Product Description

The approach of the millennium has heralded a renaissance in urban living that has seen the widespread conversion of former schools, factories, hospitals, warehouses, and commercial spaces to provide stylish accommodation in our increasingly overcrowded cities. Formerly a marginal residential option, favored mostly by artists whose oversized artworks required the big, open spaces offered by industrial or commercial buildings, lofts have now become the fashionable choice for those who want to break free from the restrictions of conventional apartments. Designed along the lines of classic New York lofts, these vast spaces offer urban dwellers inspirational space.

With stunning photographs of some of the world's most innovative conversions-- including the work of leading international architects and designers-- Lofts is the ultimate sourcebook for stylish, urban living. Combining the aspirational with the practical, it provides design solutions on a vast scale, whether you choose to commission an architect or interior designer or take on the work yourself. With creative ideas and key information for everything from space-planning and maximizing design characteristics to decorative schemes, fabrics, and furniture, Lofts illustrates how to create the definitive living space that complements your lifestyle and combines aesthetics with comfort.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #545899 in Books
• Published on: 1999-10-15
• Released on: 1999-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Orianna Fielding Banks is at the cutting edge of contemporary furniture and interior design. After graduating in fashion design from St. Martin's School of Art, London, Orianna designed large props for store-window displays before progressing to furniture design. Her showroom, Pure, in London's fashionable Shoreditch, exhibits her collection of large-scale contemporary furniture, lighting, screens, and rugs. Orianna has appeared on several television shows, including "GMTV," "Style World," "Fantasy Rooms," and "Better Homes," and her work is featured in international interiors and style publications, including Elle Decoration, Wallpaper, World of Interiors, L'Architecture d'aujourd'hui, and the Style supplement of The Sunday Times.

Rebecca Tanqueray was Deputy Editor of Elle Decoration for five years before becoming a full-time writer. She is now a highly regarded interiors journalist, who contributes to a number of leading design and style magazines and newspaper supplements, including Living etc, Ideal Home, and Homes & Gardens. She is also a regular contributor to the Style supplement of The Sunday Times.

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT LOFT BOOK
Excellent book showing great photos of spaces that its what I was looking for, it shows you how to save space and great floor, windows, bathrooms designs for all your needs in a loft.

What makes this book terric?
The book is terrific, no doubt about that. However, I am so disappointed about the 2 reviews, which missed the whole point: What makes this book terrific? The answer? Not the pictures! Definitely not. It is the text.

First, it is a good textbook. It tells you exactly what lofts are. Lots of books about lofts only show you tons and tons of "amazing" pictures without a clear definition. Pictures are great. But it is also easy to miss the soul of lofts behind those pictures. Some people after viewing all the pictures still do not get the idea of what makes certain space a loft. Besides this, this book also tells you the history and the future of lofts.

Technically, this book is a manual for someone who wants to build a loft from a shell. It covers all the practical information you need to know ranging from location, structural issues, money, time, to soft decorative ideas and even feng-shui. It provides not only the good and exicting stuff about lofts but also the drawbacks, pitfalls, things to noice. It gives you a realistic and balanced view. The authors really knows lofts and are very very hands-on. Due to its pragmatic nature, the book focuses more on the hard side (i.e., building process) than the soft design process.

Ironically, one thing I am not quite satisfied is the pictures. Though they are nice, they are fragmented and are selected to make the pages look nice. I prefer showing some cool lofts (from those pictures), their total layout, design, and floorplan to get a complete view.

Inspiring
As an artist with a small loft-type appartment and limited budget I have been looking for inspiration for loft decor. I find Living in Space Lofts an excellent source because of the stunning photos and details, and the informative yet friendly language used to describe several aspects of loft living, from its history, its situation in space, its decoration to what loft living implies and whether it is for you. The range of loft decorations described and shown with stunning photos and details is refreshingly varied, so you can draw inspiration whether your decor preferences verge on the minimalist simple, colorful-furniture abundant or indutrial-ascetic just to think of a few. A welcome change from books I read that show one after another beautiful cookie cutter loft decorations so perfect they made me wonder whether someone really lived there. (How many Van Der Rohe Barcelona chairs can one have?)