Handmade Modern: Mid-Century Inspired Projects for Your Home

by Todd Oldham

Book Overview

Seventy-two step-by-step projects for modern do-it-yourself home and office design, by world-renowned designer Todd Oldham. Love the look of mid-century, modern, retro design, but don't feel like dropping two weeks' pay on an Eames chair? Todd Oldham shares his passion for mid-century modern homes with over 72 do-it-yourself projects for anyone who loves crafts and longs to add character to every corner of their home. Each project is charted through step-by-step photos and instructions until the fabulously mod end. Other projects include home-computer face-lifts, Xerox wallpaper, aluminium lighting fixtures, and cosy shoe-storage systems. In additional to Todd's brilliantly engineered projects, the book comes complete with a tutorial on modern home design in the form of sidebars and short essays throughout -everything from that now-famous Eames chair to the case-study houses of the 1950s. Handmade Modern promises to revolutionise the way the reader looks at his or her own home and capacity to beautify a space. Chic, accessible, and fun, this is the achievable new look of modern home design.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060591250
• ISBN13: 9780060591250
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 2.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Awesome How To Book!

Fantastic ideas with easy to follow instructions. I am THRILLED with it. I already started my first project and plan on at least four others. I think earlier reviews criticizing this book for being too hard are silly; how else do you think you're going to make furniture items, if not with a saw? However, projects range from super easy (sand art incense holder) to the more ambitious (furniture and shelving). There's a project for all levels/interests. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. This is a great DIY book.

Innovative Ideas for Hands-On Creative People

If you're a creative person who likes to get into hands on projects, this is a book for you. Each section begins with a photograph of an entire room, and the following pages used cropped images of each item with instructions on how to make them. Most of the projects do require some knowledge about construction & materials, however. Tools needed include a jigsaw, sewing machine, or a large space in which to do some of the projects. There are smaller projects though that do not require these things, and the book definitely promotes you to come up with your own creative ideas. One downside though, if you are interested in easy crafts - this isn't the book for you. Readers definitely need to understand the basics in order to find this book useful.

I love this book!

This is a really great book with tons of fun ideas. The directions for each project are super clear and easy to follow! Also, the price of the book itself is amazing...

really fun book

i have had a great time making projects from this book. each step is photographed clearly so its easy to follow them.my sister and i made the ribbon pillows for our room and it came out really nice.also there is a nice write up on charles and ray eames that i enjoyed. this book is fun good luck!

beautiful and inspiring

I was surprised at how different the projects were from other diy books. There are loads of color pictures explaining the details and there is a good range of easy ones like photo lamp i tried. I liked learning about other designers like alexander gerard and eva zeisel in the stories about them and others spaced thru out the book. Some of the stuff is kind of wild for me but i liked seeing how it's done. i also liked how the ideas were inspired by the designers and not copies of projects.