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Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details (Conran Octopus Interiors)

Author: Bradley Quinn
Publisher: Conran
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$29.95~~
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Seller: a1books
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

11 reviews
Sales Rank: 14209

Media: Hardcover
Pages: 176
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 9.3 x 0.8

ISBN: 1840914068
Dewey Decimal Number: 729
EAN: 9781840914061
ASIN: 1840914068

Publication Date: July 28, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:

»	ISBN13: 9781840914061
»	Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
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Editorial Reviews:

Product Description

The 1950âs house was a scientific triumph, designed in a laboratory and tested on inhabitants of all ages before being built for the masses. Never had homes been so thoroughly contemporary, with antiques and period styles entirely banished. Mid-Century Modern explores the interior decor of this seminal decade, concentrating on all aspects of a home's decorationâwalls, flooring, surfaces, lighting, and, of course, furniture. Case studies examine beautiful present-day homes that exhibit mid-century style in an exemplary way, and suggest ideas for taking the 1950âs lookâcomplete with collector's piecesâand mixing and matching it with elements from other eras.

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 11

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Some nice photos but superficial content August 10, 2009
Kristine Nielsen Graham (Los Angeles, CA United States)
I was greatly disappointed by the lack of specifics included in this book. Many of the photos are provided as examples of popular mid-century styles and influences but do not include the designers who created them. If you're looking for decorating ideas, this book may provide inspiration. But for anyone already interested in mid-century modern design, this book comes up a bit short. It might teach you how to talk about mid-century design elements, but it doesn't go any deeper than how cool design from this period looks. I bought this book as I have a few mid-century modern pieces and I thought it would be nice to have a reference and examples from various mid-century designers... but it did not deliver.

5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous coffee table book May 12, 2009
Jane A. Hoffmann (Washington, DC)
Great coffee table book with many photos for inspiration, as well as a lot of useful history on Mid-Century Modern style. I am not a professional designer so I can't judge how accurate it is, but for me it fit the bill perfectly.

3 out of 5 stars

Great pictures. Text - heavy going. November 21, 2008
Martin A (Normandy, France)
15 out of 17 found this review helpful

What I liked about this book: It is well organised and it has lots of well-chosen, well composed, colorful and clearly printed photographs..

If you want inspiration and ideas, the excellent photographs will give you what you are looking for. Only one picture contains a human figure - the others let you concentrate on the design and the furnishings, with no distracting sign of any occupants.

Where the book falls down....

I found the writing is very heavy going.

On the dustwrapper, it mentions "Bradley also completed a master's degree in History of Art at the University of London".

It seemed to me that the book reads like a master's degree dissertation in which the writer's aim is to show his professor that he has thoroughly mastered the subject - rather than a book aiming to inform and entertain a general reader interested in the subject.

I'd read a paragraph and think "that sounds impressive - but what does it mean?" Then I'd read it again more carefully. At a third reading, I'd give up, not knowing whether it meant something profound or whether it was impressive-sounding but essentially meaningless.

A typical paragraph:

"The new styles of furniture took centre stage with the distinctive shapes that continue to typify the look today. While mid-century furniture is often recognisable by its balance of form and function, its impact resulted from its ability to convey the dynamics of lived experience in static form. Mid-century designers regarded furniture as tactile art intended to cradle the human form. Although the use of new materials and techniques pioneered a change of direction for furniture - with moulded and glued plywood, and plastics reinforced by fibreglass, among the exciting developments - the forms continued to take shape in relation to the human body. Designers used furniture to articulate the tension between movement and stillness, which can never be separated from the human body. Consequently, 1950s furniture often expressed a body-consciousness unknown to other traditions."

"... the dynamics of lived experience in static form." Huh?

".. to articulate the tension between movement and stillness, which can never be separated from the human body". Does this actually mean something that can be expressed in simple words? Dunno. Beats me.

The text is not always linked to the pictures. Descriptions of stylish objects in text, without linked illustrations is hard to follow. As just one example:

"In Isamu Noguchi's hands abstract art became applied art, In one of his sculptures, wood and glass were moulded into an arrestingly curvaceous silhouette that caught the eye of George Nelson, who identified the shape of a table in its form. An American manufacturer shared Nelson's view and in 1944 collaborated with Noguchi to transform the design into a coffee table. Organic in style, Noguchi's Coffee Table was manufactured with two wooden legs that interlocked to form a tripod, which supported a plate-glass top 2cm (3/4in) thick. Both parts of the design were reversible: the tabletop could be placed upside down or back to front, while the mirror effect of the tripod's design enabled it to maintain the same profile even when turned upside down. Needless to say, Noguchi's considered balance of sculptural form, design innovation and durable function inspired other designers of the period to pursue abstract shapes."

On checking the index, I found that there is actually a photo, earlier in the book, in which a part of such a coffee table is visible.

I recommend this book for its masses of interesting, clear and well-composed and chosen pictures of mid-century design. If you are like me, you'll finish up skipping over the text and enjoying it simply for its illustrations, which I found inspiring and first class.

4 out of 5 stars

great for new interest in mid century design! September 28, 2008
Integrity4life (Tulsa, OK)
I wanted to learn more about my newest interest and this book has been great. A good overview balanced with enough details without being overwhelming - so happy I bought it!

4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful photos, well written text, what more do you want!? May 21, 2008
S. D. Sævinsd
A beautiful book, I see something new each time I flip through it. It may not be the perfect encyclopedia for specialists, but for people like me who just love beautiful things, it is great fun to have and contains a lot of interesting facts about mid-century design.

Showing reviews 1-5 of 11

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