Book Review of The Handbuilt Home

I get to do a book review.  I am so excited because it is for Ana White’s new book the Handbuilt Home.  I am huge fan of hers and have had the privilege of working with her twice now.   Just in case you don’t know, her website ana-white.com is a treasure trove of inspiration with tons of plans for you to build your own furniture.   

Now she has written a book.   I think it's fabulous.   It was so much fun for me to read this book because Ana shares my passion for building and sharing it with the world.   The book is filled with beautiful photos so you can see what the pieces look like in real homes.  Don’t you hate it when you buy a how to book and you only get black and white sketches?  I do anyways.   Ana didn’t hold back they are beautiful projects. 

Not only does it include 34 plans for stylish and affordable furniture but it’s a great resource for those of you that want to build your own furniture but maybe haven’t taken that first step yet.   She goes over the basics of the tools you will need and how to get started.   There are lots of tips and tricks to make building easier with plans for all skill levels so even if you have been building for a while you will find things you love. 

In her book she talks about how you don’t need all the fancy tools to get started and I couldn’t agree more.  The first thing I ever built I only used glue, finish nails and a hammer.   It was a small bookcase I designed and since I had no saw I had the home store make all the cuts for me.   I drug it all home to my first apartment and put it together on the living room floor.   

I think this will be one of those books like my favorite magazines that I will pull out from time to time for inspiration.  It’s that good. 

Check out her website for more details on the book by clicking here. 

I received a free copy of the book to review but as always the opinions are 100% my own.