Customer Reviews

Apartment Living: New Design for Urban Living

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i would recommend this book to anyone interested in contemporary interior design, storage ideas or just small living space inspiration. unlike many of the modern "style guides" on the market, this book shows real livable spaces, full of peoples junk and shows that it can work for you, not against you. i would have liked to have seen some floor plans, actual details of how big these small apartments were, i also found much of the examples a little bit crowded though i am speaking as a john pawson admirer so im biased towards minimalism, yet despite that i found the presentation of the apartments and the wide range of examples given (such as how to fit a whole family into two bedrooms and still have floor space) very useful and very clearly written and stylishly presented.if you want something smaller on smaller spaces there is a series called stylish ideas that has a book on small living spaces. i was also suprised at how large this book on small living spaces was. overall a lovely reference and point of inspiration.

I've lived in apartments for the last decade. Always on the lookout for books that guide oneself to small home perfection, I bought this book in hopes of learning something new.

A collector of mid century modern furniture, the cover caught my eye. Hmmm, a hip looking couple with even cooler looking furniture. Why not? Flipping through, I noticed the book had delightful pictures nicely detailing wishful scenarios. What it lacked, I later found was serious content. Apartment Living promised new designs for urban living yet failed to deliver anything NEW.

The book takes the reader through different kinds of apartment spaces: pieds-a-terre, empty nester retreats, lofts, larger apartments and then offers solutions for apartment living (making the most of your small space). The promise to transform your dull home into a chic living space is not realizable for most living with a reasonable budget. The solutions offered were recycled from the best books of the past.

Apartment Living: New Designs for Urban Living is really more a look book than anything else. You look a few times and then forget about it.

At first glance, as someone who prefers open space to crowded rooms, the photographed apartments in this book appeared busy, and often gaudy. However, when I actually read it, I understood the subtle concepts behind the design choices. So while I would not personally chose to mix leopard print, neon pink, and baroque furniture in a small space, I understand what the owners were going for. (And I actually took a liking to that room. It has a lot of personality!) In the end, this book inspired me to rethink my entire living space! I am usually a visual person who prefers photo inspiration to text. But in this case, it was the little bits of writing and advice that sparked my creativity.
I'd recommend it to anyone with a sense of fun about their living space, or anyone willing to look a little deeper than the photos. :)

Like the last reviewer, I favor a more modern pared-down aesthetic than most of the examples in this book. However, I realize that most people have a hard time living so minimally. For those of you with kids, or a lot of stuff, or expansive collections - you may want to check out this book. Unlike the majority of books in this genre, whose only real suggestion seems to be "hide your stuff behind massive built-in storage," Buchholz gives some creative ideas on how to display your possessions creatively and cohesively. The majority of the apartments in this book pack A LOT of stuff and some OVER-THE-TOP design into some relatively small spaces. Even more impressive is that they do it successfully.

The book focuses on four basic apartment types - small studios and pied-a-terres, lofts, family-size apartments, and large spaces - and offers design advice for each. However, some of the principles can be applied to any size apartment. The one that I think deserves the greatest emphasis is to maintain a cohesive design element throughout the space. Each room or space can have it's own look, but a recurring color, texture/material, shape, or theme will make the apartment feel whole.

As someone who lives in a rather small space, I was looking for ideas on how get a lot out of (or rather, a lot into) a little area. Some of the suggestions are nothing new, but some offered unexpected insights. Here are some of the easiest suggestions from the book:
*Look for multi-use furniture (side tables that double as extra seating, day-beds that double as a couch)
*Use rooms for more than one purpose (a well-lit dining room with bookshelves along one wall can double as a study, for reading and work)
*Make a small space seem larger by emphasizing height (hang shelves, art, and drapes high on the wall)

There's not much I can say about this book. I did not approve of the design style (think contemporary meets traditional), so this may be a book for those who like that style. The text is far from inspiring. Let's just say I expected something completly different. Try again rockport publishing.