts about energy. It then discusses energy conservation to slash energy bills and prepare for renewable energy options. Focusing carefully on specific strategies needed to replace specific fuels, the book then examines each practical energy option available to homeowners. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy gives readers sufficient knowledge to hire and communicate effectively with contractors and, for those wanting do installations themselves, it recommends more detailed manuals. With a complete resource listing, this well-illustrated and accessible guide is a perfect companion for illuminating the coming dark age. Author: Daniel D. Chiras Publisher: New Society Publishers ISBN: 9780865715363 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $49.95 Our Price: $44.46
	Natural Remodelling for the Not-so-green House This absolutely indispensable and lavishly photographed guide will become a cornerstone work for years to come. It redefines the best way to go green and addresses a timely topic in a way designed to appeal to a growing and eager audience. Completely user-friendly and filled with motivational case studies and informative graphics. Every page leads would-be remodellers through the process of understanding their home and surroundings so they'll arrive at the perfect design solution. Author: Carol Venolia & Kelly Lerner Publisher: Lark Books,U.S. ISBN: 9781579906542 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $39.99 Our Price: $35.59
	The Complete Idiot's Guide to Solar Power for Your Home The perfect source for solar powerafully illustrated. Solar Power (photovoltaics) is now a one-billion-dollar industry, and itas poised to grow rapidly in the near future as more pressure is placed on limited fossil fuel resources and as advances in solar technology drive down the costs of residential solar systems. This book helps readers understand the basics of solar power and other renewable energy sources, explore whether solar power makes sense for them, what their options are, and whatas involved with installing various on and off-grid systems. aFully illustrated aCovers every conceivable solar-power topic and concern, including updated information on the increasing number of state rebate and incentive programs Author: Dan Ramsey Publisher: Alpha Books ISBN: 9781592576432 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $32.95 Our Price: $29.33
	Power with Nature Be your own power company and let Mother Nature provide the energy! By investing in affordable, new technologies, you can join the thousands of homeowners who get free electricity from the sun, wind and water. In this updated 2nd edition of Power With Nature, you'll learn how easy it is to use renewable energy to become self-sufficient and live well anywhere! * Off-Grid Solar PV, Wind & Micro-Hydro Systems * Homeowner Profiles (Personal Power Companies) * Utility Grid-Tie Options * Sizing Your System * Charge Controllers, Inverters, Batteries * Putting It All Together Safely * Heating of House and Water: solar hot water, wood stoves/boilers, corn stoves, and more * Pumping Water * Extensive Appendices (worksheets, maps, resources), glossary, index Author: Rex A Ewing Publisher: Pixyjack Press ISBN: 9780965809894 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $39.95 Our Price: $35.56
	Great Kitchens We have all eaten in great restaurants, but imagine what it would be like to be invited back to these top chefs' own homes, and enjoy eating and living in their kitchens! This book opens the kitchen doors of the most famous and trendiest chefs in the USA (plus Ken Hom, who is based in London) - each chef's kitchen is a unique jewel of culinary expertise, understanding and design. The 26 top chefs in this book share the secrets that make their kitchen great places to cook, to relax, and to enjoy the best of food and company. They include: * Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, Berkeley * Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill, Chicago * * Lydia Shire of Biba/Pignoli, Boston * Terrance Brennan of Picholine, New York * * Patrick O'Connell of The Inn at Little Washington * Ken Hom of Imperial City, UK * Author: Colleen Mahoney & Wendy A. Jordan Ellen Whitaker Publisher: Taunton Press Inc ISBN: 9781561585342 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $44.95 Our Price: $40.01
	The New Bungalow Kitchen The American love affair with the Bungalow continues. And in this most adored housing style, it is the kitchen that homeowners must most often restore, renovate, or remodel. But no one wants an authentic Bungalow kitchen, which was a rustic space that usually featured just a stove, a hoosier, and a sink. While there are books that describe the authentic Bungalow kitchen, there are few that show readers how to update a Bungalow to handle today's lifestyle needs and personal preferences. Happily, manufacturers today understand the demand, and there are many material and appliance options for homeowners--and the designers they hire--to bring contemporary convenience and beauty to an updated or new Bungalow kitchen. The New Bungalow Kitchen not only provides wonderful historical nuggets about Bungalow kitchens, it offers a plethora of ideas about how to create a tastefully restored or remodeled kitchen, or build new within the style. Author: Peter Labau, Marco Prozzo Publisher: Taunton Press ISBN: 9781561588626 Format: Hardback Book List Price: $47.95 Our Price: $42.68
	Kitchens That Work The kitchen is the social center of the home -- a place for eating, a place for working, and a place to organize everything from spices to household finances. Because kitchens serve so many different needs, creating a new kitchen that not only serves these many needs but works well is a major challenge. Featuring over 200 color photos, illustrations, and charts, Kitchens That Work uses a lifestyle design model to guide the reader through the complex process of designing and creating a great kitchen -- one that works for everyone living in the house. The book guides the reader through each step of the process, from initial planning through the many material and design choices made along the way. Especially helpful is the unique insider's perspective on finding, evaluating, and managing kitchen contractors. Author: Martin Edic & Richard Edic Publisher: Taunton Press Inc ISBN: 9781561583195 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $36.95 Our Price: $32.89
	The Good House Book From Lark Books and Natural Home magazine--which has a circulation of 200,000--comes an illustrated, unique guide to building an earth-friendly home. To create a dwelling that's both ecologically sustainable and attractive, Natural Home magazine is the place to go. With this exquisitely illustrated guide, packed with 400 photos and illustrations, anyone can put environmentally friendly ideas into beautiful practice. Here's an intelligent look at how a home is supposed to function and a variety of different building approaches. What's important is finding the right solution to fit your individual needs, local climate, and natural resources. The broad range of topics covered include choosing a site selecting materials building with straw bale, cob, adobe, or rammed earth and plugging into alternative home power systems. Interviews with six homeowners, and photos of the dream homes they built, provide invaluable insight. Author: Clarke Snell Publisher: Lark Books,U.S. ISBN: 9781579902810 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $31.95 Our Price: $28.44
	Green Remodeling This is a comprehensive guide. It first points out the advantages of remodelling. Buildings are responsible for 40 per cent of world-wide energy flow and material use so how you remodel can make a difference. Upgrading furnaces, cabinets and toilets means less fossil fuel pollution, reduced resource depletion, and fewer health risks. Green remodelling is more energy-efficient, more resource-conserving, healthier for occupants and more affordable to create, operate and maintain. The book then discusses simple green renovation for homeowners, focussing on key aspects of the building including foundations, framing, plumbing, windows, heating and finishes. Then, in an easy-to-read format complete with checklists, personal stories, expert insights and an extensive resource list, it concerns easy ways to save energy, conserve natural recourses, and protect the health of loved ones. Author: David Johnston & Kim Master Publisher: New Society Publishers ISBN: 9780865714984 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $49.95 Our Price: $44.46
	Home Energy Diet This book helps readers to take control of their personal energy use and costs so that they can save money, live more comfortably and help the environment. Energy auditor Paul Scheckel first explores energy literacy, and then describes how you home uses -- and loses -- energy you par for via: Electricity Hot Water Heating and air conditioning Windows, walls and insulation. The book involves readers in learning about their own homes by measuring, metering, investigating and considering habits relate to household energy use, then learning how to quantify energy consumption and cost, and make informed decisions about cost-effective improvements and upgrades. Author: Paul Scheckel Publisher: New Society Publishers ISBN: 9780865715301 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $36.95 Our Price: $32.89
	Solar Water Heating This book covers the history of solar water heating, descriptions of every solar water heater ever made, their maintenance and operation the design, installation and maintenance of closed loop solar energy systems and a compelling economic argument for solar investments. Author: Bob Ramlow & Benjamin Nusz Publisher: New Society Publishers ISBN: 9780865715615 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $43.95 Our Price: $39.12
	Real Goods Solar Living Source Book Regularly updated since 1982, this 30th Anniversary Edition is the definitive guide to renewable energy, sustainable living and transportation, alternative construction, natural and green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living and more. Author: John Schaeffer, Alan Berolzheimer & Bill Giebler Publisher: Real Goods Trading Corporation ISBN: 9780916571061 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $66.00 Our Price: $58.74
	Sunset Ideas for Great Kitchens Before you start shopping for cabinets, before you buy one can of paint, be sure to page through our all-new Ideas for Great Kitchens. The third edition of this perennial best seller, it's filled with hundreds of photos of today's most innovative and practical kitchens. It also lays out the fundamental process of remodeling a kitchen, from basic layout to finishing touches. Shopper's Guides help with decisions on appliances and materials, and special features highlight today's latest trends. Author: Sunset Publisher: Sunset Books,U.S. ISBN: 9780376012388 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $27.95 Our Price: $24.88
	Building for Life This is a definitive examination of how the inter-relationship between nature, architecture, and design is essential to human well-being. Sustainable design has made great strides in recent years unfortunately, it still falls short of fully integrating nature into our built environment. Through a groundbreaking new paradigm of restorative environmental design, award-winning author, Stephen R. Kellert proposes a new architectural model of sustainability. In Building for Life, Kellert examines the fundamental interconnectedness of people and nature, and how the loss of this connection results in a diminished quality of life. This thoughtful new work illustrates how architects and designers can use simple methods to address our innate needs for contact with nature. Through the use of natural lighting, ventilation, and materials, as well as more unexpected methodologies - the use of metaphor, perspective, enticement, and symbol - architects can greatly enhance our daily lives. These design techniques foster intellectual development, relaxation, and physical and emotional well-being. In the works of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, Cesar Pelli, Norman Foster, and Michael Hopkins, Kellert sees the success of these strategies and presents models for moving forward. Ultimately, Kellert views our fractured relationship with nature as a design problem rather than an unavoidable aspect of modern life, and he proposes many practical and creative solutions for cultivating a more rewarding experience of nature in our built environment. Author: Stephen R. Kellert Publisher: Island Press ISBN: 9781559637213 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $69.95 Our Price: $62.26
	The Urban Homestead The Urban Homestead is the essential handbook for a fast-growing new movement: urbanites are becoming gardeners and farmers. Rejecting both end-times hand wringing and dewy-eyed faith that technology will save us from ourselves, urban homesteaders choose instead to act. By growing their own food and harnessing natural energy, they are planting seeds for the future of our cities. If you would like to harvest your own vegetables, raise city chickens, or convert to solar energy, this practical, hands-on book is full of step-by-step projects that will get you started homesteading immediately, whether you live in an apartment or a house. It is also a guidebook to the larger movement and will point you to the best books and Internet resources on self-sufficiency topics. Projects include: How to grow food on a patio or balconyHow to clean your house without toxinsHow to preserve foodHow to cook with solar energyHow to divert your grey water to your gardenHow to choose the best homestead for you Written by city dwellers for city dwellers, this illustrated, smartly designed, two-color instruction book proposes a paradigm shift that will improve our lives, our community, and our planet. Authors Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen happily farm in Los Angeles and run the urban homestead blog www.homegrownrevolution.org. Author: Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen Publisher: Process Media ISBN: 9781934170014 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $27.95 Our Price: $24.88
	Renewable Energy Made Easy Studies have shown that the average North American family will spend more than a quarter of a million dollars on energy in a lifetime. What many other countries, including Germany, Spain, France, Denmark, China, Brazil, and even Iceland, have realized is that there is a better way to power our homes, businesses, and cars by using renewable energy sources. Recently, the United States has begun to understand the importance of reducing its reliance on coal, natural gas, nuclear power, and hydro power plants, which comprise the majority of the nation s electricity, due to increasing oil prices. Some sections of the country, including California, are turning to renewable energy sources. In fact, 12 percent of California s electricity is produced by renewable resources. The potential for the use of renewables is very large and understanding their use and their impact is key. Renewable Energy Made Easy will provide you with everything you need to know about these alternative energy sources. You will learn about solar power, wind power, water power, biofuels, geothermal energy, ethanol, wave farms, photo voltaic power plants, and hydrogen fuels. You will also become well-versed on the availability, aesthetics, environmental and social considerations, and longevity issues of these so-called soft energy technologies. In addition, you will learn about the current costs and the projected costs in the future, Energy Star[registered] regulations, the newest research and innovations, and the high development potential of renewable energy. This book will serve as a guide to creating more efficient buildings and an invaluable resource for how to change our preconceived notions about power. This book has taken the complexity and scientific terms out of this topic, making it jargon-free and easy to understand. Ultimately, you will learn how our country can improve energy efficiency, reduce oil dependence, improve energy security, and reduce the health and environmental impact of our Author: David Craddock Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Co ISBN: 9781601382405 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $39.95 Our Price: $35.56
	Room by Room Creating a dream kitchen is a major challenge - too big to manage alone, and too expensive to leave entirely to a professional. Room by Room delivers the expertise needed to manage it all, from designing the layout, to choosing appliances, cabinets, flooring, plumbing, and lighting fixtures. What's the minimum allowable space between an island and the outer counter? How big a refrigerator do you really need? What are the pros and cons of stone vs. laminate countertops? What's the handiest way to store the mixer and the food processor? All the answers are here. And since the ultimate object of great kitchen design is great cooking, there's a whole chapter on kitchen tools based on recommendations from leading chefs. Author: Lillian Hayes Martin Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co Inc ISBN: 9781402728938 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $19.99 Our Price: $17.79
	Refacing Cabinets By refacing old cabinets, virtually anyone with basic skills can make a kitchen or any room in the house look stunning at a fraction of the cost of new. The secret is knowing how to refurbish old cabinets by applying high-quality wood laminate and new cabinet doors, door fronts, and/or trim. This book shows readers everything they need to know to achieve professional results. 130 color photos. 50 drawings. Author: Herrick Kimball Publisher: Taunton Press Inc ISBN: 9781561581979 Format: Paperback Book List Price: $34.99 Our Price: $31.14