African Style: down to the details [Hardcover]

Sharne Algotsson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2000

"Today more and more of us are striving to bring personal meaning and beauty into our lives and homes. African style is the perfect way to express that joy in living, whether your look is formal, traditional, minimal, casual country, or eclectic," writes Sharne Algotsson in her stunning new book, African Style: Down to the Details. Following on the success of her first book, The Spirit of African Design, written with Denys Davis, Sharne now offers a gorgeous, hands-on guide to decorating any home with the richness of Africa.

Bursting with hundreds of full-color photographs, African Style: Down to the Details looks at a full range of home decorating options, with chapters on Color, Paint, and Pattern; Textiles; Furniture; Accessories and Display; and The Mix, which reveals how to coordinate all the elements to create a harmonious whole. Sharne offers a number of simple, inexpensive but exciting how-to projects that can revitalize a room, such as an African-Style Padded Window Cornice, as well as dramatic before-and-after photographs of quick makeovers for chairs, tables, mantels, and more.

Written by the leading expert in the field, this book is a treasure trove of practical advice, decorating tips, and insider shortcuts for incorporating the vibrant beauty of Africa into any home, on any budget. In addition, an extensive resources section makes it easy for readers to locate hard-to-find specialty stores and suppliers of textiles, furniture, and accessories. Whether you want to redecorate your entire home or simply add a few fresh accents, African Style: Down to the Details is a dazzling celebration of the continent's unparalleled aesthetic.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Brimming over with vibrant photography and inspiring projects, African Style sheds light on traditional textiles, colors, and materials used in a variety of African cultures and ways of adapting them to modern living. From the basic importance of paint to the fine details of accessories, author Sharne Algotsson (Spirit of African Design) and photographer George Ross have brought together a fabulous blend of creative inspiration, geographical and historical information, and easy projects that will have readers itching to add new style to their homes.

Algottson's suggestion of creating a color board when creating a new look for a room is invaluable. With a simple 11 x 17 sheet of art board, you can combine color chips and fabric scraps to achieve just the right look before making the more permanent commitment of painting the walls and buying new window coverings. Detailed explanations of color--indigo, orange, deep brown, red--will have you ready to take some risks and use those flamboyant shades in your home, while at the same time educate you on the cultural meanings behind some colors. Accompanying all these unique ideas and fascinating information are some truly stunning photographs captured with a playful eye. Ross uses a variety of unusual angles and lighting in his work that capture these glorious interiors in a fresh manner that will encourage you to beautify everything from the walls of your bedroom to the legs of your creaky old footstool. Patterns from Zulu baskets, Ewe cloth, Ashanti Adinkra symbols, and Asoke textiles are used with flair in every corner. Specific suggestions are included for recovering seat cushions, painting small pieces of furniture, and upholstering a headboard--all surprisingly simple projects that require little more than a paintbrush, a staple gun, and an artistic vision. --Jill Lightner

From Library Journal

Interior designer and stylist Algotsson guides the reader "through the process of creating personal interpretations of African style" for the home. With color photographs of contemporary interiors, she details color, furniture, and textiles that exemplify this look including before and after pictures of how to apply African touches to decor. She concludes with an overview of how African style can be applied to country or retro looks, to name a few. A list of U.S. resources for traditional African or African-inspired items is included. Highly recommended for professional and public libraries since this design style has been sparsely covered.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 1st edition (October 24, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609605321
• ISBN-13: 978-0609605325
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #646,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars African adaptability, May 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: African Style: down to the details (Hardcover)

I purchased African Style hoping it would help me decorate my Master Bathroom in an African theme. Although there is not a decorated bathroom in this book, that didn't matter. I was able to adapt all of the elements I admired into this room. Therefore , I find the book to be highly adaptable for any room in anyone's home.

The listed resources and contacts remind the reader that there is a real, tangible person on the other end who is willing to help!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and practical, March 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: African Style: down to the details (Hardcover)

Sharne Algotsson has managed the feat of writing a book that is both a coffee table book, thanks to the beautiful color palettes and G. Ross' magnificent photography, as well a a useful how-to book. This book will be attractive to anyone who would like to beautify their interior, even if they are not specifically searching for "Africanness": the color combinations are so elegant and warm, any home will benefit!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fresh, lively ideas for creating beautiful living spaces, March 16, 2002

By 

artemis "artemis" - See all my reviews

This review is from: African Style: down to the details (Hardcover)

I love this book and have already re-done my bedroom and study "African style". I bought this with "Spirit of African Design" and together they have given me new ideas on how to use color, fabric and paint to create beautiful living spaces. I had gotten so bored with the standard decorating ideas, and this has opened a whole new world to me. I cannot wait to do more!