From Publishers Weekly
Qualified do-it-yourselfers can go retro with enough projects by legendary designer Oldham to fill entire rooms. Taking inspiration from such mid-century designers and artists as Isamu Noguchi, George Nakeshima, Alexander Girard and Florence Knoll, Oldham revisits modernism in the new millennium. Bold, vibrant, unpretentious and suitable for small urban spaces, Oldham's pieces for the bedroom, living room and "reading room" play to function as well as form. Projects are rated for "ease level" on a scale of one to five, but readers unskilled in using jigsaws and sewing machines are left with rather unfulfilling tasks, such as a sand-art incense bowl or kaleidoscope art glass. However, those with the know-how and the right equipment in their tool boxes (Oldham suggests "mod podge" and a "respirator" as must-haves in any "basic" toolkit) can create an all-in-one room divider with "floating" boxes for storage space, an illuminated end table which is at once a display case and a light source, or a hand-quilted body pillow to go on top of a platform bed. Step-by-step photos illustrate techniques, and full-page pictures of finished rooms show how various pieces can be eye catchingly mixed and matched. Oldham is not out to create a revolutionary new aesthetic here, but is simply using elements of modernism that have endured—namely comfort, utility and visual panache. (Apr.)

Book Description
Love the look of mid-century, modern, retro design, but don't feel like dropping two weeks' pay on an Eames chair? In Handmade Modern, Todd Oldham shares his passion for mid-century modern homes with over 50 do-it-yourself projects for anyone who loves crafts and longs to add character to every corner of his or her home. Todd Oldham has received accolades during an impressive career bringing couture fashion and elegant design to a more inclusive and broader audience, first in MTV's "House of Style", and today though his line of housewares and school supplies for Target, and his line of home furnishings for La-Z-Boy. In Handmade Modern he offers cutting-edge makeover plans for the office, kitchen, living room, bedroom, and closet, all designed to be both fresh and enormously practical. In this beautifully designed full-color book, Todd tackles each room in the house, starting with a beauty shot of each room, and then breaking the room down into its components, each one a do-it-yourself project. In the living room, for example, he takes you through projects with a difficulty range of 1 through 5: a space-saving freestanding bookshelf (5) matching end tables (4) reupholstered pillows (2) Lucite picture frames (2) 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, aluminum lighting fixtures, and cozy 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 revolutionize 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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Designer Todd Oldham offers a cheerful array of projects to decorate your home - from test tube gardens to daybed libraries, color copy wallpaper to faux-fur blankets, for the ultimate Handmade Modern results.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly