Tag: Francesca Gavin

Bookmarks: Creative Space

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"Creative Space" book in the H is for Home work space

Today’s book review features a fascinating little read.

cover of "Creative Space" book

Creative Space – Urban Homes of Artists and Innovators by Francesca Gavin.

wall covered in art with a coffee table stacked with art and interior design books

The book takes a peek inside the homes of creative types – artists, designers, writers, photographers etc.

plastic dinosaur figure

…and explores the style of the spaces they inhabit.

large loft type living space with huge poster of a girl with flowers in her hair

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.

shelves with books and a framed portrait with the words "After Death What?" written across it

The homes featured are located all over the world – with their unique cultural & social influences, environment and climates.

anglepoise lamp in front of a pine chest of drawers

The book is quite a backlash against minimalism.

cardboard boxes made into seating

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.

shabby chic leather club armchair

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.

live/work creative space with bare cast concrete walls

They’re full of interest & colour.

wall of shelves holding books and toys with a red Belgian brasserie sign above

In addition to the photos of each space, there are also Q&As from the occupants.

mid century modern furnished sitting room with huge floor to ceiling windows

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.

loft apartment with rope swing hanging from the ceiling

There are 30 creative spaces featured – in cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, London, New York, Paris and Tokyo.

workspace with bright orange painted walls

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

workspace with bright orange painted walls

It’s certainly a great little book to dip in & out of – you’ll notice something new every time.

white-painted work room with two large windows with bright red curtains

The photos full of ideas & inspiration…

man working at a large wooden table with a huge red painting in the background

…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!

workspace with one wall decorated with various masks

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]