Books

Fix Up Your Home- Renovate and Remodel

Call Number Author Title
643.7 Fifty   52 weekend makeovers: Easy projects to transform your home inside and out.
690.837 Ideas    Additions
643.7 Ruiz Ruiz, Fernando. Affordable remodel : how to get custom results on any budget
643.5 Basement   Basement design guide 
643.7 Book    The book of home how-to : complete photo guide to home repair & improvement 
692.8 Lester 2009  Lester, Kent.  The complete guide to contracting your home 
643.7 Peterson  Peterson, Chris. The complete guide to room additions : designing & building, garage conversions, attic add-ons, bath & kitchen expansions, bump-out additions 
643.7 Ostrow  Ostrow, Judy.  The complete idiot's guide to simple home repair 
643.7 Complete     Complete do-it-yourself manual 
717 Connelly  Connelly, Megan. Design ideas for curb appeal 
643.5 Kalyn   Kalyn, Wayne. Design ideas for basements
696.1 Prestly  Prestly, Donald R.  Do-it-yourself plumbing for dummies 
643.7 Fix   Fix, repair & replace : upgrade your home like a pro!
643.7 Davis   Davis, Sid. The first-time homeowner's survival guide : a crash course in dealing with repairs, renovations, property tax issues, and other potential disasters 
643.1 McGillivray   McGillivray, Scott. How to add value to your home 
643.7 Home     Home upgrades under $600  
643.12 Willis   Willis, Gerri.  Home rich : increasing the value of the biggest investment of your life 
643.7 Solakian   Solakian, Susan.  The homeowner's guide to managing a renovation : tough-as-nails tactics for getting the most from your money 
643.7 Wing 2012  Wing, Charles. How your house works : a visual guide to understanding & maintaining your home 
747.797 Peterson   Peterson, Chris. Kitchen ideas you can use : inspiring designs & clever solutions for remodeling your kitchen 
648.8 Jordan   Jordan, Wendy Adler. Making room : finding space in unexpected places 
643.7 Likes   Likes, Victoria.  Manage your remodel and save money! 
728.37 Susanka 2008  Susanka, Sarah. The not so big house : a blueprint for the way we really live 
643.7 Evers   Evers, Christopher. The old-house doctor : the essential guide to repairing, restoring, and rejuvenating your old home 
721.84 Crisp   Crisp, James M.  On the porch : creating your place to watch the world go by 
696.1 Cauldwell Cauldwell, Rex. Plumbing
644 Save     Save energy save money! : 201 do-it-yourself projects, tips, and ideas 
643.7 Dickinson   Dickinson, Duo. Staying put : remodel your house to get the home you want 
690.89 Shafer  Shafer, Jay.  Tumbleweed DIY book of backyard sheds & tiny houses : build your own guest cottage, writing studio, home office, craft workshop, or personal retreat 
728.37 Edelman   Edelman, Sandra.  What not to build : architectural options for homeowners 
728.37 Ultimate 2015    The ultimate book of home plans 
728 Jordan   Jordan, Wendy Adler Universal design for the home : great looking, great living design for all ages, abilities, and circumstances 
690.837 Wing 2009   Wing, Charles The visual handbook of building and remodeling : a comprehensive guide to choosing the right materials and systems for every part of your home 

 

Decorate and Organize

Call Number Author Title
747.1 West   West, Shaunna.  The $50 home makeover : 75 easy projects to transform your current space into your dream place--for $50 or less! 
747.88314 Seldon   Seldon, Kimberley 500 ideas for small spaces : easy solutions for living in 1000 square feet or less 
648.8 Novak Novak, Jamie. 1000 best quick and easy organizing secrets 
643.3 Provey   Provey, Joe  1001 ideas for kitchen organization 
747.1 Lake   Lake, Selina.  Bazaar style : decorating with market and vintage finds 
745.5 Larson Larson, Elsie A beautiful mess happy handmade home : a room-by-room guide to painting, crafting, and decorating a cheerful, more inspiring space
648.8 Smallin   Smallin, Donna Clear the clutter, find happiness : one-minute tips for decluttering and refreshing your home and your life 
747.94 Strangis   Strangis, Robin.  Color idea book 
648.8 Porcelli   Porcelli, Lesley.  Country Living storage style : pretty and practical ways to organize your home 
747 Schuman Schuman, Emily Cupcakes and cashmere at home 
747 Boodro   Boodro, Michael  Elle decor : the height of style : inspiring ideas from the world's chicest rooms 
133.333 Kennedy   Kennedy, David Feng shui for dummies 
133.333 McCandless   McCandless, Cathleen.  Feng shui that makes sense : easy ways to create a home that feels as good as it looks 
747 Hedeman Guéniau   Hedeman Guéniau, Charlotte.  Happy home : everyday magic for a colorful life 
648.8 Bradley   Bradley, Bridget Biscotti.  Home Organizing & Closet Makeovers : Inspiration + Expert Advice 
747 House     House Beautiful think small : make the most of every square foot 
747.1 Whitney  Whitney, Sue.  Junk beautiful : room by room makeovers with junkmarket style 
747 Roney   Roney, Carley.  [The nest] home design handbook : simple ways to decorate, organize, and personalize your place 

Beautify Your Home's Surroundings

Call Number Author Title
690.184 Provey  Provey, Joe.  1001 ideas for decks 
747.79 Martin  Martin, Brett.  1001 ideas for outdoor spaces : the ultimate sourcebook : decking, paving, designs and accessories 
693.1 Reed   Reed, David. The complete guide to stonescaping : dry-stacking, mortaring, paving & gardenscaping 
690.184 Jeswald   Jeswald, Peter.  Deck ideas that work 
635.9 Guagliumi   Guagliumi, Susan Handmade for the garden : 75 ingenious ways to enhance your outdoor space with DIY tools, pots, supports, embellishments, and more 
712 Messervy   Messervy, Julie Moir.  Landscaping ideas that work 
635.9 Wingate   Wingate, Marty.  Landscaping for privacy : innovative ways to turn your outdoor space into a peaceful retreat 
712.6 Messervy   Messervy, Julie Moir.  Outside the not so big house : creating the landscape of home 
635.9 Sweet   Sweet, Rebecca. Refresh your garden design with color, texture & form 
712.6 Soria   Soria, Sandra S.  Taunton's all new backyard idea book 


For e-Books and Audiobooks on Home Improvement, browse Overdrive and Hoopla.
More Projects?

For more information about home improvement projects, check the following areas.

Additions 690.24 ~ Basements & Attics 643.5 ~ Cabinets 684.16 

Contractors 692.8 ~ Decks 690.184 ~ Decorating 747 ~ Drywall 693.6 

Flooring 690.16 ~ Gardening 635 ~  Heating & Cooling 697 

Home Building 690.837 ~ Home Carpentry 694 ~ Home Design 728.37  

Home Repair & Improvement 643.7 ~ Interior Design 747 

Insulation & Weatherproofing 693.8 ~ Landscaping 712.6 

Masonry 693.1 ~ Outdoor Structures 690.89 ~ Painting 698.1 

Plumbing 696.1 ~ Roofing 695 ~ Solar 697.78 ~ Storage 648.8 

Tiling 693.3 ~ Windows & Doors 690.18 ~ Wiring 621.319  

Magazines
  • Architectural Digest
  • Horticulture
  • Better Homes & Gardens
  • House Beautiful
  • Big Backyard
  • Martha Stewart Living
  • Coastal Living
  • Mother Earth News
  • Country Living
  • Natural Home
  • Dwell
  • New England Home
  • Elle Decor
  • Old House Interiors
  • Family Handyman
  • Old House Journal
  • Fine Gardening
  • Real Simple
  • Fine Homebuilding
  • This Old House
  • Garden Design
  • Traditional Home

If you're seeking an article in a popular magazine on a particular subject, try searching the General Reference Center Gold database, available through the Minuteman Library Network from the library computers or from home with your library card.

Digital Magazines

Did you know you can access current and back issues of popular magazines with your library card and Zinio? Download the Zinio app on your mobile device or read in your computer's browser. No holds, no checkout periods, and no limit to the number of magazines you can download.
Look here first for more info.

Titles for home owners and home decorating include:

Better Homes & Gardens
Dwell
Elle Decor
Family Handyman
Good Housekeeping
HGTV Magazine
House Beautiful
Martha Stewart Living  

Databases

Minuteman Library Network databases can be used from the library computers, or from home with your library card if you live in Framingham.

Database Suggestions:

Home Improvement Collection. Even the smallest home improvement project can be daunting: with this collection of nearly 100 home improvement focused titles, hobbyists and professional carpenters alike will immediately put their projects on a more solid foundation. Coverage includes such topics as architectural techniques, tool and material selection, zoning requirements, and many more.

Consumer Reports. Provides ratings, recommendations and advice on consumer products and services

Credo Reference. CREDO is a user-friendly search engine designed to help with research on thousands of topics. Just enter your search query (as you would in Google), and CREDO instantly scans millions of entries from over 70 publishers. Consider it your own private online reference library. Search results are drawn from the entire research collection, including images and sound files, enabling you to get relevant answers from a number of sources at once. Each reference title can also be accessed individually. New editions and new book titles are added regularly.
Titles of interest in Credo:
Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement, 2009
Teach Yourself: Master Basic DIY, 2010

Gardening, Landscape and Horticulture Collection. A collection of more than 80 journals focused on key issues in gardening, landscaping, and other areas of horticulture, with the addition of over 20 subject specific reference sources from Delmar, this collection provides information for gardening enthusiasts and professionals alike.

General Reference Center Gold. Use this general interest database to search magazines, reference books, and newspapers for information on current events, popular culture, the arts and sciences, sports, etc.

Websites

About.com: Home Repair
About.com is a company that builds online directories for specific topics. The Home Repair site features up-to-date links to other home improvement sites and a bulletin board for readers to help each other. This site is supported by paid advertisements.

About.com: Interior Decorating
About's Interior Decorating section is well organized, extensive, and current.

Better Homes and Gardens
The "House and Home" section contains tips, solid information, and fun interactive tools like sample home plans and "Color A Room."

The Budget Decorator
You'll stumble through a lot of ads to get to the really good, inexpensive ideas and tips from Kathy Wilson, a decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com

Do It Yourself.com.
The original Internet community for do-it-yourselfers offers extensive how-to guides and forums that cover even hard-to-find topics like heating systems.

EERE Energy
The Department of Energy's guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy: solar energy, lighting, heating, insulation, appliances, design, remodeling, more.

GreenHomeGuide
Reviews and advice about green building and remodeling materials and techniques.

HGTV
The web companion to HGTV's decorating and remodeling shows provides loads of information and ideas on the whole gamut of home projects.

Hometime
Tips for home repair and renovation projects, from the PBS series.

How Stuff Works
Check the Home section for how-to advice on projects from drywall to fixing showerheads and removing every conceivable stain, plus information for the curious on the workings of things like screwdrivers, hardwood floors, GCFIs, power saws, much more.

Lowe's Home
Of course, they'd like to sell you something. But the hints and projects on the site are helpful. Pick "Project Center" for a how-to library and dozens of useful project calculators. 

Massachusetts State Building Code

A Massachusetts Consumer Guide to Home Improvement

National Gardening Association
Articles, tips, how-to for projects, plus regional blogs.

Old House Journal Online
Fans of the magazine will find even more to pore over on this site, which includes detailed "Preservation How-To" documents from the National Park Service.

Home Depot

Mass Save
Mass Save is an initiative sponsored by Massachusetts gas and electric utilities and energy efficiency service providers. They work to provide a wide range of energy efficiency services to help residents and businesses manage energy use and related costs.

We Can Help

For professional assistance locating the information you need:

  • Telephone the Main Library Reference Department at 508-532-5570, extension 4361.  
  • Email your questions through our Ask A Librarian page. 
  • Visit the Main Library or the McAuliffe Branch for free access to the Internet and databases, and for assistance with research. 

To arrange a speaker or a group tour highlighting the library's practical information resources, call 508-532-5570, ext 4347, or email Michelle LeMonde-McIntyre at MLeMonde-McIntyre@minlib.net.