The Architecture of Happiness


Alain de Botton - 2006
    The Architecture of Happiness starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be, and it argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.Whereas many architects are wary of openly discussing the word beauty, this book has at its center the large and naïve question: What is a beautiful building? It is a tour through the philosophy and psychology of architecture that aims to change the way we think about our homes, our streets and ourselves.

Concrete Countertops


Fu-Tung Cheng - 2002
    Concrete Countertops is an essential book for architects, homeowners and contractors who want to learn how to design, form, mix, pour, color, trowel, inlay and finish decorative concrete countertops. Homeowners will be inspired by the 350 color photographs that bring this exciting medium to life.

The Holistic Home: Feng Shui for Mind, Body, Spirit, Space


Laura Benko - 2016
    Chapter by chapter, learn how to tackle it all—relationships, clutter, health, communities, inner balance, and more—by looking within your immediate environment to make direct connections in your life.The Holistic Home is based on an original lifestyle concept focused on creating a dynamic, healthy, and thoughtful space within yourself and your home by combining three planes of action—mind, body, and spirit—that result in profound change.The condition of the mind affects the psychology of how you dwell: subconscious influences, decorating with intention, and allowing your emotional issues and challenges to manifest in your space. The physical aspects of your design space, such as furniture positioning, design elements, sustainability, wellness, and organization, are representative of your relationship with your body. And finally, the spirit refers to all the invisible energies within you and your home—feng shui, atmosphere, and the soul of your home.Years ago, author and holistic feng shui expert Laura Benko was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Around that time, a book serendipitously fell on her head. She took this as a much-needed sign to devote the next decade of her life to research and hundreds of transformative holistic design consultations. Her clients’ real-life, inspiring stories, along with specific actions and tips, have become the foundation for The Holistic Home.

Design*Sponge at Home


Grace Bonney - 2011
    They don't have to be matchy-matchy or rigidly modern. They can just be comfy and unique and reflect who you are, no matter how small your budget or space.That reader is one of the 75,000 unique daily visitors to Design*Sponge, who make it the most popular design site on the web. The site receives 250,000 pageviews every day and has 150,000 RSS subscribers and 280,000 followers on Twitter. Design*Sponge fans have been yearning for the ultimate design manual from their guru, Grace, and she has finally delivered with this definitive guide, which includes:Home tours of 70 real-life interiors featuring artists and designersFifty DIY projects, with detailed instructions for personalizing your spaceStep-by-step tutorials on everything from stripping and painting furniture to hanging wallpaper and doing your own upholsteryFifty Before & After makeovers submitted by readers of Design*Sponge real people with limited time and realistic budgetsEssential tips on modern flower arranging, with 20 arrangementsWith over 700 color photos and illustrations and projects that are customizable, relatable, and affordable, this is the democratizing design book everyone has been waiting for and all for only $35.00!

Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness


Ingrid Fetell Lee - 2018
    Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward--through mindfulness or meditation--and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of joy? In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive while another fosters acceptance and delight--and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.

Lose 200 Pounds This Weekend: It's Time to Declutter Your Life!


Don Aslett - 1996
    Just reading this motivational guide will have you feeling lighter right away as Don shows how less junk leads to lower stress. Fun, inspiring, and packed with practical advice, quick techniques, and easy solutions you can apply to your life immeadiately. Includes a field guide to the most common kinds of clutter.

In Your Prime: Older, Wiser, Happier


India Knight - 2014
    We have no map, no blueprint, no nothing. We have no sense of what is and isn't age-appropriate, or even of whether age-appropriateness is still relevant. We're supposed to be grown-up, but we seldom feel it.'Part guide, part memoir, part manual, in In Your Prime India Knight seeks to provide proper, weighty answers to the questions women are asking themselves now. Covering a wide range of subjects from clothes and cosmetics, being a parent to older children, having older parents and what that entails, and of course, the menopause, In Your Prime is the definitive, much-needed guide to approaching middle age with confidence and panache.India Knight is the author of three previous novels: My Life on a Plate, Don't You Want Me and Comfort and Joy. Her non-fiction books include The Shops, the bestselling diet book Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet, the accompanying bestselling cookbook Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet Cookbook and The Thrift Book. India is a columnist for the Sunday Times and lives in London with her three children.

Natural Green Home Cleaning For Beginners:Best Innovative Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solutions for Your Home from Kitchen, to Children's Toys, and Even Your Car and Microfiber Cleaning


Ravi Kishore - 2013
    Green products are essential and naturally Eco-Friendly and they provide the quickest and most powerful cleaning solutions for you home including your kitchen, bedroom, laundry room, bathroom, flooring, polishing, electronic gadgets, windows, eyeglasses, books, woods, cars, and toys. <b><h2>Why You don't Use the Commercial Product?</b></h2> Before using any commercial products, This book provides explanations on commercial cleansers and their harmful ingredients, as well as natural alternatives to these harsh chemicals. This book serves as a guide, implementing proven home cleaning recipes that have been around for centuries but have since been forgotten in favor of commercial products.<b><h2>Need Eco-Friendly Green Home Cleaning? It's Time To "Clean Up Your Home"-"What Inside":</b></h2>•Top Cleaning Products You Must Have In Your Home•Ultimate Surprising Household Cleaners•Top Cleaning Agents to Avoid•Helpful Hints Before Using Any Cleaners•Advices Before Starting To Clean•Ant Killer Recipes•All Kitchen Cleaners•Bathroom Cleaners•Bedroom Cleaners•Jewelry cleaning•Every Floor Cleaners•Carpet Cleaner for Odors•Laundry Cleaners to Treat Certain Stains -Take out berry stains recipe -Take out blood recipe -Chewing Gum remover recipe -Chocolate remover recipe -Coffee/tea remover recipe -Grass stains remover recipe -Grease stain remover recipe -Ink stain remover recipe -Lipstick stain remover -Perspiration stain remover -Paint Remover -Oil stain remover -Red Wine stain remover•Top 10 Wood Cleaning Recipes•Top 5 Recipes for Furniture Polish•Top Adhesive Recipes•Vinegar Eyeglass Cleaner Recipe•Electronic Cleaners -Computer flat screen cleaner -Desktop and mouse cleaner -Easy iPad Cleaner -Cell Phone cleaner -All Purpose Cleaners•Disinfectants And Antibacterial Solutions•Metal Cleaners•Ultimate Window Cleaners•Mold and Mildew Removers•Paint Removers •Homeade Car Wash Recipes•Dog Cleansers,& Shampoos•Toy Cleaners And Disinfectants•Simple Soap and Water Toy Cleaner•Book Sanitizer•Innovation In World Industry -E-CLOTH® -E-AUTO -E-PET -E-BODY -E-PET -Furniture Cloth -Antibacterial Cleaner -Glass Polishing -MAGIC FIBER<

Rock the Shack: Architecture of Cabins, Cocoons and Hide-outs: The Architecture of Cabins, Cocoons and Hide-Outs


Sven Ehmann - 2013
    For the first time in the history of humankind, more people live in cities than in the country. Yet, at the same time, more and more city dwellers are yearning for rural farms, mountain cabins, or seaside homes. These kinds of refuges offer modern men and women a promise of what urban centers usually cannot provide: quiet, relaxation, being out of reach, getting back to basics, feeling human again. Rock the Shack is a survey of such contemporary refuges from around the world--from basic to luxury. The book features a compelling range of sparingly to intricately furnished cabins, cottages, second homes, tree houses, transformations, shelters, and cocoons. The look of the included structures from the outside is just as important as the view from inside. What these diverse projects have in common is an exceptional spirit that melds the uniqueness of a geographic location with the individual character of the building's owner and architect.

Living the Simple Life: A Guide to Scaling Down and Enjoying More


Elaine St. James - 1996
    And if you've already started to simplify, it will give you new insights and ideas for what to do next on your journey to a more balanced, peaceful life.In these pages, you'll discover how simplifying your life will:Give you more time to play and relaxMake you more productive at workUnleash your creativity and open up new possiblitiesFree up time for you to face the challenges you've been avoidingScale down. Enjoy More.

Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs


Henry Carroll - 2014
    • A bestselling photography book with over 300,000 copies sold! • Learn top photography tips from 50 famous photographers • A must–have guide for amateur photographers and professional photographersRead This if You Want to Take Great Photographs contains no graphs, no techie diagrams and no camera–club jargon. Instead, it inspires readers through iconic images and playful copy, packed with hands–on tips.Split into five sections, the book covers composition, exposure, light, lenses and the art of seeing. Masterpieces by acclaimed photographers – including Henri Cartier–Bresson, Sebastião Salgado, Fay Godwin, Nadav Kander, Daido Moriyama and Martin Parr – serve to illustrate points and encourage readers to try out new ideas.Today's aspiring photographers want immediacy and see photography as an affordable way of expressing themselves quickly and creatively. This handbook meets their needs, teaching them how to take photographs using professional techniques.Read This If You Want to Take Great Photographs is part of the internationally–bestselling 'Read This' series, which has sold over half–a–million books worldwide and has been translated into over 20 languages.More titles in the 'Read This' series:Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs of People by Henry Carroll (9781780676241)Read This if You Want to Take Great Photographs of Places by Henry Carroll (9781780679051)Use This if You Want to Take Great Photographs: A Photo Journal by Henry Carroll (9781780678887)Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing by Selwyn Leamy (9781786270542)Use This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing by Selwyn Leamy (9781786274052)Read This if You Want to Be Great at Drawing People by Selwyn Leamy (9781786275127)Read This if You Want to Be a Great Writer by Ross Raisin (9781786271976)Read This if You Want to Be Instagram Famous edited by Henry Carroll (9781780679679)Read This If You Want to Be YouTube Famous by Will Eagle (9781786275134)

Make Life Beautiful


Syd McGee - 2020
    This book offers the fans of Syd and Shea McGee a new and intimate look into how they built their business. For the one million-plus followers who turn to Syd and Shea McGee for advice on building a beautiful home and life, Make Life Beautiful is a behind-the-scenes look into how the couple transformed Shea’s small room of fabric samples and big dream of becoming a designer into one of the most successful and fastest-growing interior design businesses in the country.Both long-time and new fans will not only gain insight into how the McGees built such a successful company but also be inspired to apply design principles to their lives. Inspirational topics to help readers build an authentic life includeRenovate your lifeVisualize the outcomeListen to your gutElevate the everydayWant to live the best version of your life? Read this book to follow Syd and Shea’s lead and learn how to Make Life Beautiful.This is an essential book for:EntrepreneursInterior DesignersWorking ParentsCouples Building Family and CareerSelf-Startersand Anyone Chasing Their DreamsNew York Times Bestseller / Wall Street Journal Bestseller / USA Today Bestseller / Publishers Weekly BestsellerPraise for Make Life Beautiful:"Make Life Beautiful is a necessary reminder there is inherent beauty and warmth in all moments. Shea and Syd invite us into endearing conversations filled with wit, humor, creativity and an honesty shining light on the couples beautiful focal points." - Alyssa Rosenheck, interiors and architectural photographer, stylist, and author of the New Southern Style“In a world of picture perfect, Syd & Shea are a much needed breath of fresh air. It takes courage to admit that things aren’t always perfect. I applaud them for authentically sharing their story with the world.” - Mikel Welch, interior designer, lifestyle expert, and TV show host"Make Life Beautiful is raw, honest and motivating. A captivating read as Shea & Syd navigate us through the early days of their relationship, family and growing business. A form of a modern day romance success story. I enjoyed reading about their compelling journey that shaped their design empire we know as Studio McGee. Truly inspiring in every way.” - Monika Hibbs, Founder and Creative Director of Monika Hibbs and author of Gather at Home"There’s nothing more beautiful than taking a leap and devoting your life and your heart and your work to helping other people enjoy beauty in their own homes. We’ve all come to know and love and yearn for the Studio McGee look but hearing the humble “how's” behind the empire is even more moving and motivating. This isn’t about just making your home beautiful—this is about making your LIFE beautiful. Shea and Syd are talented (obviously) but they’re also dreamers and supporters and risk-takers and pioneers and somehow, still completely down-to-earth. My heart is warm and I’m now taking notes on more than just mixing patterns.” - Julia Marcum, Co-Founder of Chris Loves Julia, Good Influnce_r and Proper Tee

Freakin' Fabulous on a Budget


Clinton Kelly - 2013
    Now Clinton Kelly—America’s favorite expert on, well, everything—applies his brilliant sense of style and humor to all aspects of life, from dining and entertaining to decorating and etiquette. And he does it all without spending a fortune!In this ingenious new collection of must haves, whatnots, and need-to-knows, Clinton Kelly proves that it doesn’t take a lot of money to look like a million bucks. In fact, you can dress, entertain, and decorate in a way that makes everyone think you’re filthy rich!Clinton shows you how to:LOOK YOUR BEST—FOR LESS Put together beautiful designer looks at a fraction of the cost!EAT LIKE A KING (OR QUEEN) Stuffed Artichokes! Beef Bourguignon! Chocolate Soufflé!LIVE IT UP & PARTY DOWN Throw fabulous dinner parties that won’t break the bank!DIY YOUR HOME, CHIC HOME Make your own “mercury glass” lamps, haute-couture napkins, high-end centerpieces, and MoMA-worthy artwork! Packed with full-color photos, bargain-hunting tips, posh party ideas, easy-but impressive recipes, dazzling home projects, and everyday indulgences that don’t cost a dime, Clinton’s book is the perfect fit for any size bank account. Now that’s freakin’ fabulous!

The Organised Time Technique: How to Get Your Life Running Like Clockwork


Gemma Bray - 2020
    This is Gemma Bray's unique method for organising your day that will stop you from trying to do everything (and feeling like a failure when you can't), keep you focused on how you use the time you have available, help you play to your strengths and, most importantly, help you find time for the things that really matter. The Organised Time Technique provides the tools - and the headspace - you need to create a framework for your life that means you will always know where you are supposed to be, what you are supposed to be doing and when you are supposed to be doing it. By following the plan, you will not only get everything done, but also create space for the things that you really want to do, whether that's taking up a new hobby, reading a book, starting a side business or simply having a long, relaxing bath!Just as The Organised Mum Method helped you to feel on top of the housework, The Organised Time Technique will revolutionise the way you spend your day. In no time at all, you will go from feeling flustered to feeling fabulous.Are you ready?

Decorate: 1,000 Design Ideas for Every Room in Your Home


Holly Becker - 2011
    Written and compiled by Holly Becker, founder of the hugely popular design blog Decor8, and Joanna Copestick, acclaimed lifestyle writer, this intensive home dcor program combines beautiful inspiration with nuts-and-bolts how-to for stunning results. More than 500 gorgeous color photographs provide motivation while line illustrations, checklists, shortcuts, and floor plans make it easy to get started. For those looking to make the most of their home and create stylish interiors, Decorate is the start-to-finish resource to keep on the bookshelf for years to come.