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The Pocket Renovator: an illustrated guide to the language of home improvement and renovation
by Leslie Banker and Pamela Banker. Fall 2007

To purchase click here.

Reviews

Hatch: The Design Public Blog, July 2008
Click here to read posting about The Pocket Renovator.

This Old House, April 2008
Planning a Renovation? Read This First
If you want to remodel but feel flummoxed by the thingamajig you’d like to add to the whatchamacallit, The Pocket Renovator will give you a leg up on the details. This guide to the lingo of home improvement offers jargon-free explanations of everything from roof styles to plumbing systems to terms used in staircase design. While some of the items featured are so basic they’re almost laughable (I think we all know what a toilet paper holder is), don’t skip the excellent chapters on building construction and cabinetwork, which will have you talking like a contractor in no time flat. Like home improvement itself, the book is a bit addictive—you’ll be tempted to preach its handy lessons to your delighted (or bored) spouse. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.--Deborah Snoonian

InStyle Home, Fall/Winter 2007
"In this follow-up to The Pocket Decorator, the mother-daughter authors get down to the studs of home improvement. The duo defines every term you need to know--from the vocabulary of construction permits to stair configurations."

The Journal News, December 21, 2007
Consider These Books for the Holiday Shelf -- Mary Shustak
 "A few years ago, I spent a fun afternoon on a shopping expedition. Pamela Banker, a veteran interior designer and her daughter, Leslie Banker, a writer and decorator, came up from the city to shop at The Yellow Monkey in Cross River. They were promoting their new book, "The Pocket Decorator," and we spoke about the book and what to look for when decorating a home. The book has turned out to be an invaluable tool, which has a place on my desk here and is used every time I want to be sure I use the right reference, be it a cartouche or quatrefoil. I recently heard from Leslie Banker when she sent me a copy of the duo's latest effort "The Pocket Renovator" (Universe, $19.95). This time, the Bankers offer information designed to help those going through home improvement and renovation. I think this is another book that will be on my desk for the duration."


Elle Decor, September 2007
"There's more to a renovation than new tiles and appliances. Consider upgrading your vocabulary as well. Lintel, parget, and more are defined and illustrated in The Pocket Renovator. This indispensable glossary of home-improvement terms is the work of designer Pamela Banker (a Parish-Hadley alum) and her daughter, Leslie. While it's not a how-to manual, the slim volume is a Rosetta Stone of sorts to cryptic contractor lingo. Turn to page 34, for example, for a concise guide to the hieroglyphic symbols on floor plans." 

The Washington Post, September 20th, 2007
"The mother-daughter duo who collaborated to write "The Pocket Decorator" have teamed up again to produce another portable primer, "The Pocket Renovator: An Illustrated Guide to the Language of Home Improvement and Renovation" (Universe Publishing, $19.95).
In a way that is neither pretentious nor boring, mother Pamela Banker (an interior designer) and daughter Leslie Banker (a journalist), decipher the language of home improvement. They discuss general prep work, including building codes, permits and construction plans, and offer renovation tips. (Shelves in a bookcase should be a minimum of seven to eight inches deep. Wall sconces provide the best bathroom lighting, placed on either side of the mirror, 66 to 70 inches from the floor.) Helpful appendices explore the topics of green design, a safe and healthy house, financing and real estate.
This guide is written with first-time homeowners and renovators in mind, but it's also a handy reference for those who consider themselves old pros."

The St. Petersburg Times, September 8, 2007
Learn to speak the remodeling lingo When the remodeling contractor refers to HVAC, when the plumber talks about a deck-mounted faucet, and the carpenter mentions pin supports for the bookcase, do you know what they're talking about? You will if you read The Pocket Renovator: An Illustrated Guide to the Language of Home Improvement and Renovation, by Leslie Banker and Pamela Banker (Universe, $19.95). This is a handy directory, profusely illustrated, of the terminology of building and remodeling. You'll feel a lot less foolish navigating the aisles of the home center once you speak the language.


Newsday.com January 4, 2008
Real Estate Books This Week -- Meredith Daniels
"The Pocket Renovator: An Illustrated Guide to the Language of Home Improvement and Renovation. By Leslie and Pamela Banker. Universe, a division of Rizzoli New York. 224 pages. $19.95

PURPOSE: To introduce first-time buyers and renovators to home improvement terminology so that they know how to speak to and hire contractors or do the work themselves.

AUTHORS' CREDENTIALS: The Bankers are a mother and daughter duo with design expertise. Pamela Banker has more than 30 years' experience in the decorating and design profession; Leslie Banker, her daughter, is a journalist whose work has appeared in Architectural Digest, House & Garden and Town & Country [SIC].

EXCERPT: "Roofing materials come in a wide variety: Thatching with straw or reeds was common hundreds of years ago and is still seen in the English countryside, among other places; medieval churches sometimes were built with lead roofs; and some environmentally friendly designs have turf roofs. When considering the options, be sure to find out how long each material is expected to last. Remember that climate is a factor in roof material longevity."

EFFECTIVENESS: This compact encyclopedia includes everything from bathrooms to built-in furniture to bugs (yes, the book mentions beetles and termites in "Appendix B: A Safe and Healthy House").

The subjects in every chapter are grouped alphabetically, so it's easy to look up something even if you don't know the name for it. In fact, you may recognize certain items from their pictures and be surprised they even have names (That thingamabob that surrounds the bathroom towel bar is called an escutcheon).

The chapter progressions make perfect sense, starting from external to internal structures, and moving on to kitchens and bathrooms, and ending with mechanical systems in the home. Illustrations with fine lines and shading, instead of photos, further demonstrate structural differences, such as those between closed-string and open-stringed stairs.

Aside from basic descriptions, the Bankers also offer a little architectural history and trivia, so even if you're not planning any renovations, it's worth reading for the facts. And if you are thinking of undertaking a new project, the book can take you in the right direction."