Small Spaces for Modern Living: Making the Most of Your Indoor Space

City studios, tiny suburban dwellings, compact houses: today, more people than ever are living small. To maintain these trim, contemporary residences in fine style, you need the newest storage devices and the cleverest space-saving solutions. That's what you'll find right here, in an indispensable guide to managing clutter, generating the illusion of space, and accessing your priorities so you use every inch effectively. The ideas are many and fresh, from cupboard hideaways to new loft areas. Every room is covered, with information on design layout and planning, and a "recipe" for success. Checklists throughout help you keep track of every step."The wealth of sharp color photos and practical hints makes this an attractive, useful resource for anyone facing an interior design project."--Booklist

In this copiously illustrated title, Atkins, a writer and consultant for a variety of high-profile shelter publications, offers a guide to creating stylish, functional interiors that make the most of small spaces while leaving uncluttered "breathing room." Addressed to design novices, the introductory sections take readers through the stages of renovation planning, with sections about assessing the space and basic design principles of color and light. A summary of several common styles, with lists of corresponding materials, furniture, and accessories, closes the section. Subsequent chapters are organized according to living areas, including children's rooms. Sidebars with space-saving solutions and suggestions for building materials that work best for various areas of the house appear throughout, while a representative successful room closes each of the final sections. The text occasionally veers into trite common sense; to reduce kitchen clutter, for example, "do not let dishes accumulate." But the wealth of sharp color photos and practical hints makes this an attractive, useful resource for anyone facing an interior-design project. Gillian Engberg
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