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Summary: Minimizes the limitations of apartment living
Review: A major challenge for those living in apartments is getting around the restrictions of landlords- limits on what can be hung, altered, repainted, etc. This book addresses all those problems and shows apartment dwellers how to make the most of their space while creating a unique, livable (and often downright cozy) home for themselves- even if it is a rented or temporary apace. I bought this one as a gift for a college graduate moving to his own apartment but I'm having trouble parting with it, even though I'm a homeowner, not a renter. The ideas run the gamut, from traditional to contemporary.
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Summary: Five Enthusiastic Stars!
Review: 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 It has exquisite decorating ideas for every room and shows you how to work true magic with even the most hopelessly outdated apartments.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...
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Summary: Say Goodbye to Navajo White
Review: 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!
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Summary: Post-College Apartment
Review: As a recent college grad attempting to create an "adult" apartment, I found this book full of great inspirations for a new look. The different projects and simple ideas were enough to get me started on some small scale redecorating. However, for a person on a limited budget, some of the furniture and decorating tools seemed a little too pricey. I would have appreciated a more thrifty point of view with both cheap and chic decorating tips. Simply put, I had to improvise on the book's ideas to fit my own budget.
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Summary: Post-College Apartment
Review: As a recent college grad attempting to create an "adult" apartment, I found this book full of great inspirations for a new look. The different projects and simple ideas were enough to get me started on some small scale redecorating. However, for a person on a limited budget, some of the furniture and decorating tools seemed a little too pricey. I would have appreciated a more thrifty point of view with both cheap and chic decorating tips. Simply put, I had to improvise on the book's ideas to fit my own budget.
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Summary: Small budgets and great looks!!
Review: At first glance, this book seems to be just another one showing apartments that are glitzier than many of us on limited budgets can afford. However, closer inspection of the book reveals that THAT is the point of the book -- it LOOKS great, and really is not that expensive. The tips are helpful and, I found that they got me thinking about what it is that I really want for my apartment. A fabulous book that will provide LOTS of ideas for creating your own home.
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Summary: not very useful for "new apartments"
Review: 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.
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Summary: I love this book!
Review: I bough this book around 5 years ago and love it. It's hard to find good ideas for a studio or small bedroom apt. It's great for people who live in the city (like San Francisco)
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Summary: Best decorating book that I've read
Review: 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.
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Summary: I love this book!
Review: I can be pretty jaded about decorating advice but this book surprised me with fresh furniture ideas. My apartment had all it could hold, so tips on flea market shopping seemed obvious but the author arrainged those "treasures" in such a sophisticated, fresh way. Furniture became art and art became anything. The projects were all mainly practical and approachable with limited expertise needed. These interiors looked glam and lived in. Every page was clean, rich and practical at the same time! Great book all around!
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