ROOMS TO INSPIRE SERIES LOOKS TO LIVING IN THE CITY

In the hot summer days when most of us escape the concrete jungle, it is nice to assess our living spaces and what we do with them. City living requires creativity, ingenuity. patience and style. In order to live with style, city dwellers edit and express themselves through the choices they make in how, where and what they live with.

Photos by Tim Street-Porter

Partners Annie Kelly and Tim Street-Porter collaborate again on another Rooms series book, this time focusing on city life with Rooms to Inspire in the City: Stylish Interiors for Urban Living from Rizzoli. What do you conceal, what do you reveal? Whether you dwell in a townhouse, apartment, loft, studio or garret apartment, you can pull great ideas from the exciting urban rooms showcased, that take us to Paris, LA, New York, London and beyond. Solution based living is really about making the most of what you have, enhancing the space and making it distinctly your own. The back of the book covers how to handle your book collections, make kitchen space workable, and entertaining. A handy design directory provides designer information.

The cover image shows Carolina Irving's apartment, chock a block with antiques, personal finds, and meaningful objets picked up from world travels. When you stand in the space and there is so much to look at, it just works. The blue and white dhurrie, slipcovered armchairs and pillows are charming and the space feels really relaxing. I just love it.

Mary McDonald's use of color and pattern is genius. In her guest house she wows visitors with large painted parasoled chinamen flanking a whimsical tufted headboard. The orange bedding and greek key pillows take it right up to the edge. Giving a space wow factor makes even the smallest areas memorable.

Peter Dunham's cozy seating arrangements and wainscotting on the walls come together in a blue and green palette. Not bad for what used to be a garage.

Alex Papachristidis cleverly divided up his living room space with a bookcase. Pale yellow walls can work with almost any color scheme, and he chose a Braquenie print for window treatments and a bolder print for the arm chairs. Exoticism and English antiques mesh in a soothing retreat.

British antique dealer Peter Hinwood lives in a very British setting. Eclectic and varied, a slipcovered sofa with ikat and cat print pillows and a marble topped console from 1730 mingle against a Crest toothpaste colored wall. What is that paint color? It sure shakes things up a bit.

With this kitchen, a wall of shelving allows for ample storage. The owners Beverly Archer and Robert Bernard use every inch of it.