Home, Garden, and Lawn Design Reference and Ideas:
Here is a list of resources that I have found invaluable in planning, designing, and constructing my house project.

Index of reference:

• Home Automation and Networking
• Home Audio & Home Theater
• Design Resources
• Lawn References
• Guide Books
   

Continuous Reading Idea References:

	One of the all around best guides to fine home building. Reading just one article saved me thousands of dollars worth of mistakes I would have made had I not read this excellent magazine. I highly recommend it. A true do-it-yourself guide.		A unique magazine that attempts to blend the design of the house with its surroundings. Although this magazine focuses on most things I cannot afford, the ideas are pretty innovative.
	A good source of ideas and inspiration for all us amateur hackers. Unfortunately, these guys used to do all the work and now they just talk about it and show us around. Get back to work - I liked you better when you actually did the work.		I am not an interior decorator, but unless you build things with interior decor in mind your going to have a tough time making it all look good later. I can spend hours looking through these magazines. They contain very interesting ideas about making new construction look country like (livable) - if that is your thing. Country looking homes sell better than modern homes, that is a fact!
	A traditional theme home idea book with lots of pictures of decorating homes with this style. You will also find innovative products advertised in these magazines that you may not know ever existed. Note its not just about selecting carpet, paint, wall paper, etc. its also about making rooms the right size, using certain trim, etc.		I'll confess, at this point we are beyond construction and definitely into decorating. However, if your like me its nice to see a picture of what things might look like before you destroy, construct. Pictures can help you construct in your mind how things need to go together so they will look a certain way. I've found these ideas to be extremely valuable.
	Another great country home idea magazine. I especially like this one as it shows more of the outsides of homes where the other country magazine shows more of the insides of homes. Together they give you a great perspective on making all things look right.		Not as widely read or regarded as previous magazines yet still hosts a loyal following. I found some space saving techniques quite interesting but generally you need to live in "the city" to fully appreciate this magazine.

Home Automation and Home Networking:

	A more general guide to various home automation ideas and products such as home networking, home entertainment, etc. This magazine is not as focused as others but does present thoughtful and sometimes insightful products and ideas.		A great resource for home innovations as well as a good tool for those who want all the bells and whistles - creature comforts. Think these things through before you sheetrock!
Check Out These Birds-Eye.Net Articles On Home Networking: Multiple Broadband Connections to Home/Business - Published by Broadband Properties Trouble at Home - Published by NetSuds

Home Audio & Home Theater:

	Focus on residential and commercial A/V installations. While the emphasis is on "high-end" it provides a great glimpse of how people without financial obstacles are doing it. Rather than creating your system on the cheap,  this magazine shows you how to do it best, from there on you can figure out how to do it cheaper...		A fantastic resource for those who are serious about building a high quality or even cheap but good home theater system. Great way to stay in tune with the latest in audio and video systems.
Check Out These Birds-Eye.Net Articles On Home Theater: Buying into High-Definition Television- Published by Broadband Properties

Design Resources:

	Good beginners tool for laying out a home. I'd still trust an experienced draftsperson over this software but it can help with the initial design idea stages until you've an idea what you want.		Excellent resource and reference for all staging of a remodel. Some people have found this more helpful than I but if you need advice its nice to have it handy.
	Very popular book with interesting and innovative space-saving concepts discussed. A good read even if you don't use any of the design ideas.

Lawn References:

	The Lawn: A History of an American Obsession The Lawn is a quirky, thoroughly enjoyable look at man vs. nature, man vs. woman, and man vs. the Joneses.		Redesigning the American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony A product, in part, of a 1991 Yale graduate seminar, "The American Lawn," this work of scholarship and suggestion seeks to improve our attitudes and our front yards by cutting down on pesticide use, replacing power mowers with the hand-held kind, adopting types of grasses best suited to one's habitat and maybe even allowing a true-blue meadow to develop, clover and all.
	A Man's Turf: The Perfect Lawn In A Man's Turf: The Perfect Lawn, sodmeister Warren Schultz explores the world of lawns in all of its multifaceted complexity, from the history of lawn tools to the spiritually renewing effects of a beautiful lawn on the human psyche.		Redesigning the American Lawn: A Search for Environmental Harmony (2nd Edition) The authors in this book argue that our dedication to maintaining beautiful lawns is contributing to the serious environmental problems facing the planet, and they offer strategies for creating and caring for aesthetically pleasing and ecologically sound lawns.

Guide Books:

If you plan to use contractors or subcontractors for your project this book may be of some use to you. Note that it is written by a contractor so it is missing a few things that may not be in a contractor's best interest to divulge.

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