Today’s book review features a fascinating little read.
Creative Space – Urban Homes of Artists and Innovators by Francesca Gavin.
The book takes a peek inside the homes of creative types – artists, designers, writers, photographers etc.
…and explores the style of the spaces they inhabit.
Some people combine work & living space, whilst others keep some degree of separation between the two… but even in these cases, the taste & influences of the occupants is very interesting. How their interior spaces affect their work – and how their work affects their homes & contents.
The homes featured are located all over the world – with their unique cultural & social influences, environment and climates.
The book is quite a backlash against minimalism.
The rooms are filled with an eclectic array of furniture, completed and ongoing work projects, pieces by fellow artists, flea market finds, collections of objects, reference material and so on.
In fact, quite the antithesis of the cool, white spaces much loved by many glossy interior magazines. These spaces are inventive & spontaneous, less staged perhaps – less pristine and more chaotic in many cases.
They’re full of interest & colour.
In addition to the photos of each space, there are also Q&As from the occupants.
The narrative delves a little deeper into what makes them and their homes tick – why they’ve chosen to live where they do, any alterations they’ve made, details of their work, how they use the space etc.
There are 30 creative spaces featured – in cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, London, New York, Paris and Tokyo.
Just to highlight a few of the occupants:
- Fafi – a Paris-based artist, illustrator and designer
- Nicola Formichetti – a fashion director and stylist living in Shoreditch
- Leah McSweeney & Rob Cristofaro – a fashion label couple who’ve made a New York loft apartment their base
- Julia Schonlau – an illustrator and character designer who lives in a two-bedroom flat in Berlin
- Juan Redon – a Barcelona-based architect, curator and pop collector
- Yukinori Dehara – a figure illustrator, toymaker and animator in Tokyo
It’s certainly a great little book to dip in & out of – you’ll notice something new every time.
The photos full of ideas & inspiration…
…but having said that, we wouldn’t choose to live in all these homes, although there are a few that we’d definitely quite fancy!
If you’re thinking of getting yourself a copy, the book’s available from Hive and Amazon UK or USA
[Many thanks to Laurence King Publishing for the review copy]
thanks for sharing! i love peeking inside the living spaces and studios of artists. i think i might just buy this.
Yes, we do too! It makes you feel you're gaining a greater understanding of their practice, their personality and the way their minds work!