Outdoor & Recreational Areas

Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways: Big Ideas for Small Backyard Destinations

Virginia Woolf was right. Women–and men, it turns out–yearn for a room of their own.

But instead of a little nook beneath the eaves, that room is now a shed. Today’s sheds, however, are not dusty shelters for plants and tools. Lace curtains have replaced cobwebs, charming antiques stand where shovels and rakes once rusted, and instead of corrugated walls, you will find cedar shingles and window boxes. Sheds are stylish and elegant and offer a hassle-free and affordable way to create more space without undergoing a major renovation. They function as artists’ studios, writers’ retreats, yoga dens, entertaining pavilions, children’s playhouses, garden rooms, or serene hideaways for any personal pursuit.

In Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, Debra Prinzing and William Wright showcase twenty-eight innovative and beautifully imagined spaces from New York City to East Hampton, from Seattle to San Diego, and from Atlanta to Austin to Santa Cruz. Some are elaborate and luxurious; others are delightfully modest. They are built in urban gardens and suburban backyards and tucked away on rural properties.

Stunning, lush color photography graces Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways, bringing the reader into each space and face-to-face with all its nooks, crannies, and details; the text describes how the owners’ needs and interests inspired the shed practically and aesthetically. With sample plans for building a shed, advice on the practicalities of designing and decorating it, and thoughts from backyard philosophers who celebrate the appeal and possibilities of simple structures, Stylish Sheds and Elegant Hideaways is both an inspiration for creating your own backyard destination and an armchair journey to some of the country’s most private and serene places.

Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home

The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals: A Step-by-Step Maintenance Guide

If you are a pool owner, you have made a major investment and proper swimming pool maintenance is an absolute must! Keeping your pool clean and maintained should be a top priority since a clean pool is essential in many ways. First, no one wants to swim in, or look at, a dirty, green, or yellow pool. Keep in mind that although the pool may look clean, it may in fact be still contaminated with enough bacteria to cause sickness. If a pool is not maintained properly it can get very expensive to clean or fix at a later date. Dan Hardy has used every available resource in his 20-year career as a pool professional to add to his store of knowledge about making and keeping water safe. An untiring and dedicated "Pool Doctor," he has become the "go to" man for owners of some of the world's largest, most ornate, and expensive private swimming pools including that of award-winning actor Mr. John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston. Dan started working on pools as a boy in his dad's firm. Not content with doing routine maintenance, he began learning all he could about chemicals, mechanics, and safety. In this book he may just be a lifesaver to pool owners who want to save money on maintenance but need to know how to handle poisons safely. Pool maintenance business owners will want to have this book on hand as an easy guide to repairing filtration and pumps and dealing with serious pool problems. And anyone who wishes to have such a career could have no better mentor than Dan Hardy.

Tree Houses You Can Actually Build: A Weekend Project Book (Stiles, David R. Weekend Project Book Series.)

Tree houses capture the imagination of the child in all of us, and they have never been more popular than they are today. This inspirational yet thoroughly practical guide shows even the most inexperienced weekend carpenter how to design and build a lifetime of memories for the entire family. With more than 200,000 copies of their popular Weekend Project Books sold, David and Jeanie Stiles have become America's First Couple of do-it-yourself woodworking. In Tree Houses You Can Actually Build, they explain basic building procedures through clear, simple instructions and non-technical line drawings that illustrate every step of the project, from the earliest sketches to the final cedar shingle. The authors outline five basic designs that can be adapted to virtually any set of conditions, and throughout the book, they emphasize safety for both adults and children. In addition to line drawings, the book contains a section of full-color photographs highlighting a variety of tree house projects, plus helpful building tips based on interviews with their owners.

The Outdoor Shower: Creative design ideas for backyard living, from the functional to the fantastic

Showering outdoors after a day of playing in the surf, digging in the garden, or taking a daylong bike ride is the ultimate in summer relaxation.

Designer/builder Ethan Fierro celebrates the creativity and whimsical inspiration of summer with this collection of original outdoor shower designs he’s uncovered from coast to coast. He offers dozens of examples for homeowners to choose from, all pictured in stunning color photographs, ranging from the simple showerhead on the side of the cottage, to semi-detached and freestanding structures. Accompanying text describes the design and material elements involved in each example.

Beginning with the basics, Fierro includes an overview of basic plumbing and structural requirements, along with suggestions for incorporating a wide range of building materials, including stone, wood, metal, frosted glass blocks, earth, concrete, tile, stucco, and landscape vegetation. His plans are environmentally sound and mindful of cost-saving techniques, with ideas for repurposing found and recycled materials.

Fierro exhibits his own inspired aesthetic in the final chapter with illustrated plans for six fantasy showers, including a tree house, a vineenclosed frame, a stained-glass nautilus, and an underground cavity with a hole for sky-viewing. The Outdoor Shower will set free the inner spirit—and the inner builder—of any summer-home owner.

Fairy Houses ... Everywhere! (The Fairy Houses Series) (The Fairy Houses Series)

Take a peek! Just turn these pages and discover a world filled with whimsical habitats constructed from natural materials. The idea is to entice a fairy to stop by for a visit. From rustic dwellings to fairy mansions, these small structures are appearing in woods, parks, backyard gardens and even at the beach. But beware! Building fairy houses can be addictive for all ages. Symptoms include exploring the outdoors, being creative, sparking the imagination and discovering Nature s enchantment. You know you re really hooked when you start building fairy houses ... everywhere!

Landscaping with Stone (Home Landscaping)

Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build

Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build shows how average "do-it-yourself" families can easily and affordably bring to life a "Hobbit's Treehouse," a "Pirate's Playhouse," or a "Crow's Nest" in their own backyards! There are a lot of books out there filled with enchanting photos of elaborate treehouses and playhouses built by professionals and costing tens of thousands to build. For the rest of us, there's bit of elbow grease, a lot of imagination, a trip to the hardware store-and Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build.

Building a Deck (Build Like A Pro)

The definitive guide to building the most popular exterior building project there is: the deck. This book walks the reader through the entire process -- from the planning stages, through construction, step-by-step, to the custom details that make a deck unique. The book covers the practical side of building as well as design considerations that make a difference to discriminating homeowners.

Building a Shed: Siting and Planning a Shed, Building Shed Foundations, Adding Custom Details (Build Like a Pro Series)

This well-illustrated guide offers a range of building options, with complete instructions and plans for four popular projects: saltbox potting shed, garden storage shed, storage barn, and lean-to tool locker. Author Joe Truini walks the reader through each step, from evaluating storage needs to basic construction to putting the finishing touches on the roof.