Making the Most of Small Spaces Pb [Paperback]

Anoop Parikh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1994 | Series: Making the Most of ...

This practical guide shows how to make the most of small living areas, from city apartments to country cottages, including up-to-the-minute design ideas for kitchen equipment, galleried living-spaces and storage solutions. This book is divided into chapters focusing on different rooms, each one containing a floor plan, practical check-lists and inventive examples.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Conran; First edition. edition (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850295743
• ISBN-13: 978-1850295747
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,576,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I've lived (and still do) in small spaces..., November 26, 2001

By 

Souris "hustler of culture" (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Making the Most of Small Spaces (Hardcover)

I bought this book while living in Boston more than 6 years ago. While still a student and eventually a young professional, I found myself experimenting with SPACE and BUDGET year after year (sometimes several times a year). This book is the perfect gift/buy for anyone who's lived in subhuman conditions ranging from 200-750 square feet. There are many books out there that claim to solve all your SMALL SPACE problems but everything they show include homes with well over 750 square feet (not too small in some cities)!

Anoop Parikh clearly shows you the basics and has TEXT that you actually want to read! The pictures are great although some show the fanciest of facilities and furniture ($$$ most certainly helps make small spaces nicer), but they give you a very good DESIGN sense & HOW TO information for very small lofts and studio apartments. The side bar notes are great short cuts if you haven't the patience to read everything. They outline all the basic rules to opening up your humble abode.

This book has given me MANY ideas I still stick with today. I've lent this book out to siblings, future homeowners and friends from all walks of life and income brackets. They always return it with a "Cool book, got some good ideas from it" type of comment.

I still whip it out today and use it to refresh my memory every time I move into another NEW small space. From a Boston studio in the Back Bay to a Santa Monica bungalow this book has followed me cross country and back and now sits on my shelves in my new 700 square foot home in New York.

This book lives up to its name in Making the Most of Small Spaces. How else has it survived this long in a market so flooded with nice coffee books with no content?!

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jam packed with big ideas...., February 16, 2002

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Making the Most of Small Spaces (Hardcover)

Lately, I've been reading books on the topic of MAKING THE MOST OF SMALL SPACES, and Anoop Parikh's book is the best book on this topic I've seen so far. Different books will appeal to different people, but if you're female, with a studio apartment or small condo as your primary residence--or--own a vacation condo or keep an apartment in the city as a second residence, I think this book will give you many good ideas. Those who own condos and can make architectural changes will probably benefit the most.

The exquisite examples Parikh provides take advantage of color, light and texture, the three most important elements to consider when creating your home in a small space. Color can be used to brighten dark spaces and produce the illusion of depth or openness or warmth. Properly placed lighting ensures that arrangements that involve stacking (plenty of examples in this book) and/or low ceilings do produce black holes. Texture can be used to move the eye around what could be a dull room if it is painted a light or white color.

Parikh says before you begin to decorate, you should consider what you will be doing in your home. Do you eat out more than you eat in? If so, it makes no sense to have regular sized appliances that take up needed space. Maybe what you need is a closet kitchen with a small refrigerator, sink, microwave and hot plate. Parikh suggests one think about 1) whether or not you want your room open or cozy; 2) what you might use as a focal point (a piece of furniture, a screen?); 3) using the walls for storage and/or display; 4) hiding the bed; 5) keeping the cooking and eating areas close together to avoid accidents. This is a great book with an excellent price.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent ideas for little spaces, March 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Making the Most of Small Spaces (Hardcover)

I live in New York City and was lucky enough to purchase a studio. Problem is, I'm a junk collector and well, affordable New York City studios are exceedingly small. 'Making the Most of Small Spaces' to the rescue. Who knew I could fit the stairs leading to the sleeping alcove with inconspicous drawers. I have borrowed many other little ideas from this book. Believe me, it's marvelous.