From the author of the successful 150 Best series comes the debut entry in the forward-thinking Open Concept Houses series, filled with nearly 500 pages of color photos—sure to become the ultimate resource for this fast-growing trend in home design and renovation. One of the hottest lifestyle trends today, open concept living spaces eliminate doorways and walls to create a large combined area for cooking, dining, entertaining, and relaxing. No longer are the kitchen, dining room, and living room compartmentalized. Instead, each space blends into the next to create one large area "separated" and defined by islands, carpets, and furniture. This increasingly popular style provides a sense of expansiveness, connectedness, and flow that traditional architecture and design—defined by spaces broken by walls—lack. This engaging, inspiring, and informative volume brings together a diverse collection of houses from all over the world, including spaces that have been designed from the ground up or have been renovated to reflect this popular trend. Inside Open Concept Houses you’ll find an array of beautiful and creative homes by distinguished international architects and designers who have conceived practical and functional solutions adapted to the specific needs and particular tastes of their clients. Filled with hundreds of full-color photographs as well as sets of floorplans for renovated residences—both the original and remodeled blueprints—this imaginative, idea-filled book is a must-have for architects, designers, decorators, and home owners looking to create or adapt the open concept style in their own dwellings.

Discover the huge possibilities of a small house! Whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting an existing structure, these 50 innovative floor plans will show you how to make the most of houses measuring 1,400 square feet or less. Gerald Rowan presents creative and efficient layouts that use every inch of space, with tips on fully maximizing closets, porches, bathrooms, attics, and basements. From reorganizing a small storage area to building a brand-new home, you’ll find a detailed design to fit your family’s needs.

"This coffee-table-style book features 100 architect-designed homes from around the world. Descriptive text, floor plans, and photos describe each project. Exteriors and interiors are featured.' -- Publisher.

Do you have a home or investment that could benefit from some investment? Are you planning to sell up and want the best market value for your property? Many of us have homes or investments which aren’t working for us as hard as they could be. This could be for any number of reasons, but the fact is that you can improve your investment by just taking some very simple steps. In this new book, 10 Creative Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home and/or Investment, you will find some of the easiest ways to add worth to your home or investment in chapters which include: Ø Buying smart Ø The best way to find great property deals Ø Increasing value with bedrooms Ø The outer appeal of your property Ø Renting space Ø Proper maintenance Ø Taking down walls Ø And much more… With the tips and strategies inside this book, you have no end of opportunity to make the most of your home. From a quick paint job or simply mowing the lawn, through to an additional bathroom or an altered layout, 10 Creative Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home and/or Investment will inspire you to make the most of what you have. Get a copy today and improve your investment tomorrow!

Old-House Journal is the original magazine devoted to restoring and preserving old houses. For more than 35 years, our mission has been to help old-house owners repair, restore, update, and decorate buildings of every age and architectural style. Each issue explores hands-on restoration techniques, practical architectural guidelines, historical overviews, and homeowner stories--all in a trusted, authoritative voice.

How To Buy and Flip Houses For Profit shows you how to flip a house beginning with your research in your area for potential flips and ending with making your profit by selling your house. These steps provide tips and examples with which how to quickly and efficiently flip a house and make a nice-sized profit. These steps include the following: • Explaining where to research for the possible properties • Selecting the ideal flip based on location, price, and the amount of possible profit • Setting a budget and what to include in that budget • Choosing the right materials for the different types of houses • Deciding the best people to do the work • Completing the project by adding the finishing touches and • Selling your house to make the biggest profit The key things to remember in flipping a house is to pick a house that only needs updating and not repairs. Repairs are more costly. Also, remember when you are flipping, this is not going to be your house. You are updating the house so that it is in the condition to sell and is as update to date as the other houses in the neighborhood. About the Expert: I began flipping houses about four years ago. The time it took to flip each house depended on the situation. I relied on my workers, friends, and family to help with each flip. With three flips under my belt, I feel like I know how to flip a house using the best materials but still adhering to my budget. I also have put together a team of workers who are experts in their craft. With each flip, I get a better idea of how to flip houses. So, you are constantly learning with every flip. HowExpert publishes quick 'how to' guides on all topics from A to Z by everyday experts.

Current planning and design modes of residential environments are facing challenges of philosophy and form. Past approaches no longer sustain new demands and call for innovative thinking. In a world that is becoming highly urbanized, the need for a new outlook is propelled by fundamental global changes that touch upon environmental, economic, and social aspects. This book addresses these contemporary social transformations and trends. It argues that homes need to offer greater choice in the preoccupancy stage, adaptability once the occupant moves in, and, when the structure or its subcomponents end its useful life, facilitate circularity. The book begins with an introductory chapter that sets the stage for the ones that follow and describes current societal transformations which merit a new conceptual approach. A chapter on the history of flexible and adaptable design follows. Each of the following chapters stands for an aspect of home’s design and construction to offer innovative solutions to the challenges that are posed at the outset. The chapters include designing for affordability, aging in place, modularity, circularity, and lower-income communities. Each of the chapters is accompanied by a case study to illustrate these innovative trends and ideas.