Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire

by Ted Vadakan, Angie Myung

This debut book from acclaimed Los Angeles lifestyle brand Poketo proves creativity can be sparked anywhere. From a colorful desk in a tiny closet to expansive homes, Creative Spaces explores the lives, homes, and studios of 23 artistic entrepreneurs, authors, and designers through a collection of inspired interiors from across the country that brings art into the everyday. With stunning photography, intimate profiles, and unexpected takeaways, the book showcases an eclectic mix of creatives, including artist Adam J. Kurtz, ceramicist Helen Levi, and DJ Chris Manak, among others. Fusing lifestyle with interior design, this peek into the spaces and lives of creative professionals will motivate dreamers and thinkers to become doers and makers.

Genres: Design

272 pages, Hardcover

Published August 27, 2019

About the author

Ted Vadakan is CEO and co-founder of Poketo, a retail and design brand that has grown from a small startup into a creative hub and destination for lifestyle goods designed to provide art for your everyday. Ted studied film and video production and has a professional background in education, which solidified his love for sharing with people. He and his wife, Angie Myung, launched Poketo and their lifestyle products in 2003.

Reviews

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love interior design books. They’re sorbets of the mind for me after spending hours writing. CREATIVE SPACES beautifully clears the mental palate by showcasing the studios, abodes and lives of 23 authors, designers, artists, and entrepreneurs, with profiles of their life and work. Produced by the founders of Poketo, an L.A. lifestyle company, this gorgeous offering by Chronicle Books lets you peek into the lives of such creatives as ceramicist Helen Levi, artist Adam J. Kurtz, and DJ Chris Manak, among others, inspiring and influencing your own artistic sensibilities. Highly recommended.

Pub Date 27 Aug 2019.

Thanks to the Angie Myung and Ted Vadakan, Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#CreativeSpaces #NetGalley

[Flyingbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tad self-promoting but still very inspiring.

[Andy]

I picked this book up hoping for inspiration on how people design their studios to support their creative work. This book contains very short profiles of creatives and photos that focus more on their homes than on their studios. When workspaces are photographed, many of them are so minimal and tidy that it’s hard to imagine expansive creative work happening there. Lots of pretty stuff, but not what I was looking for.

[January Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book to browse through! I was jealous of some of the spaces and look forward to working on my own creative space. This would make a nice coffee table book as well! Photography is amazing!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight. Beautiful photography of homes and studios of creative artists. Each includes insight into their artistic approach and their approach to living a creative life. The pictures alone would make it worth it but being able to get insight into their decisions about how they live makes this book a winner. The writing is interesting and you get a strong sense of each artists values. There is a broad spectrum of creatives covered. Highly recommend.

Advance digital copy provided by #netgalley but all opinions are my own.

[Nicolet Groen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a European, I had to Google Poketo to find out the beautiful collection of products Ted and Angie curated for their shop. In this book, they visit a variety of designers and artists in their studios and homes, giving an intimate look into their lives and work. The stories are well written and inspiring; they provide an insight into the love for great design by both Poketo founders and the designers they work with; The interior photography and vignette shots are excellent. Of course, it's a book by a successful shop but, it certainly isn't a catalog or a company brochure. On the contrary! It's a beautiful book that wants me to create Art with a capital A.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book about creative people, who share their creative spaces and stories with the rest of us. The book is beautifully presented, the photos and spaces are stunning and unique - this is one book that will be used many times, to give both pleasure and great ideas. A book to browse or just sit and read over time, a book to dip in many times.

[Lily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get the appeal of this, clean lines, soft tones, minimalism, it's a very in-style design aesthetic. I don't think it's for me though! I hoped for a wider array of artists/designers/illustrators, but all these examples sort of blue together as its all a very similar theme going on--it's a little boring!

[Hannah Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greatly inspiring to me while I reconfigured my office and jewelry design workspaces. Love the heft of the book that allows for really large color photos of creative spaces. I skimmed some of the writing as it was a little yawn.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so interesting to see how artists and designers style their own living spaces.

Mostly, though, I just end up thinking, "There's not a comfortable seat in their entire house."

Guess I'm just not fashionable enough or cool enough to live in a home without comfort. Hah!

[Jeremiah Carag · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great window to a creative's home and studio!

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book, just the right number of entries

[lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorta "look at all the cool people we know", more than about spaces.