Contemporary Eastern: Interiors from the Orient by Alice Whately
Our love affair with the Orient began centuries ago when explorers and traders first returned from the East bearing exotic treasures such as tea, porcelain, lacquerwork and silk. Its allure has always been irresistible to Western artists, architects and designers, who have mined it for inspiration, imitating and reinterpreting the simple and exotic alike.
These days our yearning for the Orient has a more spiritual bent. In a bid to supersede the off-putting taste of over-consumerism, we have turned to the ancient philosophies of the Far East in search of inspiration. As a result, Buddhist retreats are replacing beach holidays and tai chi is practiced in supermarkets, airports and banks.
Our homes are changing, too. The desire to create a peaceful haven in which to find refuge from the frantic pace of the 21st century life has resulted in fluid, natural interiors with breezy open-plan spaces taking over from small, cluttered rooms and organic furniture replacing self-conscious designs in synthetic materials.
Focusing on Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Japan as the best countries best suited to illustrating Eastern design styles that can be reinterpreted for a contemporary look, Contemporary Eastern illustrates the variety of Oriental influences on Western decorating styles, ranging from exotic opulence to ethnic chic, and minimalist Zen to flashy, ornate kitsch.
Author Alice Whately, the former décor editor at British Elle magazine, now works as a freelance interiors and style journalist. Whately contributes regularly to Conde Nast Traveller, Harpers & Queen, and GQ, and has also written for newspapers including the Daily Telegraph, The Times, and London’s Evening Standard.
A stimulating visual source, the picture book reassesses Oriental design in the light of current trends, demonstrating simple ways to spice up your home with colors, textures, motifs and other decorative details. With over 200 lush photographs and incisive text, this book is a must for fans of the modern ethnic look.
Whether you want to embrace the Eastern experience to the full or prefer to adopt a more subtle approach by introducing accents – such as a mini Zen garden, a kimono-covered cushion, or a Chairman Mao plate – Contemporary Eastern will show you how.
Contemporary Eastern: Interiors from the Orient by Alice Whately, Periplus Editions 2000, ISBN 962-593-942-3, 159 pages, appendix (resources list), index.
Available for Rp85,000 at Periplus Bookshops in the Bali Galleria and in the Matahari in Kuta, Warung Made in Seminyak, Ngurah Rai Airport (both international and domestic terminals), in Gramedia Bookstores, and in Ary’s, Ganesha and Periplus bookshops of Ubud.
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