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Handmade Modern: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home [Paperback]

Todd Oldham
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

List Price: $19.95
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Book Description

April 12, 2005

Seventy–two step–by–step projects for modern do–it–yourself home and office design, by world–renowned designer Todd Oldham.

Love the look of mid–century, modern, retro design, but don't feel like dropping two weeks' pay on an Eames chair? Todd Oldham shares his passion for mid–century modern homes with over 72 do–it–yourself projects for anyone who loves crafts and longs to add character to every corner of their home.

Each project is charted through step–by–step photos and instructions until the fabulously mod end. Other projects include home–computer face–lifts, Xerox wallpaper, aluminium lighting fixtures, and cosy shoe–storage systems. In additional to Todd's brilliantly engineered projects, the book comes complete with a tutorial on modern home design in the form of sidebars and short essays throughout –everything from that now–famous Eames chair to the case–study houses of the 1950s.

Handmade Modern promises to revolutionise the way the reader looks at his or her own home and capacity to beautify a space. Chic, accessible, and fun, this is the achievable new look of modern home design.


Frequently Bought Together

Handmade Modern: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home + PlyDesign: 73 Distinctive DIY Projects in Plywood (and other sheet goods) + DIY Furniture: A Step-by-Step Guide
Price for all three: $53.21

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Qualified do-it-yourselfers can go retro with enough projects by legendary designer Oldham to fill entire rooms. Taking inspiration from such mid-century designers and artists as Isamu Noguchi, George Nakeshima, Alexander Girard and Florence Knoll, Oldham revisits modernism in the new millennium. Bold, vibrant, unpretentious and suitable for small urban spaces, Oldham's pieces for the bedroom, living room and "reading room" play to function as well as form. Projects are rated for "ease level" on a scale of one to five, but readers unskilled in using jigsaws and sewing machines are left with rather unfulfilling tasks, such as a sand-art incense bowl or kaleidoscope art glass. However, those with the know-how and the right equipment in their tool boxes (Oldham suggests "mod podge" and a "respirator" as must-haves in any "basic" toolkit) can create an all-in-one room divider with "floating" boxes for storage space, an illuminated end table which is at once a display case and a light source, or a hand-quilted body pillow to go on top of a platform bed. Step-by-step photos illustrate techniques, and full-page pictures of finished rooms show how various pieces can be eye catchingly mixed and matched. Oldham is not out to create a revolutionary new aesthetic here, but is simply using elements of modernism that have endured—namely comfort, utility and visual panache. (Apr.)

About the Author

Todd Oldham is one of the most beloved and mediagenic designers working today. Originally a couture fashion designer with several stores in New York, and a commentator on MTV’s House of Style, Todd’s career has evolved to include all areas of design, from film and photography to furniture and graphic art. Todd appears frequently as a consultant on NBC’s Today, as well as on MTV’s enormously popular Crib Crashers, for which Todd redesigns teenagers’ homes in the likeness of their favorite stars’ abode. Oldham designs his own line of dorm room furnishings for Target in addition to a line of furniture for La-Z-Boy, and he is currently developing a television series based on Handmade Modern. Most recently, he has become a contributing editor to ReadyMade magazine. He lives in New York City.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Design; First Edition edition (April 12, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060591250
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060591250
  • Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 0.9 x 11.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Todd Oldham is one of the most beloved and mediagenic designers working today. Originally a couture fashion designer with several stores in New York, and a commentator on MTV's House of Style, Todd's career has evolved to include all areas of design, from film and photography to furniture and graphic art. Todd appears frequently as a consultant on NBC's Today, as well as on MTV's enormously popular Crib Crashers, for which Todd redesigns teenagers' homes in the likeness of their favorite stars' abode. Oldham designs his own line of dorm room furnishings for Target in addition to a line of furniture for La-Z-Boy, and he is currently developing a television series based on Handmade Modern. Most recently, he has become a contributing editor to ReadyMade magazine. He lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars good for those of us with design-lust on a budget May 17, 2005
Format:Paperback
I'm not experienced with building furniture at all, but I don't find this book scary. It outlines the materials you'll need, dimensions, tools, and specifies meterials. I'm hyped to get ahold of and play with my first power tools in order to start on some of these projects. There are also sections on noteworthy designers and their styles, so if you aren't familiar with post-modern design you get a little bit of a history lesson as well.

The thing I'm most excited about is the guide to building floating-box bookshelves, as I certainly can't (and would refuse to) spend $1,600 on the designer bookshelf it mimics (*coughcoughBluDotcough*..."design you can afford," my ass!)

My big complaint is this book could have used more attentive editing. For example, on page 93, the last step of the storage bench instructions ends with: "Be sure that the" And that's it. How frustrating! Be sure that the what?? Crap! Now I'll NEVER be sure of...whatever it was! It makes me worry that there are other errors, perhaps in dimensions or other instructions, that I wouldn't notice until I'm in the middle of trying to build something.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great eye candy February 18, 2006
By anon
Format:Paperback
The projects look great, but intimidating. The materials would be pretty expensive (not counting the tools) & I would hate to mess up & I'm an accomplished diy-er! All the great projects are hard 4/5 skill level. Everything under a skill level 4 is kind of lame for lack of a better word.

Nice pictures to look at for inspiration though.
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22 of 28 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars So-called Modern and Retro-inspired Projects October 20, 2005
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Oldham's book is partially items that are similar to his 21st century mod line of furniture that started out in Target stores some years back and partially retro-inspired pieces. However, most just aren't so ... inspirational. This was released at the perfect moment, when retro was really hot. However, the book is short of ideas that are actually interesting - or attractive. The worst thing for a designer to have is a book that bombs so big that you can easily pick it up in a second-hand store. That's where you'll find this one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Mid Century Vibe
I can't wait to make some of the pieces in this book. I can finally have the furniture I want, but can't afford. The directions are clear and the designs are wonderful.
Published 2 months ago by Sara J. Murray
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it
Has many different projects for people of all skills. The projects are trendy, functional, and worth the time to make. Have fun with this one!
Published 16 months ago by Katie K.
5.0 out of 5 stars HOw much fun
I love to make crafts... and this is a great addition to my books of inspiration...

I assure you will love it too.
Published 17 months ago by Eighty Bug
5.0 out of 5 stars great book.
this book has some great projects. you will need woodworking and sewing skills to do a lot of the projects. some of the projects may need some fine tuning. it seems a bit rough. Read more
Published on May 16, 2011 by michelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Really, you can do it.
In my search to find easy handbuilt furniture, I stumbled upon this book by Todd Oldham. It is an easy read complete with instructions and photos that direct the home handyman to... Read more
Published on October 18, 2010 by 15degrees
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome How To Book!
Fantastic ideas with easy to follow instructions. I am THRILLED with it. I already started my first project and plan on at least four others. Read more
Published on June 6, 2009 by TikiWiki
4.0 out of 5 stars Great book of ideas
This is a neat book with some fun projects. The directions lack in detail, but if you have a basic knowledge of sewing/carpentry, you can fill in the blanks yourself for the most... Read more
Published on November 16, 2008 by S. Mulkey
3.0 out of 5 stars Review: Hand Made Modern
Designer Todd Oldham, founder of Todd Oldham Studio in New York and host of the Bravo television series "Top Design," provides more nifty project ideas and DIY help in his 2005... Read more
Published on August 6, 2007 by Joshua Crain
1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing...
I'm a huge Todd Oldham fan but, over all, but this book is very disappointing. A lot of the projects seem complicated and/or expensive (also, I think the prices he lists for some... Read more
Published on July 12, 2007 by Claire Monet
5.0 out of 5 stars Innovative Ideas for Hands-On Creative People
If you're a creative person who likes to get into hands on projects, this is a book for you. Each section begins with a photograph of an entire room, and the following pages used... Read more
Published on November 14, 2006 by rutabaga1017
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