Product Description

A wonderful introduction to the richness of Japanese culture, providing insights into the philosophic and aesthetic principles that underlie Japanese style. It is also a 'how to' book, with hundreds of useful ideas for integrating the simple elegance of Japanese design into your lifestyle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #954506 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 184 pages

About the Author
Jean Mahoney, a graphic designer and watercolorist, has an extensive background in advertising and art direction. Peggy Rao, a journalist and copywriter, has extensive experience in publishing and advertising in New York and Switzerland.

Customer Reviews

Faux Japanese
I ordered this thinking it would be a good collection of Japanese design elements and ideas. I have no problem with mixing different cultural elements and using traditional elements creatively. However, most of what is featured is a sort of faux-Japanese design for yuppies. Items are completely out of place (i.e. a footwarmer used to keep flowrs; clothes hung on walls as decor) and rooms often cluttered. Further, many rooms were cluttered or not very Japanese at all. That said, a few featured houses were nice, and one in particular -- built in rustic Japanese fashion with dark wood -- was beautiful. Overall, unless this is your type of thing, I'd say look elsewhere for design ideas ...

A starting point for creativity
I love this book and have spent a great deal of time absorbing the design ideas it offers. If you are looking for a book of traditional Japanese design, this is not what you are seeking; the authors are very straight-forward about their aim: how to integrate items from another culture into your lifestyle. Hence, a beautiful kimono may be used as an art object hung on the wall, because if you live in a large Western city, you probably wouldn't be wearing your kimono to the office. Come to think of it, most museum-quality artifacts from other cultures wouldn't be used in another age or setting EXCEPT for either decorative purposes or for an application other than what was originally intended. But that aside, there are many lessons to be learned here about incorporating elements of the Japanese aesthetic into a Western setting. This book, along with the authors' earlier "Japanese Accents in Western Interiors" are books to dream on for a person who is receptive to the notion of mixing facets of the East and the West.

Good book for working Japanese elements into your western interior
Many books on japanese interior design require that you remodel your house or make huge changes in order to get a fully authentic Japanese style. For many of us that is just not an option.

This book, instead, shows how to use Japanese fabrics, kimono, chests, etc, to give a Japanese style to your Western interior - WITHOUT - having to remodel. It does show some spaces that were built specifically for the Japanese look, but most of the book is more about decorating your existing space. I enjoyed also the suggestions about breaking up a space with hanging dividers and also creating a japanese-style bedroom, etc.