CHECK IT OUT:

Is your abode too old-fashioned, its upholstery worn out or arrangements simply inadequate for the way you actually live? Do you need a more functional outdoor area, a sturdier, more kid-friendly interior? Or maybe an easy-access, barrier-free dwelling?

House design books have a definite place on the New Year’s bookshelf, as they promise new beginnings and fresh surroundings. These titles showcase homes across the U.S. and are available at the library for browsing and dreaming.

Also, remember the library will be closed Monday and Tuesday for the New Year’s holiday.

“It’s All in the Details: A Decorating Workshop” by Tessa Evelegh: “House Beautiful” magazine presents a DIY tutorial for those interested in how details focus the attention and usability of a room. Choose chapters discussing resilient flooring versus soft flooring, pictures rails versus individual hangers, baseboard materials, moldings, etc., and learn how these items make a real difference in room perception.

“Prefabulous: The House of Your Dreams, Delivered Fresh from the Factory” by Sherri Koones: Gone are the boxy, cheesy, inferior material-made designs. Homes can be prefabricated in modular sections according to your specifications, shipped to your location and assembled locally. Cut the building time and reap substantial monetary savings using these new methods of construction. Literally, think outside the box.

“New Rooms for Old Houses: Beautiful Additions for the Traditional Home” by Frank Shirley: Room additions can be fraught with anxiety as preferences for a seamless interface between old and new is very challenging, especially for those living in a traditional frame house. Lessen those concerns with examples from completed, successful add-ons and become inspired to tackle your project.

“Linda Applewhite’s Architectural Interiors: Transforming Your Home with Decorative Structural Elements” by Linda Applewhite: Let’s face it — a plain, white, stucco interior is dull and unimaginative, not cozy, warm and homelike. Applewhite creates imaginative focal points using arches, niches, pilasters, columns, cabinetry and other architectural elements. Transform your domestic arrangements with pizazz.

“New Sustainable Homes: Designs for Healthy Living” by James Grayson Trulove: Ultra-modern architecture can help keep our lives environmentally conscientious while saving on heating, cooling and other household-related bills. Architects are increasingly aware of “green-living” clients. Witness the examples in this 21st century survey of recently built houses. These ideas may translate to your situation no matter what your style of house.

“Outside the Not So Big House: Creating the Landscape of Home” by Julie Moir Messervy and Sarah Susanka: Author Susanka of the “Not So Big House” series offers another winner for homeowners residing on small plots of land or with limited square footage. Every inch counts, yet the goal is livability and usability, not crowded and limited. Especially relevant to Southern California, invite the great outdoors indoors.

“Remodeling for Easy-Access Living” by Rick Peters: As “Baby Boomers” age, new requirements to ease living conditions take precedence. From “Popular Mechanics” magazine, this title showcases ideas for people with disabilities and universal designs for barrier-free remodeling. Don’t move; make your house more accessible for you!

CHECK IT OUT is written by Newport Beach reference librarian Mary Ellen Bowman. Use your Newport Beach Public Library card to reserve these titles at www.newportbeachlibrary.org or call (949) 717-3800 and press 2.