Asian Style: Creative Ideas for Enhancing Your Space

Review:

Focusing specifically on colors, textures, and imagery from China and Japan, Asian Style presents a new look into stylistic elements that are often hundreds of years old. Covering texture, materials, architecture, and decoration, you'll find many pages of beautiful inspiration and historical detail. It begins with a look at how specific colors are interpreted differently than in the West, notably red, yellow, white, and gold. Back in A.D. 206, yellow was chosen as the color of the Chinese emperors, much the same as purple was chosen in western civilizations. While many of us may associate yellow with fast food more than intricately embroidered silk, the close-up photos of ancient robes and buildings may have you looking at this color with a fresh eye. Patterns common in Asian art are also explored in detail; as author Jenny de Gex says, "Where we see only the random juxtaposition of flowers, animal, and geometric designs, the Chinese and Japanese will 'read' a story written in a visual language rich in linguistic and literary allusions." Moving onto use of materials like paper, stone, and wood, readers will find a historical perspective on these natural textures, and how ancient uses can be translated into modern times. Not a book that provides specific how-to ideas or floor plans, it is rather an exploration of stylistic differences between cultures that is a refreshing change from misguided attempts at westernizing feng shui. Ending with a short section on Japanese gardens, the overall sense is of a book in love with the rich simplicity available from these two ancient cultures. --Jill Lightner

About the Author:

Jenny De Gex, a writer and picture researcher, has compiled illustrations for various books and authored several historical anthologies.

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