Customer Reviews

The New Apartment Book: Inspiring Ideas and Practical Projects for Decorating Your Home

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this book 2 years ago when I was decorating my first apartment and have referred back to it a number of times, especially now that I'm buying my first house. Most decorating books are either books that are simply pretty pictures with no information, simply text that provides information with no pictures, or just contains decorating projects. This book manages to successfully combine all three. The ideas and looks are both stylish and very practical.

The main thing that I like about this book is that it assumes that you want a great looking home but don't have a fortune to spend. It offers many many tips on how to achieve a stylish home without breaking your budget. Most books that I have read, assume that we all can buy brand new top of the line furniture.

I highly reccommend this book for anyone decorating, whether you are in an apartment or a house.

I ordered this book based on the title, thinking that "apartment" referred to a rental space. I quickly discovered that the book was geared more for New York City residents who own their apartment. (That's what we'd call a condominium here on the West Coast.)

If you're looking for a book on how to decorate an interior when you can't modify the paint color or structure, this book isn't it.

That said, the ideas in this book are creative and colorful, and will certainly inspire many people...I just could not use many of these ideas in my rented space.

Don't get me wrong, there are certainly some nice designs in this book (although that will probably depend upon your specific tastes) and a VERY few guidelines/rules-of-thumb that are useful when decorating an apartment. However, if you expected this book to have any relation to its title, you will be disappointed.

It says it is the new apartment book. The two key words are "new" and "apartment". If you have a new apartment then wouldn't it stand to reason that you either don't have any (or much) furniture at all, what you have could stand to be upgraded, or maybe even you aren't sure if what you already have goes with the new apartment? Michael doesn't address any of these concerns. There are only a few sentences paying lipservice to the notion of trying to integrate different styles of furniture and architecture. We never see the rooms BEFORE all of the design has been done, so it is hard to see what other alternatives might have been taken.

And what about the apartment aspect of the book? The vast majority of the book really doesn't have anything specific to say about apartments at all. It has sections on decorating kitchens and bedrooms and living rooms but doesn't really address the issues that an apartment dweller has to deal with. Another review mentioned that the book mostly presumes you have free reign to paint and remodel if necessary, which isn't really true for anyone who lives in an apartment. If you own the space it is called a condo (even here on the East Coast). It isn't until the sections on "storage" and "one space living" that Michael talks about issues specifically related to living in an apartment. The rest of the book could have been gotten from any old design book. Unfortunately those two chapters are the shortest in the entire book. Storage, a question near and dear to the hearts of every apartment dweller, gets four whole pages...two of which are full page photos and the other two having some meager text.

All in all there isn't much in this book to recommend it. If you are specifically interested in figuring out how to handle decorating your apartment or condo there isn't a lot to recommend this book. It has some nice designs -- although most other design books do to -- and nothing about the designs is really specific to apartments.

This is not just another decorating book full of pretty pictures. It is filled with easy and practical solutions for the unique problems one faces in apartment decorating. The apartments used in the book are REAL apartments--the kind normal people live in, not the fancy penthouse apartments feautured in design magazines that were done by high end designers. The looks are stylish, up-to-date and can be achieved by almost any amature decorator. There is a variety of styles and alternatives presented for any budget. This book has spurred my creativity. I keep going back to it for more and more ideas and projects. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Apartment living can be so frustrating. Your surroundings are unchangable, so they tend to dictate your life. It's tough to express your personal style within the confines of Navajo White walls and tan spreckled Linoleum! There is also the issue of storage -- rather the lack of it. Additionally, your furnishings have to be easily broken down and carried, since a move is always imminent. To sum it up, the act of decorating one's apartment has its own set of problems and "Architectural Digest" does not have the answers.

Michael and her friends, on the other hand, do. This book is rich in photographs of apartments of various sizes, styles, and income brackets. On the surface, there are many different styles of decor pictured: from Chinois to French Flea to Deco to Space Age. But this book is not just a sum of pretty pictures; Michael includes tips on decorating, space planning, storage, entertaining, and so on. She also sprinkles in some great "before and afters", my favorite being the miniscule kitchen with the disgusting 1970's laminate cupboards transformed into a sweet, bright 1950's cutie with not much more than fresh paint and new fixtures. She also offers instructions for making a few of the decorative elements found within the photography, such as minimalist box shelves for your collectibles and a theatrical cornice.

If you grow weary of apartment dwelling and need some instant and inexpensive inspiration, I highly recommend this book. I keep it handy for when things get stagnate around here and, as another reviewer wrote, my 2 year old copy is dog-eared. I just hope that Michael comes out with a new edition... and soon!

Like other reviewers, I think this book contains beautiful ideas, they just don't seem realistic in my part of the country. Here, I have not heard of a landlord allowing any other color on the walls except what they have already painted. I must say that some of the newer apartments are opting for a more neutral taupe or beige versus white walls, so that is good. There ARE some ideas in this book that show white walls and how to decorate around them. The majority of the rooms display painted or faux walls that of course immediately improve the look of a room.

I do like the ideas that are provided and most of the rooms are great. My word of warning about this book is that many of the ideas are only useful if you own your condo, townhouse or loft space.

There are some good general tips, but most are not anything new you have not heard. Some are useful and pertain to a rented space, i.e. if you replace a light fixture, retain the old one so you can replace it when you leave. Others tips are not useful, "Paint isn't only for walls...a few coats of color on dark cabinets dramatically transform..." If you can't paint the walls in your apartment, I seriously doubt you will be able to paint the cabinets.

I would give this book 3 stars if you do not own your own place and 4 1/2 stars if you do.

After reading so many positive reviews about this book, I headed out on the bookstore trail only to find that none of my local stores had it in stock. I always hesitate to buy a book without ever having SEEN a copy of it, nevertheless I ordered it from Amazon. When it arrived, I fell hopelessly in love. This beautifully photographed book assumes that you have VERY LITTLE money to spare, and teaches you to think and work within the boundaries of very tight money constraints. The styles range from modern to vintage to mediterranian and all of them are entirely do-able for anyone. It has exquisite decorating ideas for every room and shows you how to work true magic with even the most hopelessly outdated apartments. I refer to this book again and again and always find a new idea...

I have an entire library of interior design books (I'm an architect) and this is my absolute favorite! I'm an extremely urban person, but this book works no matter what your style is. The photos and ideas are fantastic and very inspiring!

I got a lot out of this book. I found the ideas easy and practical. Best of all, nothing cost a lot of money. I think this is the best book I have seen so far. My new apartment is decorated in a fashion that pleases me and didn't send my budget into shock.

This is my favorite. Other books were either too traditional or would be more helpful to people who can knock out walls. Great for people who live in small spaces and want to make the most of it...as a bonus there are some easy and fun do-it-yourself projects in the back of the book, from making neat pillows to a mosaic topped table (which I hope to try one of these days!). Highly recommended.