Great Houses on a Budget

David Giffels

All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling-Down House

As wry as Bill Bryson's I'm a Stranger Here Myself, as insightful as Tracy Kidder's House, here is smart, engaging tale of one man's stuggle to restore his family's new home--a decrepit old mansion--and discover himself With his pregnant wife and their 18-month-old son in tow, David Giffels scoured the environs of Akron, OH, in search of the perfect house. But nothing seemed right . . . until he spotted the beautiful, decaying Guilded Era mansion. A former rubber robber baron's domain, the once grand house does need some repair . . . okay it's a dump. So what if, there's “nothing holding this place up but memory,”--the assessment of his father, a structural engineer? It wouldn't be perfect if it were easy, and Giffels relishes the challenge. He's a committed do it yourselfer who fears a life without struggle--and Home Depot. All the Way Home follows Giffels's funny and sometimes frustrating journey as he and his young family turns a decrepit money pit into the the home of their dreams. From outwitting squatters (both four- and two-legged) to rebuilding termite ridden walls, battling wisteria vines and finding $14,000 in Depression-era cash hidden in a bathroom wall, ...

Kevin McCloud

Grand Designs Handbooks: The Blueprint for Building Your Dream Home

TV's architecture and design guru Kevin McCloud shares his passion and expertise in this brilliant guide to designing and building your own home, illustrated with the most memorable houses from the award-winning Channel 4 series.The book goes way beyond the confines of the usual TV tie-in. Over the 11 years that Grand Designs has been on our screens, Kevin has had plenty of opportunity to formulate his own strong views on what makes truly brilliant architecture. For the first time he can share those views fully, showing that 'houses too can be architecture' and giving any aspiring self-builder the maximum number of tools to ensure that their vision becomes reality, with the minimum amount of heartache along the way.Through three main sections - 'Thinking', 'Dreaming' and 'Doing' - he guides you through each stage of the self-build process, from working out what you really want, to finding a plot, obtaining planning permission, commissioning and briefing architects and builders, and implementing the build itself. Structured around fundamental locations - urban, suburban and rural - Kevin presents his own compendium of houses from across the UK which he finds exciting and exemplary. ...

Simon Brown, Bruce Littlefield

Airstream Living

The versatility of the sleek metallic gems of Airstream has captured the imagination of a new generation. Paris Hilton used one to tour the country in The Simple Life . Designer Ralph Lauren owns four. Airstream Living explores these vehicles' many uses, from vacation travel to permanent residence, from home office to pool house, from on-set accommodation for movie stars to businesses such as diners and stores. In its pages, profiles of real-life owners reveal how they use their trailers to enhance their lifestyle, and vacationers will find advice on how to get the most out of Airstreams. Inspirational photographs accompany advice on decorating interiors in styles that range from the simple to opulent: retro chic, Ralph Lauren's Adirondack and Western themes, a seaside look for coastal touring, and much more. Practical advice covers everything from buying your first Airstream to care and cleaning tips to solutions for storage. A directory provides a thorough listing of suppliers and websites. For anyone who owns an Airstream or is thinking about purchasing one, this book is a must-read for living life to the fullest aboard a land yacht.