Print Page
The Home Modernised, Andrew Weaving, Published by Jacqui Small, £25.00
‘Once you have actually been in a modern home, and experienced the space and light, you realise how the same look can work for you’, explains Weaving. Weaving identifies space and light as the defining characteristics of the modern home and these characteristics are consistently reflected in the images throughout his book. Using photographs collected from real homes around the world and the work of internationally renowned interiors photographer Andrew Wood, Weaving demonstrates the simple elegance of the über-modern home.
The book is well-targeted at people who have been inspired by the deluge of home improvement shows. It collects much of the home improvement wisdom together in one handy reference book. Part 1 provides advice on transforming your home from the aesthetic perspective. It focuses on updating décor and features as well as re-thinking how to utilise the space available.
Part 2, The Home Dissected, takes individual features ripe for innovation and details how to maximise their functional facility in a modern setting. The final part of the book approaches the modernisation process from a zonal perspective. Identifying five separate possible zones within the home: relaxing zone; sleeping zone; bathing zone; cooking and eating zone and working zone, Weaving explains how best to create the sense of a fresh and modern space for each purpose. There is a helpful section at the back of the book providing contact details for suppliers and architects.
Often the first image which springs to mind when one hears the phrase ‘modern living’ is of a massively light and airy loft apartment with exposed beams and an open-plan design. However, Weaving’s book is very much about working with the tools you have at hand and he is keen to demonstrate that even if it is a simple case of an imaginative approach to lighting, or the ever-pressing storage problem, modernising your home is a worthwhile project.
Similarly, Weaving stresses the balance which can be achieved through the interplay of original features and new accessories, ‘A mix of old and new works well if done sympathetically. An open-plan space with shuttered windows, fireplaces and perhaps some paneling would be a great backdrop to some of today’s modern furniture and lighting.’
The homes featured in the book are inspiring examples of how space, flexibility, light and energy can all be incorporated into the most important place: where you live.
Readers can order a copy of The Home Modernised by Andrew Weaving (Jacqui Small, £25) for the special price of £20 (including postage and packaging) by calling 01903 828503 and quoting ref: or by visiting the puiblisher's website link shown above.
