Berlin Interiors - Jumbo S.

Publisher and industry reviews

UK Kirkus review

The publisher Taschen is celebrated for its large-format picture books with handsome bindings, paper and reproduction as well as first-class illustration and research. This volume - part of an ongoing series - is no exception. Presented here are photo-essays of the homes of a selection of Berliners, the ateliers of artists and designers, a brothel, a Turkish cafe, the studio of a filmmaker, the salon of a sociologist, the Russian embassy and others. Stylish and artistically inclined settings predominate and the interiors cover a wide range of fashions from a kitsch hotel to an architect-restored 1920s villa, including monochrome minimalism, bourgeois comfort and loft studios amongst other more outre styles which defy definition. This is not a Conran-style directoire of good taste and the spaces, while clean and reasonably tidy, do not appear to have been handed over to a photographer's stylist for propping with vases of flowers and cushions. If there is any interior design advice to be gleaned it is to 'be yourself' and put sincerity before taste. This is an excellent portrait of a city, enhanced by an interesting prologue about Berlin's historical, political and artistic importance. It will be enjoyed by many, both as a coffee-table book and as an insight into German styles and aesthetic values. (Kirkus UK)