Suggested Books for DIY Home Design

There is no greater satisfaction than designing your own dream home yourself. This includes getting involved in the design of the floor plan and the interiors. Of course you will need the help of an architect to make sure that the design is structurally sound but still the basic plan will be yours and the interior will be your domain to do as you like. Below are the reviews of some of the best books for DIY home design.

The Home Design Handbook: The Essential Planning Guide for Building, Buying, or Remodeling a Home - by June Cotner

I had purchased the 256 paperback edition of this book for $7.27 from amazon.com sometime ago for my husband. It is published by Holt Paperbacks. This book has helped a novice like my husband to get a good idea about home design. In fact I have also read it and found it very informative when we had decided to build our own house. It is necessary for you to know exactly what you want before you will be able to describe them to your contractor. It is actually a workbook that will help prospective homeowners to convert their ideas and dreams into a practical plan as the book covers all aspects of planning, building and renovating a home.

The Nest Home Design Handbook: Simple ways to decorate, organize, and personalize your place - by Carley Roney

This is a 192 pages paperback book that explains in simple language how you can create a stylish, comfortable and fun living space. It shows some affordable styles and innovative tricks to decorate all rooms in the home. It also has a lot of DIY projects that any one can easily follow. There are many tips and pointers about color, merging styles and wood. The fundamentals of sound design are also laid out in an easy to understand manner. It is published by Clarkson Potter and costs about $13.36.

Home by Design: Transforming Your House Into Home - by Sarah Susanka

This 256 pages hardcover book uses lovely photographs and very good home floor plans for discussing how different spaces, ceilings and walls interrelate to one another and help shape our own experience. The book is divided into three sections each one dealing with space, light and design. The author uses several photos and sketches in each chapter to explain the concepts. The author illustrates her points beautifully by citing 28 best designed homes in the United States. The book is published by Taunton and costs about $23 on Amazon.

Apartment Therapy Presents: Real Homes, Real People, Hundreds of Design Solutions - by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan and Janel Laban

This is a 264 pages hardcover book published by Chronicle Books and costs about $18. It contains forty case studies describing how ordinary people solved the interior design challenges they faced with different budgets. There are 400 photographs showing all types of homes. Each of the home profiles include floor plans, list of resources and explanations of real people describing how they created totally innovative interior designs. It is a great home décor and design book for do-it-yourselfers.

The Timber-Frame Home: Design Construction Finishing - by Tedd Benson

This book comes in hardcover and comes for about $23 and has 240 pages. It is published by Taunton. This book teaches you how to adapt the traditional sturdy elegance used in timber-frame constructions to the needs of a modern lifestyle. There are hundreds of drawing and color photographs showing the latest methods, materials and designs. It is an excellent guide to timber frame house designing and finishing.

Universal Design for the Home: Great Looking, Great Living Design for All Ages, Abilities, and Circumstances - by Wendy A. Jordan

This $17 paperback book published by Quarry books features many lovely projects, innovative and creative ideas and detailed planning information. It is a highly visual book and several projects depicting room contexts and also detailed shots. The project mix encompasses both small and large houses. Accessibility and comfort including accessibility for the handicapped are emphasized. The home planning includes arrangement of rooms, kitchens, entries as well as exteriors with regards to present and future accessibility. The book is a great resource for people either remodeling or building a home.

Affordable Home Design: Innovations and Renovations - by Martha Torres

This is a 176 pages hardcover book costing around $28 published by Collins Design. This book showcases many solutions for good home design and decoration on a budget. It contains more than 250 color photos and many innovative ideas about designing a home on a budget. The projects feature ecological home design, extension of existing apartments, houses and homes that are structurally cost effective.

Building Construction Illustrated by Francis D. K. Ching

This one is a paperback available on Amazon for $30 and has 464 pages. It is published by Wiley. It has more than 1000 photos and illustrations and covers the important stages of the home design process including selection of suitable sites, mechanical systems, building components and finishes. The book is well organized and very easy to read and use. The basic concepts that underlie construction of houses are clearly presented.