Deck Planner: 120 Outstanding Decks You Can Build

Book Description

AHome Planners bestseller for over a decade has been completely remodeled with 100% brand new deck designs.The second edition of Deck Planner continues its popular place as more than just a book of deck ideas and photos. This new collection presents 120 completely new decks designed to give a family a gathering place, an outdoor hideaway, an alfresco dining spot and more.Easy to build and comparatively inexpensive, decks deliver many times over on the investment of time and money to install them. In fact, decks can be built for just a fraction of the cost found in other projects designed to add living space.Deck Planner, Second Edition, will continue its important role in the readers search for the perfect deck addition. Containing deck plans in every size and shape, plus basic deck-building information, this book provides the stepping stones to a successful deck-building project.

Customer Reviews:

This Book is Worthless.......2007-05-18

This book is completely useless. The renderings are basic, they don't offer anything interesting or imaginative. Then you have to pay more money to gets plans for decks you wouldn't build anyway.

Totally Worthless!!!

You Can Do It!.......2007-05-12

This book is the BEST! My husband has read and reread several chapters. Even our city planner person wanted a copy of it. They wanted to know where to find it so they could tell others about it. This is the most comprehensive book of any I looked at - by far, with great drawings and pictures, and the "Pro Tips" are absolutely wonderful to end up with a beautifully finished project.

nice picture book, USELESS for building.......2006-09-14

I purchased this book after finding out they were tied to a large company that provide detailed plans as well.

Later, I find that the plans you are sent for the ADDITIONAL $75.00 are complete junk. The company the book also refers to, is out of business, and all the out of spec/code/date plans are from another company.

The book is absolutely USELESS to anyone that wants to look and pick out building plans. It belongs in the recycle bucket.

Arts & Crafts Home Plans: Showcasing 85 Home Plans in the Craftsman, Prairie and Bungalow Styles

Average customer rating:

Try it, you'll like it...
Another review to counter Kathleen's below
Duh.
Arts & Crafts Home Plans. Plans for Homes. Home plans.
Only for People Planning on Hiring Carpenters to Build Them a New House

Arts & Crafts Home Plans: Showcasing 85 Home Plans in the Craftsman, Prairie and Bungalow Styles
Inc. Home Planners
Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

House Plans | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The American Collection: Craftsman Style (American Collection) (American Collection)
Bungalow Plans
Craftsman Homes: More than 40 Plans for Building Classic Arts & Crafts-Style Cottages, Cabins, and Bungalows
Bungalow Style: Creating Classic Interiors in Your Arts and Crafts Home
Bungalows: Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling, and Building New (Updating Classic America)

ASIN: 1931131260

Book Description

n Opening editorial chronicles the history and philosophy of the Arts Crafts school of design n Eye-catching exteriors and smooth, harmonius interiors celebrate the simplicity and honesty of these homes n A photographic study of several Craftsman homes and tips on creating an authentic Arts Crafts style interior are also included n Complete construction blueprints available for every home in this collection Let Arts Crafts Home Plans be your guide to this well known and beloved American home design.

Customer Reviews:

Try it, you'll like it..........2007-04-20

First off, kudos to the authors for getting the facts right regarding Sears and Aladdin kit homes of the early 1900s. I was so pleased to see the honorable mention of these companies and accurate factual info that I nearly swooned from pure joy. I truly appreciate their giving the kit home companies of the 20s and 30s their due.

As to the designs of the houses pictured in this book, I was pretty impressed with that, as well. Those are some good-looking homes. As to the other reviewer's comment that the houses had big garages and great rooms, the fact is, old-house purists buy old houses and spend 43 years restoring them to their original condition, replete with monitor-top refrigerators and old gas stoves with pilot lights and porcelain tear-drop handles.

The rest of the house-buying public may want something with an exterior look that gives them warm-fuzzy memories of Grandma's house, but with innards that are much more modern (and easy to manage and maintain). The plans offered in this book meet that criteria.

Having spent much of my life in old homes and a small time in a new home, I can see the advantages of a newer home. There is something to be said for being able to pay a utility bill without taking out a second mortgage.

The houses pictured in this book had a nice look. I don't think they'd ever be mistaken for OLD houses, but I was surprisingly impressed with their attention to detail. And the floorplans are spacious, practical and appealing to people who like 21st Century homes.

Rose

Another review to counter Kathleen's below.......2006-08-19

The book is plainly marked "House Plans." That's exactly what you get: plans to build a house. Not to decorate nor historically analyze it, but to build. To rate it low because she wanted it to be something it's *clearly* marked that it's NOT is unfair.

Good stuff working looking at.

Duh........2005-11-29

I really wish that however disappointed Kathleen might have been with what she GOT vs. what she thought she was getting, she would have rated it based on what it was, not what she wanted it to be. It sounds like she thinks it's an OK book of plans, but she only gave it one star. I can only assume that's because it's not a decorating book. That's a little like going to see Citizen Kane and calling it a crappy movie because there weren't any good battle scenes or car chases.
So... even though I haven't read it, I'm giving this 5 stars just to counterbalance Kathleen because it would be a shame if someone looking for a book of plans didn't check this out because of an artifically low rating.

Arts & Crafts Home Plans. Plans for Homes. Home plans........2005-10-23

This book is a catalog of home plans. Operative words: "home" and "plans". Plans with which you can build a home. The other reviewer missed that somehow.

If you want a book of painting tips and decorating suggestions, don't buy this book. This is a catalog of plans for a future home that you might be considering to build.

Just wanted to clear that up a little. Thanks.

Only for People Planning on Hiring Carpenters to Build Them a New House .......2005-10-18

I just have a big warning for anyone thinking of buying this book: it is a catalogue for blueprints that you can buy from the Hanley Wood Company. For some reason Hanley Wood calls their catalogues "books." Their choice, I guess.

I will get to what this catalogue is in a minute. What is important is what it is not. It is not a book about the Arts and Crafts movement. It is not a book of photographs of Arts & Crafts homes since almost all of the pictures are architects' renditions of what the finished houses might look like, not actual photos of what they do look like. It is not a book about Arts and Crafts interiors, which is what I thought it was. When I read about getting 85 "home plans," I was so excited to think that I would be getting 85 ideas for room paint jobs, furniture and fixture ideas, etc. None of that. There's just a handful of photographs of interiors and no real attention paid to that side of it: the dominant imagery is of what the building might look like on the street (curb appeal).

There are a lot of other books about the Arts & Crafts movement that can give you ideas for decorating or redoing an existing home. This just is not one of them. I'm now taking a look at "Living the Arts & Crafts Style: A Home Decorating Workbook."

If you are planning on hiring a bunch of carpenters to build you a house in the Arts and Crafts style, I would buy this book for sure, even though a lot of the plans are not very original Arts & Crafts looking. They have a lot of 2000s details like "great rooms" and three car garages, and some of them look like McMansions with some Arts & Crafts features added in. A lot of them though are original looking and rather nice. You just might find your dream house and won't have to hire an architect. Even if you are planning on hiring an architect, I would buy this little catalogue anyway just to keep him or her honest!

Average customer rating:

Luxury Dream Homes, Third Edition
Home Planners
Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

House Plans | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

American Dream Homes: Luxury Design : 50 New Glamour Homes
Estate Dream Homes: 181 Designs of Unsurpassed Grandeur
Fine Living: 130 Home Designs With Luxury Amenities
Grand Manor Homes: 120 Distinguished Home Designs
Dan Sater's Luxury Home Plans

ASIN: 1881955877

Book Description

This successful book continues to build on its original simple premise: to offer some of the finest and most interesting luxury home plans from todays leading designers and architects. Here, in a completely new and revised edition, 15 leading designers and architects share their finest luxury home designs. More than a statement of size, the luxury celebrated in this new volume encompasses elegance in design: rooms that comlement living and uplift the spirit while supporting all the conveniences of modern times.

Homes Filled With Natural Light: 223 Sunny Home Plans for All Regions

Average customer rating:

dont waste your time
Natural Light House Plans are pretty dim in this review

Homes Filled With Natural Light: 223 Sunny Home Plans for All Regions

Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

House Plans | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Homes With a View: 175 Home Plans for Golf-Course, Waterfront and Mountain Homes
The Ultimate Book of Home Plans
1001 All Time Best Selling Home Plans
325 New Home Plans for 2005: Top Designs From 1,000 to 5,000 Square Feet
Waterfront Homes: 189 Home Plans for River, Lake or Sea

ASIN: 1881955273

Book Description

-Make the most of natural sunlight with details that lend an open, airy feel to well-planned interior spaces.
-These beautiful, unique homes show how skylights, transoms and clerestory windows brighten any living space.
-Atriums, solariums and greenhouses also featured.
-Homes from 1,346 to 7,275 square feet.
-Complete construction drawings available separately.

Customer Reviews:

dont waste your time.......2007-01-05

I was looking for a book to get some ideas for the new house I am building and possibly some floor plan ideas. The homes in this book are gaudy east coast cookie cutter types best suited for fairways of some snobby country club golf course. I didnt find one house with a decent kitchen! Why is the kitchen always some tiny room stuck in the corner isolating the cook from the rest of the house. I wanted somthing inspirational and unique. It is also all balck and white with just arcitectural sketches of the houses. If you want ideas, go to the market and pick up a sunset, log homes or westen living magazine for $5 instead, they are full of great ideas and beautiful photos of kitchens, baths and exteriors that dont include hardy plank siding or somthing my 97 year old grandmother would find appealing.

Natural Light House Plans are pretty dim in this review.......2000-04-14

I found this book while trying to find a unique but practical houseplan for a custom home to be built along a riverfront on a bluff. The sunlight is ample at this site. So I was rather optimistic to purchase this book. However, my enthusiasm turned to disappointment in browsing through this rather mundane set of plans. Some of the examples appeared to come from the 1970s prototypes found along Southern California. There were no magical window placements or use of extraordinary skylights and the such. There were a few distinguished types, but none to this reviewer's liking. I did find the adobe prototype of plans seen in the southwest as somewhat interesting in this book. Otherwise, don't let the title fool you.

Grand Manor Homes: 120 Distinguished Home Designs

Average customer rating:

Some fabulous designs but often repeated...
Proudly showcases 120 designs of truly great homes

Grand Manor Homes: 120 Distinguished Home Designs
Inc. Home Planners
Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

House Plans | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Luxury Dream Homes, Third Edition
American Dream Homes: Luxury Design : 50 New Glamour Homes
Estate Dream Homes: 181 Designs of Unsurpassed Grandeur
Fine Living: 130 Home Designs With Luxury Amenities
European Luxury Home Plans (Sater Design Collection, 1)

ASIN: 1931131171

Customer Reviews:

Some fabulous designs but often repeated..........2006-10-05

Sater designs are creative and beautiful. The use of space and light to encourage the feel of openness is unsurpassed. The photos in this book are gorgeous.

However...

There are just not enough DIFFERENT floor plans to fill a book of this size. The floor plans are often repeated, some exactly the same with a change in the facade. In others, one room's size is expanded or diminished, it's simply a reverse plan, or there's a three car garage instead of a two. That made going through the entire book frustrating and irritating for me. It's only a week after putting it down that I can now say what is there is wonderful but only count on a quarter or less in the number of different plans you'll see as compared to what it says you'll see.

I still gave it three stars because as I said, what's there is very, very good and the photos are marvelous.

Proudly showcases 120 designs of truly great homes.......2004-01-14

Grand Manor Homes proudly showcases 120 designs of truly great homes which range in their individual spaciousness from 2,200 to 6,300 square feet. Full color photographs of some of the houses wonderfully embellish the entries comprising the Homer Planners' edition of Grand Manor Homes. Featuring a meticulous and detailed layout plan of each home, Grand Manor Homes is especially suitable for assessing at a glance the many possible options available when a grand manor residence is built. An insightful descriptive commentary text rounds out this inherently fascinating architectural tour.

American Dream Homes: Luxury Design : 50 New Glamour Homes

Average customer rating:

Lots of very very expensive homes.
Good idea book
Not the best bang for the buck.
Every house features full color photos!
Quite interesting!!

American Dream Homes: Luxury Design : 50 New Glamour Homes
Inc. Home Planners
Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

House Plans | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Luxury Dream Homes, Third Edition
Dan Sater's Luxury Home Plans
Fine Living: 130 Home Designs With Luxury Amenities
Grand Manor Homes: 120 Distinguished Home Designs
Estate Dream Homes: 181 Designs of Unsurpassed Grandeur

ASIN: 1931131082

Book Description

Walk through the front doors of more of the most exclusive homes in the world.

American Dream Homes is another remarkable beautiful photographic collection of 50 stunning show homes.

The book is like a walking tour, walking you step-by-step through the design and decorating details.

Each outstanding home is the collaborative vision of a unique design team. From accessories to landscaping, these gorgeous homes represent the best of the home-building and decorating arts.

Best of all, readers may purchase blueprints of these fine homes and build a dream of their own.

Ranging in size from 3,000 to over 10,000 square feet, these designs include virtually every imaginable luxury: sweeping staircases, grand entries, soaring ceilings, awe-inspiring interiors and magnificent master suites.

From every corner of North America, American Dream Homes, showcases the finest projects of the brightest residential designers and decorators working today.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of very very expensive homes........2007-02-20

I will never be able to afford any of the homes in this book, and even if I could, I don't think I'd want something that big. Regardless, it is fun to look

Good idea book.......2006-02-15

I bought this book to get ideas for a custom home we were building. I loved the full-page color photos, and found a few ideas I could incorporate in my new home, even though it is much smaller than these plans! I love Colonial, European, and Neo-classic styles, so there were only a few homes with touches of these styles (hence, only 4 stars), but I still found the book useful. For more classic, European style homes, I highly recommend "Villa Decor - Decidedly French and Italian Style" and "French Influences", both by Betty Lou Phillips.

Not the best bang for the buck. .......2006-02-05

The photos in this book are not exclusive, as they can be found in many other books and magazines. It is certainly a better value than "dream home" magazines that usually sell for $7 a pop at the newstands, but it pales in comparison to "Dan Sater's Luxury Home Plans". Sater's book is better in just about every way... larger format, larger pictures, thicker paper, a better selection of homes in my opinion (not to mention a few identical ones), and a lower price.

You probably already know that the purpose of these books is to sell home plans. That's why they're so cheap. From a consumer standpoint, they're fun to browse through and you don't feel any buyer's remorse since you can easily spend more money at McDonald's.

If you're looking for a book to get valuable ideas for your next home or remodel, take a look at "Home by Design" by Sarah Susanka.

Every house features full color photos!.......2004-05-28

I have bought house plan books before and normally only the first few are in full color and then the rest are black and white and don't show any interior photos. This book, however, has full color photos for every house plan featured. They show a few interior pictures for each, and it is by far the best house plan book I have found. Although, every plan in this book is quite large and you'd have to be a millionaire to be able to afford them.

Quite interesting!!.......2004-03-29

Ok,I just read...well skimmed through this book,I just looked at the pics of all the gorgeous houses.My house is custom designed and I wanted to see some other interesting designs.Well I certainly got alot of ideas for my next house,I personally think i'ts a brilliant book that anyone that is fascinated with wealth should read!

Great Garages, Sheds & Outdoor Buildings: 145 Projects You Can Build

Average customer rating:

Catalog of plans for sale
Great ideas!
not too helpful unless you'er looking gigantic
Great place to start for ideas, But...

Great Garages, Sheds & Outdoor Buildings: 145 Projects You Can Build
Llc Home Planners , and Connie Brown
Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Outdoor & Recreational Areas | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Do-It-Yourself | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Swimming Pools | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decks & Patios | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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Quick Guide: Garages & Carports: Step-by-Step Construction Methods (Quick Guide)
Ultimate Garages
Sheds and Garages
Garage: Reinventing the Place We Park
The Ultimate Garage

ASIN: 1881955982

Book Description

This Second Edition of Great Garages, Sheds Outdoor Buildings presents 155 garages and outbuildings45% of them new to this editiondesigned to fit virtually any home exterior or landscape plan. Youll find simple garages and structures, as well as more expansive two-story garages that do double-duty. And all have the unique design details for which Home Planners is famous.Here are structures homeowners want, from the simplest of utility garages to wonderfully complete guest-house garages. Also included is an array of other outdoor buildings to complement any yard, to serve as a hobby shop or home office, or to house a favorite horse. This book offers unique and functional solutions to fit every need.

Customer Reviews:

Catalog of plans for sale.......2006-08-18

This book is basically a list of plans for sale by the Hanley Wood Company. Most of the designs look rather dated to me, I would guess many of these were designed in the 1960's and 70's. I didn't find any particularly interesting or useful ideas here, most designs were either very simple or much too ornate & contrived for my taste. It's rather misleading to call this a "book" and say it was "wriitten by" and author, it is really more of a large sales brochure dressed up as a paperback book.

Great ideas!.......2001-09-04

This book gives you a large variety of designs and styles to consider. It was just what we were looking for! We were able to combine a couple of ideas to build the perfect garage/guest house! Our builder had no problem just using the pictures and diagrams from the book. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you can order the plans. (Everyone in the neighborhood compliments our new guest house/garage!

not too helpful unless you'er looking gigantic.......1999-04-05

if you're looking for the basic garage or outbuilding book this is not it....too big , too contemporary.... also it should be called the garage plan sourcebook. as there are no actual plans...just sources

Great place to start for ideas, But..........1999-03-26

This book offers a very extraordinary group of ideas in the form of sketches, however that is as far as you will get with the 101 projects you can build yourself. Each project has a plan number that requires the speculative do-it-yourselfer to spend 20 to 85 dollars on a blueprint that most profesional builders won't even touch. In summary, the plans are too complicated for the weekend warrior, and the materials needed to build these elaberate structures will blow any do-it-your-selfers budget. You can get some good ideas from this book, but that is it.

The Space Planner: A Home Decorating Design Workbook

Average customer rating:

The Space Planner: A Home Decorating Design Workbook
Meg Mateo Ilasco
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Furniture | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Home Quick Planner: Reusable, Peel & Stick Furniture & Architectural Symbols
Room and Furniture Layout Kit (From Stencils and Notepaper to Flowers and Napkin Folding)
Room Redux: The Home Decorating Workbook
Decorating for Good: A Step-by-Step Guide to Rearranging What You Already Own
Interior Design Course: Principles, Practices, and Techniques for the Aspiring Designer (Quarto Book)

ASIN: 0811852903

Book Description

Whether giving a current surrounding a makeover, or starting fresh in a new place, The Space Planner helps do-it-yourself home decorators identify the right design approach for the home. With an in-depth introduction and sections for each room in the house, this interactive journal provides the tools needed to turn an ordinary room into a haven that reflects both individual style and needs. Map out a room design on one of the included laminated grids, rearrange it until something clicks and then get to work making that vision a reality!

Book Description

A collection of gorgeous homes for those who dream of life on the water's edge.

-Open floor plans with expansive views!

-Enjoy the beauty of a home alongside a lake, river, or ocean in this exclusive collection of homes designed for waterfront living.

-Whether readers are planning to build a year-round home or join the growing vacation home market, this book will delight and inspire them.

-This title showcases home plans that feature open floor plans, ample master suites and great rooms, large windows to enjoy the view, and porches and decks that extend the living space and embrace the outdoors.

-With an enhanced editorial section and the latest trends in home design, this second edition improves upon the best-selling original.

Customer Reviews:

Give me a break!.......2007-04-30

Not really waterfront homes. Just run of the mill home plans. Save your maoney!

Disappointed.......2006-03-03

I was looking for house plans that had the major rooms on the front of the house overlooking a view. The title led me to believe I would find that type of home in this book. I did not. Also, most of the plans were very complicated with multiple roof angles and expensive building items.

Homes With a View: 175 Home Plans for Golf-Course, Waterfront and Mountain Homes

Average customer rating:

House on the River
Give me a break
Disappointed

Homes With a View: 175 Home Plans for Golf-Course, Waterfront and Mountain Homes

Manufacturer: Home Planners
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

House Plans | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Household Hints | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Waterfront Homes: 189 Home Plans for River, Lake or Sea
Homes Filled With Natural Light: 223 Sunny Home Plans for All Regions
Hillside Homes: 208 Sloping-Lot & Multi-Level Designs : 1000 to over 5,500 Square Feet
The Ultimate Book of Home Plans
A House on the Water: Inspiration for Living at the Water's Edge

ASIN: 1931131252

Book Description

n Introducing a stunning collection of homes as magnificent as the vistas they showcase. n A 32-page full-color gallery section showcases the best of the best n Expansive windows, quaint porches and wide-open decks bring the outdoors in and allow these plans to take full advantage of their surroundings. n Painstakingly crafted by the top architects and residential designers in the nation. n Complete construction blueprints are available for every home in this collection.

Customer Reviews:

House on the River.......2007-06-27

This book was particularly helpful with orientations toward a particular view. We live on a river and are looking for ideas.

Give me a break.......2007-04-30

Not really homes with a view. Just run of the mill home plans. Save your money!

Disappointed.......2006-03-03

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