202 Outstanding Modern Interior Designs

202 Outstanding Modern Interior Designs is a lushly illustrated resource that will inform and inspire homeowners and designers. More than 800 full-color photographs of the world's most beautiful interiors showcase modern design at its very best.

Good design integrates furnishings with architecture with function. The popular "open plan" designs that combine living room, dining room, kitchen, and home office create numerous challenges when it comes to combining practicality with decor and personal taste in harmony with architecture and the natural setting. The challenge calls for thoughtful selections of furnishings, color, materials and lighting in order to meet the homeowners' needs within space and financial limitations.

202 Outstanding Modern Interior Designs presents beautiful solutions to such design challenges. Captioned photographs point out room details and explain what influenced the design and decor decisions. Closing each section are sketches that highlight key room elements, such as interior lighting in the living room and task centers in the kitchen.

The designs range from expansive homes to smaller homes with space limitations. Every room is covered.

• Living Room - Once used only for hospitality, the living room has expanded to meet the needs of everyday life.
• Dining Room - A rising food culture means that dining rooms are no longer reserved for dinner parties but have been incorporated into the main part of the home and afforded light and space whenever possible.
• Kitchen - Now beyond a mere place to prepare food, it is where we meet, converse and bond with family and friends.
• Bedroom - After a well-placed bed with breathing space and good lighting, the key element to a successful bedroom design is storage: there can never be too much.
• Bathroom - Bathrooms of today are more luxurious than ever. They are personal retreats and as such offer endless opportunities for design personality.
• Outside Spaces - Outdoor spaces are increasingly rare. Whatever the size, new outdoor heating technology, cleverly positioned partitions and canopies provide protection from cold gusts of wind.

202 Outstanding Modern Interior Designs is a valuable resource for all professionals and students.

Marta Serrats is a journalist and author based in Barcelona, specializing in architecture and design issues. Her books include1000 Tips by 100 Eco Architects: Guidelines on Sustainable Architecture from the World's Leading Eco-Architecture Firms.