Outdoor & Recreational Areas in The Books Store

Add value and functionality to your home with the addition of a great porch or patio. We offer detailed instructions for a variety of projects. Each page is loaded with great how-to photos that show you the different steps you'll follow en route to a fantastic new outdoor living space

From Sonoma wine country in the north to sundrenched La Jolla in the south, and from Malibu's seaside enclaves to Palm Springs nestled in the desert, California's distinctive regions are home to many of the world's most stunning swimming pools.

Since the ancient times, when manmade baths enhanced the gardens of Egyptian nobles, pools have been built as the ultimate symbols of luxury and leisure, providing a means of capturing one of nature's most elusive elements. Soon after the pool arrived in America in the nineteenth century, California became a mecca for pool owners, where many advances in pool design have been made over the last century.

Reflections on the Pool presents 40 perfect pools in 100 brilliant color photographs. These include the vibrant, Mexican-style architectural design of Ricardo Legorreta and the avant-garde, sensational creations of John Lautner, and illustrate the theories of the renowned landscape designers Thomas Church and Isabelle Greene.

Each section of the book features a type of pool, or an element of pool design. Pools imitating nature, lap pools, architectural or highly ornamented pools are discussed in detail, as well as historic pools such as Hearst's Neptune Pool at San Simeon or Thomas Church's vanguard kidney-bean-shaped design of 1948, and other early California examples that set precedents for the pools of today. The introduction outlines technical aspects of design, and gives a brief history of the pool, including the influence of Hollywood on its popularity.

Whether you own a pool or wish for one, and wherever you live, Reflections on the Pool is a color-infused, fresh, and inspirational display of the boundless possibilities in pool design.

New Complete Home Landscaping is an updated, expanded edition of Creative Homeowner's award-winning comprehensive book on landscaping for the home. It covers every aspect of home landscaping, from design principles to construction projects; plant selection to plant care. The book consists of three parts. Part One: Preparing to Landscape explains how to design and create a landscape. Part Two: Setting the Stage shows how to build such features as paths, ponds, walls, decks, and watering systems. Part Three: Planting and Growing describes how to select, plant, and care for flowers, trees, shrubs, ground covers, and lawns.

From floor to ceiling, this is the guide that will take backyard builders step by step through the entire process of constructing an individualized, impressive gazebo. Every picture-filled chapter hones in on a particular aspect, explaining how to choose the style; pick a site; select materials; lay out the gazebo; erect and install floors and posts; make railings; assemble the roof; and much more. Then, in meticulous detail, the manual follows the building of one gazebo from start to finish. Beautiful photographs showcase a variety of styles, while sidebars feature images of innovative details. You’ll even discover how to meet special challenges, such as fancy frieze boards.