Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management

Victoria Moran

Shelter for the Spirit: Create Your Own Haven in a Hectic World

Even though Americans spend thousands on furniture, appliances and interior decoration, many of our homes have become little more than drop-off zones where we collapse after work, glued to the TV while gulping down a microwave dinner. The home can be so much more than that, says Victoria Moran. It can be a haven in which people can revitalize mind, body and soul. That's what Shelter for the Spirit is all about. Merging Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with a sensitivity to the demands of modern life, it provides people with usable directions for bringing a sense of peace and renewal to their homes. Whether addressing how to get rid of clutter, decorate in a way that respects your personality, clean house as a spiritual exercise or celebrate special days (and ordinary ones too), Shelter for the Spirit shows how the quality of attention we give to everyday acts can transform our lives. The only book of its kind, it helps all readers make their homes places in which they and their guests enjoy spending their moments.

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.

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. ...