London Rooms: Portfolios of 33 Contemporary Interior Designers and Architects - Hardcover

Cliff, Stafford

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1564964981 ISBN 13: 9781564964984

Publisher: Rockport Pub, 2000

Synopsis

An inside look at some of the finest interiors designed by 33 of the top interior designers and architects in London. This beautifully illustrated volume brims with a range of styles from the leading British architects and interior designers, including Powell Tuck, Timney Fowler, Michael Reeves, Kelley Hoppen, and Jonathan Reed. This treasure-trove demonstrates how Britain has eschewed many of the accepted norms in interior design over the last decade and has become increasingly receptive to foreign influences, new materials, and pared-down interiors.

About this title

Review

When we think of London style, often the first types that come to mind are the English cottage garden and Victorian. London Rooms, with its pages showing glossy photos of sleek surfaces and unusual architectural details, is determined to change that. With interiors from 33 different designers, you'll find modern construction coupled with sleek urban designs that take full advantage of natural light and traditional materials.

It is likely that folks living in urban settings will gain the most from this book in the form of inspiration. Most interiors are flats or lofts, with lots of vertical space and ingenious ways of making the most of all available space. One unusual solution for a 2,200-square-foot flat was to create a flame-red glass wall through the middle of the room lined with a raised concrete hallway that connects the living and sleeping areas. Another large, rectangular flat was designed without interior walls, using instead a system of pivoting screens and moving "interventions." In this home, the owners' collection of beloved objects is displayed in a glass-covered raised platform covered with etched strips that prevent slipping as visitors walk over the area--definitely not your typical "English country house!" Throughout the book, glass, wood, and metal are coupled with subdued neutrals so the overall effect is one of smooth, sharp edges and few personal touches. Several interiors add visual excitement through unusual uses of bright colors, but textural interest is added only through the occasional old brick wall or rough concrete table. Modern stylists will certainly enjoy this book, but the cool, citified tone is not for everyone. --Jill Lightner

About the Author

Stafford Cliff was the creative director of Conran Design Group, where he worked with Terence Conran in one of the world's first multidisciplinary design companies, and for whom he designed The House Book, one of the best-selling home design manuals of all time. As co-author and designer, he created French Style, which set the style and format from a new series of books that combined travel and interiors and, with eight subsequent titles, spawned a whole new publishing trend. As an independent design consultant, Cilff has designed magazines and catalogues, and as an author, his most recent books include Trade Secrets of Great Design: Retail Spaces and Trade Secrets of Great Design: Packaging.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rockport Pub
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1564964981
• ISBN 13: 9781564964984
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 192