Making the Most of Small Spaces

Rating:
Summary: A worthwhile investment!
Review: Although this book is small, it delivers a lot of punch! It's a great starting point when determining what is possible when you have major space restrictions. I appreciated the variety of styles and situations represented.

Rating:
Summary: Practical ideas - and fun to read!
Review: An excellent book with practical ideas, its many color photos and streamlined writing style makes it most enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: I've lived (and still do) in small spaces...
Review: I bought this book while living in Boston more than 6 years ago. While still a student and eventually a young professional, I found myself experimenting with SPACE and BUDGET year after year (sometimes several times a year). This book is the perfect gift/buy for anyone who's lived in subhuman conditions ranging from 200-750 square feet. There are many books out there that claim to solve all your SMALL SPACE problems but everything they show include homes with well over 750 square feet (not too small in some cities)!

Anoop Parikh clearly shows you the basics and has TEXT that you actually want to read! The pictures are great although some show the fanciest of facilities and furniture ($$$ most certainly helps make small spaces nicer), but they give you a very good DESIGN sense & HOW TO information for very small lofts and studio apartments. The side bar notes are great short cuts if you haven't the patience to read everything. They outline all the basic rules to opening up your humble abode.

This book has given me MANY ideas I still stick with today. I've lent this book out to siblings, future homeowners and friends from all walks of life and income brackets. They always return it with a "Cool book, got some good ideas from it" type of comment.

I still whip it out today and use it to refresh my memory every time I move into another NEW small space. From a Boston studio in the Back Bay to a Santa Monica bungalow this book has followed me cross country and back and now sits on my shelves in my new 700 square foot home in New York.

This book lives up to its name in Making the Most of Small Spaces. How else has it survived this long in a market so flooded with nice coffee books with no content?!

Rating:
Summary: I've lived (and still do) in small spaces...
Review: I bought this book while living in Boston more than 6 years ago. While still a student and eventually a young professional, I found myself experimenting with SPACE and BUDGET year after year (sometimes several times a year). This book is the perfect gift/buy for anyone who's lived in subhuman conditions ranging from 200-750 square feet. There are many books out there that claim to solve all your SMALL SPACE problems but everything they show include homes with well over 750 square feet (not too small in some cities)!

Anoop Parikh clearly shows you the basics and has TEXT that you actually want to read! The pictures are great although some show the fanciest of facilities and furniture ($$$ most certainly helps make small spaces nicer), but they give you a very good DESIGN sense & HOW TO information for very small lofts and studio apartments. The side bar notes are great short cuts if you haven't the patience to read everything. They outline all the basic rules to opening up your humble abode.

This book has given me MANY ideas I still stick with today. I've lent this book out to siblings, future homeowners and friends from all walks of life and income brackets. They always return it with a "Cool book, got some good ideas from it" type of comment.

I still whip it out today and use it to refresh my memory every time I move into another NEW small space. From a Boston studio in the Back Bay to a Santa Monica bungalow this book has followed me cross country and back and now sits on my shelves in my new 700 square foot home in New York.

This book lives up to its name in Making the Most of Small Spaces. How else has it survived this long in a market so flooded with nice coffee books with no content?!

Rating:
Summary: excellent ideas for little spaces
Review: I live in New York City and was lucky enough to purchase a studio. Problem is, I'm a junk collector and well, affordable New York City studios are exceedingly small. 'Making the Most of Small Spaces' to the rescue. Who knew I could fit the stairs leading to the sleeping alcove with inconspicous drawers. I have borrowed many other little ideas from this book. Believe me, it's marvelous.

Rating:
Summary: Jam packed with big ideas....
Review: Lately, I've been reading books on the topic of MAKING THE MOST OF SMALL SPACES, and Anoop Parikh's book is the best book on this topic I've seen so far. Different books will appeal to different people, but if you're female, with a studio apartment or small condo as your primary residence--or--own a vacation condo or keep an apartment in the city as a second residence, I think this book will give you many good ideas. Those who own condos and can make architectural changes will probably benefit the most.

The exquisite examples Parikh provides take advantage of color, light and texture, the three most important elements to consider when creating your home in a small space. Color can be used to brighten dark spaces and produce the illusion of depth or openness or warmth. Properly placed lighting ensures that arrangements that involve stacking (plenty of examples in this book) and/or low ceilings do produce black holes. Texture can be used to move the eye around what could be a dull room if it is painted a light or white color.

Parikh says before you begin to decorate, you should consider what you will be doing in your home. Do you eat out more than you eat in? If so, it makes no sense to have regular sized appliances that take up needed space. Maybe what you need is a closet kitchen with a small refrigerator, sink, microwave and hot plate. Parikh suggests one think about 1) whether or not you want your room open or cozy; 2) what you might use as a focal point (a piece of furniture, a screen?); 3) using the walls for storage and/or display; 4) hiding the bed; 5) keeping the cooking and eating areas close together to avoid accidents. This is a great book with an excellent price.

Rating:
Summary: Great single source book for apartment/loft living
Review: The book contains alot of doable ideas for making a small apartment or studio into "real" living. It gives a simple breakdown of the basic elements to utilizing whatever size space you have. There are also other books in the "Making the Most of..." series. They all seem well thought out.

Rating:
Summary: A good start
Review: While definitely not my favorite, this book has taken it's place among my collection succesfully. The cover, although extremely ugly, should not sway you. This is a nice book for amateurs, in fact it was one of my first.

Rating:
Summary: A good start
Review: While definitely not my favorite, this book has taken it's place among my collection succesfully. The cover, although extremely ugly, should not sway you. This is a nice book for amateurs, in fact it was one of my first.