Book Description
With a little imagination and creativity--and without hiring a professional--almost anyone can transform a small living space into a comfortable and stylish environment. Whether decorating a dorm room, an apartment, or a little cottage, what we strive for is a look and feel that expresses our individual personalities. Part style guide, part idea sourcebook, this handy volume--designed to meet the needs of real people with real budgets--is packed with smart ideas, basic design principles, and enough inspiration to get you off the sofa to make it happen.
In her lively, informative text, design guru Marisa Bartolucci takes readers inside 33 small homes from cities across the U.S. to reveal how a strong sense of style--rather than design know-how or unlimited resources--is the most effective tool for transforming an ordinary cramped living space into a smart yet functional private sanctuary.
Customer Reviews:
Lots of inspiration.......2007-09-22
Love the way the book shows apartments of varying small sizes and multiple solutions for small-space dilemmas (like little room for sleeping, tiny kitchens). I was able to brainstorm a solution for my own apartment after one look through this book.
My only complaint is that there are no product resources listed--just designers' names and contact information.
Fabulousity on a budget.......2007-06-01
Well, I guess I'll add my voice to the chorus of reviewers for this book:
This is a jewel of a book. Lots of fabulous examples of small spaces with a lot of character. People who love art, collect books and appreciate unexpected decorating ideas will enjoy this book."
A lovely book that could use a bit of fine-tuning to best serve its intended readership.......2007-04-06
I really liked this book, but it only gets 4 out of 5 stars because I think the definition of "small spaces" is too broad. This book would be better if it showcased twice as many spaces from 100-600sqf, rather than going all the way up to 1000. Maybe for people who don't live in cities, 1000sqf is tiny, but I think a lot of the book's target audience would find that amount of space to be truly palatial. Many of the larger spaces had yards or terraces, sometimes doubling the real amount of living space, so that feels like a "cheat" to me. I got the most ideas out of the first half of the book, and the rest of the book was enjoyable as a general interior design book rather than a "small spaces" design book. Many of the featured homes' remodels involve knocking out walls and really re-working a space, so if you're a renter looking for what you can do with a small space you don't own, you might be disappointed. All in all, a very nice book with wonderful photographs, I just wish there was a greater focus on spaces under 600sqf, and more creative rentals being showcased for readers who are renters.
Really small spaces!.......2007-03-26
A small but pretty coffee table book with great content and some good ideas for living in tiny, tiny spaces.
1) 16 of the 33 profiled spaces were 500 sq ft or less! The other 17 were 600 - 1000 sq ft in size. I haven't seen many books on small space living that focus on this size range. Most books seem to present 2000 sqft houses as tiny.
2) The owners of these spaces didn't all have an unlimited budget. Many were in rentals so gut renovations, moving walls, etc was not an option. Many did have expensive or design worthy furniture and art but quite a few were heavily furnished with IKEA and thrift store finds.
3) Most of the owners had to be very carefull with clutter and picking pieces that would work in the space and that they really loved. Some of the other Amazon reviews found this to be somewhat unrealistic but I think that when you live in such small spaces, you are going to have to keep things very neat and tidy.
4) Part of the title is "expressing personal style". There is plenty of that in the book mostly clustered around what I'll call "modern" (eams etc), "drama" (red, red everywhere), "eclectic" (high design items mixed with garage sale items) and "standard" (danish). Many of the owners have extensive collections that are well presented and show off their unique personal style.
5) Most of these places are inhabited by: architects, artists, interior decorators, makeup artists, writers, curators, floral designers, etc. Essentially those who are in the "profession". I got the impression that hiring someone is de rigur if you are an accountant or fireman.
6) I liked the organization of the book by size of the space, architectural diagram of the space, lots of well shot photos, a narrative of who the residents are and how the space came to be and a picture of the residents.
7) One of my favorites were Francisco Parod and Ximena Orozco, the couple from Mexico living in a 450sqft NY apartment...with a baby! Not only did it look comfortable and open, they furnished almost everything at IKEA. My other favorite was Karen Meyer. She had translucent screens that could slide between the living room and dining room. This provided flexibility to the spaces by making it more expansive or more private, as needed. A murphy bed that was behind a shelf unit in the dining room could be opened up to create a guest room. A nice example of rooms doing double duty.
All in all, the best book I've found for realistic ideas for very small spaces.
Living Large in Small Spaces.......2007-03-19
Although I was not overwhelmed with inspiration, I liked the set-up of this book. The spaces are grouped by square footage complete with pictures of all areas of the space and a floor plan so that you can visualize how the spaces fit together. I also liked the fact that there were various design styles. However, I could not visualize myself living in the majority of the spaces displayed in this book. The majority of the homes displayed were homes of designers and artists. Since I myself am not a designer or an artist, I could and would not begin to design like what was displayed in this book.
Amazon.com
Space is a matter of perception as well as reality, and this book addresses scale, balance and color as well as the space-saving tricks that turn a small apartment into a comfortable home. It offers advice on using vertical space, such as hanging pictures above a window, stacking bookshelves to the ceiling, and raising a bed to the height of a chest of drawers that fits underneath; converting closets into cupboard beds, storage areas into offices, porches into dining areas, and garages into family rooms; using color to pull spaces together visually; making furniture serve dual functions. Most of the interiors are tastefully expensive, though the same effects could probably be obtained on an Ikea budget. There's not much hard-core how-to in these pages, but a wealth of ideas. All in all, it's a pleasant designer's guide to making do with less space without skimping on comfort.
Book Description
By using color, light, and pattern in ingenious ways, even the smallest space can appear larger. Here are some big ideas--all wonderfully shown in photographs--for using every nook and cranny efficiently and effectively. Make the most of tiny apartments, merge rooms, widen doorways, and turn cramped quarters into cozy nooks. Play tricks on the eye with mirrors, take some hints on cutting down the clutter, and lots more!
Customer Reviews:
Small-Home Owners Rejoice!.......2006-12-19
This book has become one of my all-time favorites. The photos are beautiful and the book offers helpful advice on how to maximize space in a room without sacrificing style.
Even the tiniest of spaces provides an opportunity for storage, display or utility with no wasted space to spare.
If you are a small-home owner, as I am, this book should delight you. I've kept it handy and have referred to it on quite a few occasions to spark my creativity or stimulate ideas that I could (and still can) easily implement in my home. Unlike many other decorating books, this was a great read as well. I enjoyed it from cover-to-cover.
Renters, this book is geared more toward home owners so I would suggest seeking it out from a library to enjoy the ideas without spending the extra cash.
An Excellent Idea Sourcebook-- If You're Imaginative..........2001-02-02
My husband and I don't have a lot of money. We live in a one-bedroom apartment in Cincinnati. But if you're accustomed to making expensive ideas work for a miniscule budget, it's a perfect book. True, most of the designers featured in the book live in Manhattan (which is woefully expensive; those great apartments you see in movies or on TV are actually more in the price range of folks making near six figures), and some of the ideas really weren't my style, but if you do a little reading between the lines, you get good basic ideas on how to maximize your space.
Truth be told, not all of the ideas used were that expensive. Slipcovers for chairs and sofas abounded, old furniture was given new life with decorative painting. Remember two things as you go through the beautiful settings: 1) these were done by artistic designers and certainly a good portion of these things were done by hand as opposed to bought, and 2) gorgeous, tasteful items don't have to cost an arm and a leg if you look in the right places.
A waste of money.......2000-07-13
After reading the last review, I decided to look at this book in the bookstore before ordering. I'm glad I did, because I will NOT be ordering the book after all. What a waste. Nothing there. A bunch of pretty little pictures of places that don't relate to my home or life or "stuff" at all. And I live in a pricey suburb.
The best book on decorating small spaces.......2000-04-21
This is, by far, the best book I've found on decorating small spaces. I pick it up again and again, and it always inspires me. It illustrates different techniques you can use to create the illusion of more space, maximize space, or create a cozy space. Although the styles are expensive, many of the techniques can be used even with a small budget, i.e., using mirrors, patterned wallpaper, furniture you can see through, hanging curtains above window frames, etc.
A useful book only if you live in Tokyo or Manhattan.......2000-03-24
This book contains many stunning photos and presents a lot of intriguing ideas. But it also brings out the final question: If you can afford that much on design why not move to a bigger space? A more appropriate title would be: Decorating Small Spaces in Expensive Cities (where you are too tired to move).
Customer Reviews:
Knows his crafti..........2004-04-06
Excellent. An invaluable tool for anyone rethinking the layout of their apartment or 'small space'. Crafti is one of the great Australian interior design thinkers and commentators.
Book Description
With just a little inspiration from Country Living’s successful series, anyone can turn a small and awkward space into an appealing, cozy corner.
Every home has its tiny room, oddly shaped hallway, empty landing, or other difficult-to-decorate area—but these innovative and quick approaches are the first step in turning neglected spaces into models of decorative style. The topics covered range from Themes and Collections to Perfecting Your Palette; some of the ideas are as simple as varying the sizes of objects in a display to create visual interest. Other concepts—such as creatively mixing formal and informal elements—will free home decorators from tired and dull design tenets and bring “fresh air” into any décor. Smart tips and easy, enjoyable projects help jump-start the transformation, while detailed captions for the photos and many sidebars reveal exactly how the job was accomplished.
A Selection of the Homestyle Book Club.
Book Description
A cutting-edge design book for small apartments, Studio Apartments: Big Ideas for Small Spaces introduces the reader to the joys of small space living, whether in simple studios, tiny one-bedrooms, or more complex arrangements where two small rooms or studios are joined to form a larger but still compact living area.
Studio Apartments examines in detail how more than twenty architects have created remarkably refined and varied living spaces within small confines. A master bedroom can be carved from seemingly nonexistent space and then concealed behind a frosted-glass wall. A kitchen can evolve from a closet. A single long room with windows only at its end can become a warm and inviting living space. Here are some of the freshest, most original approaches to creating a real home within spaces smaller than 1,000 square feet, and in some cases less than 500 square feet.
The twenty-four beautifully photographed apartments are presented complete with floor plans, gorgeous before and after photographs, and clear text that leads the reader through the design process and highlights the "big idea" that makes each apartment distinctive.
With Studio Apartments, an apartment dweller with an eye for style can transform their dreams into reality.In this book, James Trulove takes on the challenge of interior design for small apartments. With photos and case studies including floor plans of more than twenty studios under 800 square feet each, readers are shown solutions to the typical problems architects are asked to solve: creating sleeping alcoves, efficient kitchens, appealing bath and dressing areas, adequate storage, and work and entertainment areas.
Actual projects show how architects and interior designers extract maximum style and usage from small, urban apartments: a master bedroom is carved from seemingly nonexistent space and then hidden behind a frosted glass wall; a closet becomes a cook's kitchen, and a single long room with windows at one end is transformed into a warm and inviting living room. The "big idea" that makes each apartment special is highlighted in designs ranging from traditional to casual modern to cutting edge.In this book, James Trulove takes on the challenge of interior design for small apartments. With photos and case studies including floor plans of more than twenty studios under 800 square feet each, readers are shown solutions to the typical problems architects are asked to solve: creating sleeping alcoves, efficient kitchens, appealing bath and dressing areas, adequate storage, and work and entertainment areas.
Actual projects show how architects and interior designers extract maximum style and usage from small, urban apartments: a master bedroom is carved from seemingly nonexistent space and then hidden behind a frosted glass wall; a closet becomes a cook's kitchen, and a single long room with windows at one end is transformed into a warm and inviting living room. The "big idea" that makes each apartment special is highlighted in designs ranging from traditional to casual modern to cutting edge.
Customer Reviews:
Very Modern.......2005-08-24
All of the spaces shown except one(Which also happens to be the only one under 800 sq ft) are very modern. Over all the pictures and layouts were nice, but to me kind of cold. I think it mentions casual modern, didn't see too much of that! If you like looking at ultra modern and expensive, larger than 1000 sq ft lofts, then buy this book!
Modern ideas for small and nice spaces.......2005-02-12
I thought the styles and ideas are wonderful, if you have modern taste with creative resources to pay for the remodeling of your studio apartment. Granted, most the apartments displayed were from individual that could afford to spend a good sum of money to remodel, however, I was able to get good ideas to re-decorate my studio apartment in South Beach (Miami Beach, Florida). The benefit to buying this book was that I did not have to buy 10-20 Architecture magazines in order to acquire ideas. I was able to duplicate a bath room in this book,without "breaking the bank"-if you have the time to research and compare costs.
For example, I shopped on E-bay(vessels sinks/best prices for modern fixtures and sinks: www.aquaimports.com), Home Depot(only the bath tub)and "leg work" for the bathroom tiles (Modern little colorful tiles) (Spanish Tiles Corp, located in Miami, Fl)-called many contractors. Please remember before starting any project, check with your buildings and local zoning requirements, to under-go the projects seen in this book. If you are wondering, no I am not rich, but I did "cash in" my 401K in order to buy the apartment and remodel it, it was better than leaving it in the "stock market."
A book for guys...........2002-02-17
Okay, maybe I'm biased or old-fashioned or both, but I don't find the apartments shown in BIG IDEAS FOR SMALL SPACES-STUDIO APARTMENTS attractive. The authors are both men with a great deal of knowledge about design, and I am sure their ideas will appeal mostly to men.
The examples shown are minimalist, modern, angular, and seem to belong to hard-working types who drop in only to sleep. For the most part these apartments are lacking in color which is the single most important element in decorating as far as I am concerned. Although the authors show some colorful ideas in their section on "cozy" apartments, for the most part their idea of making a place more homey seems to be adding books on shelves, chunky ashtrays, and sports trophies. In addition to cold, angular furniture and clunky "knickknacks", the minimalist rooms are often without curtains and/or have walls that are downright stark. One idea of "lightening" shows a curtain with a "porthole" in it that allows one to "look out" at the view.
If you're a guy looking for a book on how to decorate an appartment with a modernist "masculine" look this may be the book for you. One other note: the book was printed in China and the photographs looks like those in 1950s era books even though the publication date is 2000.
Beautiful and creative.......2001-10-17
This is one of my favorite design books. I notice some other reviewers have complained that the apartments shown in this book are beyond their budget (alas, mine too). However, the concepts can be applied with less spendy solutions, and let's face it: a book filled with photos of ordinary spaces would lack the magic that this book possesses and would inspire fewer people (if any) to dream about their own space.
Inspirational.......2001-10-16
Excellent combinations of photos and drawings to show off the features of these fantastic units. Before and after plans illustrate how design potentials can be optimized and achieved...
Book Description
"The ultimate effect of a worthy spiritual life would be beautiful lives in a beautiful world. This beautiful book is an excellent start." --from the Foreword by Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul
Beginning with her own attempt to design and construct a private chapel, Laura Chester (Bitches Ride Alone; The Story of the Lake; Lupus Novice), takes us on a pilgrimage to 28 other private places of worship--temples, chapels, stupas, and shrines. Luminous photographs by Donna DeMari reveal the intimate nature of these unique places.
From a chapel made of tires in Alabama to one fashioned from wine casks in California, all these creations invite Chester to ponder many questions, among them: What spitiual path leads someone to create a private place of worship? Does such a space conflict with more public worship? Why do artists so often feel moved to explore their spirituality? As Laura Chester says, "Holy Personal . . . bears witness to a yearning for religious privacy, a deep desire to create for oneself a holy chamber, a place where creative expression joins hands with devotion."
Included in the book is a visitor's guide to selectedworship spots.
Customer Reviews:
Good but not what I was expecting.......2003-03-14
I bought this book because I thought that this book would surprize me with pictures that facinate me and filled with eye candy and interesting ideas or people. What I found was something less "fantastic" but more personal. The book is written from an aspect from a personal perspective of the authors travels. Written from the authors first person impressions and interviews. When I first got the book I flipped through it and didn't find it exciting, I might have forgotten about the book because of the less then fancy impression but I started reading a few chapters here and there and the Author writes about each picture... what was happening when she took the picture, and what it means to the person who created the place of worship. The book turns out to be very well written, amazing "feel good" impression of looking into a personal view of peoples spirituality.
Holy Reviews.......2001-01-18
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY says that Holy Personal "is a fascinating, in-depth study of how spirituality can express itself in that most intimate of worlds, the home." John Manikowski for the Berkshire Eagle writes:"beautifully written, lavishly illustrated." In describing Little Rose Chapel he goes on to say-- "Every detail has been carefully planned, created and designed from within a deeply spirited heart, through immense love and with a devotional direction that almost seems fantasy like, but it is real." BOOKLIST says, "Holy Personal honors the presence of the Divine in the midst of life." And Clarissa Pinkola Estes for THE BLOOMSBURY REVIEW writes: "In Holy Personal, two dozen devout souls speak about their handmade sanctuaries, many of which shelter images of Mary and various santos. It is clear water from the artesian well. These site builders symbolize in real time the holiness they feel in their hearts. From a Moonlodge in New Mexico to stupas, from a Sandstone Cathedral to a Garage Chapel, we follow the artistic devotions of those not bound by the doctrinaire, but are instead freshly cut by the thorns of the Mystical Rose, those who can live in the atomic moment of merger with the Divine, who are overflowing with gratitude--this last being one of the holy proofs that Spirit has in fact visited the longing soul. The photographs by Donna DeMari, are worthy of long meditations."
holy personal rings my bell.......2000-12-13
This is a carefully researched and beautifully written book with excellent photography. I recommend it for anyone who has an interest in religion and/or spirituality. Is is truly inspiring.
Average customer rating:
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Offices for Small Spaces
Alejandro Bahamon , and
Cristina Montes
Manufacturer: Collins Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Even in challenging economic climates, business must carry on, must do more with less, make greater use of fewer resources.One such commonly affected resource is a fundamental one -- physical office space. As businesses try to make smaller, less expensive office spaces viable, the challenge is of course to maintain a professional atmosphere which, though small, still allows all workplace needs to take place. Offices for Small Spaces showcases over two dozen innovative small offices from all over the world and from all sorts of businesses -- and none larger than 865 square feet! -- that make the most of their area and nonetheless manage to create a habitable workplace environment conducive to success of business. Offices for Small Spaces is sure to provide plenty of ideas for your own workspace.
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ASIN: 0706378229 |
Book Description
All in color! "If you...live in a home with tiny rooms...you know decorating small spaces can be challenging. How much is too much? What tricks make a space appear larger...explores the variety of design options available....chapters focus on every room...including areas such as halls and landings, with tips for maximizing their potential, decorating them attractively, and adding extra storage space...pointers on planning and putting together rooms like a professional designer....Essential elements of each room are highlighted, along with color photos and sidebars with design suggestions."--Country Sampler's Decorating Ideas
. Trim size: 8 1/4 x 10 1/4.
Customer Reviews:
Depends on your style.......2007-06-09
I guess some people might call the aesthetic exemplified in this book "cozy", or "lived in", but others (such as myself) would call it cluttered and overdone. If you are looking on how to create a fresh and cool small space, there are many other better books out there especially for practical advise. Sorry to have it to give it a thumbs down!
Customer Reviews:
Last of 7 "small decor" books rated.......2005-02-14
I am irked at this book's deceptive marketing. Unlike other "small space" books, these authors withhold sq-footage measures, but-DUH!-the photos reveal HUGE rooms. Not a trick of the camera, nor an illustration of how their use of color "expands," a typical "small" bedroom featured here accommodates a K-size bed + 3-cushion sofa + huge fireplace + museum size oil paintings & swagged draperies fit for a palace. A living room "seating area" has a 3-cushion sofa + love seat + 3 large upholstered chairs + a day bed + a rocker, all spread around a coffee table big enough to accommodate the 11 people sitting there. Perhaps "small" is relative. My small 3-BR condo is 1400 sq. ft. The average US apt. is 800 sq ft. So if 4,000 sq ft is "small" to you, buy this book, but you'll find color charts that any paint store has, and poor reproduction of colors in the photos. Better yet, buy any decorating mag at the grocery store: even average rooms shown will be smaller than the "smallest" in this book.
Disappointed.......2004-05-19
This book does not seem to address small spaces. I guess if you live in a house in the burbs that cost at least a couple of hundred thousand, maybe it will work for you. I live in an apartment in the city and I saw very little that I could use from this book. The color schemes were VERY bland. White/off-white and gold seem to prevail in their color palette. I found this book boring and unuseable. Fortunately I only paid $3 for the book and $3.50 for the shipping; maybe I'll give it to the goodwill and they can find someone who might appreciate it. Majorly disappointed.
misguided.......2003-05-12
While I agree with the people who have already reviewed this book that the pictures are very good, and the colors combinations are good, I would not say that the authors were guided by the concepts of small spaces that are in the real world.
Most of the rooms depicted were hardly the 12x13 bedroom one finds in real homes, or the 8x10 real people kitchen.
Most of the rooms looked as though there were very few limitations of space or budget....Hardly what I expected from the title.
Color affects how you feel.......2003-04-04
Color is a powerful way to set a mood, shift an outlook and transform a space. When thinking about colors in a living environment, it's important to decide what atmosphere--what feeling--you'd like to enhance or amplify through colors in that room. The special challenges of a small space can make those decisions even more complicated. Color in Small Spaces : Palettes and Styles to Fit Your Home offers clear guidlines to help master the dizzying world of color! Whether you enjoy subtle and classic or rich and juicy, this book can help you to "color your life beautiful!"
A Must for City-Dwellers with a Sense of Style.......2003-04-03
As a resident of Manhattan--the world's capital of small living spaces--I have to say that just browsing this book for a half hour has given me a few dozen ideas for how to make my studio look less like a college dorm room and more like the backdrop for a Vanity Fair photo-shoot that I wish it were. A quick browse of this book will give you numerous fresh ideas, but this is no quick reference guide, nor is it some Martha Stewart/Macgyver-esque smattering of ways to turn your used band-aid wrappers into paint stencils. Color In Small Spaces is researched and written in so thorough a manner as to make a perfect classroom text for students of interior design, in addition to the spacially clueless like me. Highly recommended for anyone who would like to learn how to make a cramped and muted floor-and-wallspace sing.
Books:
- Living Large in Small Spaces: Expressing Personal Style in 100 to 1,000 Square Feet
- Living with Art w/ Timeline
- Make It with Style: Window Shades: Creating Roman, Balloon, and Austrian Shades (Make It with Style)
- Mary Emmerling's American Country Classics: The New American Country Look
- Materials and Components of Interior Architecture (6th Edition)
- Mexicolor: The Spirit of Mexican Design
- Mini House Now
- Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life : How to Use Feng Shui to Get Love, Money, Respect and Happiness
- Nancy Lancaster: English Country House Style
- New Built-Ins Idea Book: Media Centers Nooks & Crannies Window Seats Kitchen & Dining Areas Work Centers (Idea Books)
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Living Big in Small Apartments
