East Meets West: Global Design for Contemporary Interiors [Hardcover]

Kelly Hoppen (Author), Alexandra Campbell (Author), Bill Batten (Photographer), David Tang (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1997

Travelers have long returned from the East to their homes in the West, bringing back beautiful objects and knowledge of the unique philosophy and aesthetic of Eastern culture. Now global travel is a major influence on interior design, and there is new momentum in the melding of Eastern and Western styles as barriers and restrictions between cultures dissolve.

East Meets West offers inspiration for comfortable, harmonious interiors where differences in the age and origin of objects are unimportant. With her contemporary sense of color, texture, and simplicity, Kelly Hoppen creates rooms in which Tibetan heads are face to face with classical busts on a mantelpiece, and Balinese baskets and Chinese lacquerware complement French furniture and English country fabrics. Textiles, wall and window treatments, and upholstery are key elements in this simple yet exotic style, allowing passage from one century to another without any sense of discord. Kelly Hoppen also reveals secrets of palette and texture that tie diverse influences together.

Over 200 color photographs show Kelly Hoppen's clean-lined and contemporary signature style in spaces constructed with an eye to the function and necessities of everyday life. Whether you are an adventurer or collector, a designer or a home decorator, East Meets West is the new word on easy, sophisticated interiors combining world-wide influences in an utterly personal style.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

These profusely illustrated books explore the design styles of two internationally renowned British interior designers. Hoppen shows her personal design style of taking North African and Asian designs and items and incorporating them into contemporary interiors. The layout of the photographs provides a nice juxtaposition of images, such as a green rice paddy or an Algerian wrought iron gate with an interpretation of how that color, shape, or texture is used in residential decor. Stefanidis allows us to visit his home, which he created from cow sheds in Dorset, England. The book proceeds room by room and through the gardens, with the chatty text explaining his approach to interior design and landscaping; it even includes recipes to make the reader feel a welcome guest. Both books are recommended for interior design collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Kelly Hoppen is a British interior designer whose commissions have taken her from Manhattan and Long Island to London, and have included the homes of prestigious fashion designers and collectors. Her work has been featured in international magazines including Elle Decoration, and in 1996 she was awarded the first British Interior Designer of the Year award.

Bill Batten specializes in interior photography and is renowned for his sensitive lighting techniques. His photographs have appeared in The World of Interiors, House & Garden, and Elle Decoration.

Alexandra Campbell started her journalistic career on House & Garden magazine, and has subsequently worked for Harpers & Queen and Good Housekeeping. She currently writes for The Independent Magazine.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli (September 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084782036X
• ISBN-13: 978-0847820368
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #529,191 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best decorating book in years., November 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: East Meets West: Global Design for Contemporary Interiors (Hardcover)

Everything about this book is inspiring. The text is excellent and the photographs explain and illustrate Ms. Hoppen's methods beautifully. Her use of color is new to me and incredibly helpful. The pictures, which show her use of Eastern influences in Western rooms, are stimulating, yet whether simple or complex they illustrate a system of decoration that creates the background for a blissful, peaceful way of life. This book has altogether changed my philosophy about household design.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Diverse in style and color, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: East Meets West: Global Design for Contemporary Interiors (Hardcover)

This book is quite interesting. It shows how the designs of the East can blend harmoniously with the designs of the west. It does not only show the famous Zen design of the Japanese but shows much of the deep colors of Indian and Chinese design. For someone who has no formal background in designing, this book suggests the balance of colors that is simply shown in nature--which the author herself has been inspired with. The designers English design influence though has been displayed much in her style- a little bit too elitist. But indeed, a great book to keep for reference!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent explanation and demonstration of Ms Hoppen's design philosophy., October 17, 2005

By 

Donald G. Sands - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: East Meets West: Global Design for Contemporary Interiors (Hardcover)

Ms Hoppen does an excellent job both explaining and demonstrating her design philosophy in this very readable, very well illustrated book. She discusses origins of various influences and then provides examples of the results of the influences. She will use colors, shapes or textures of Eastern origin and then demonstrate her use of them in contemporary settings. This reader found this very heplful because it showed Ms Hoppen's entire process. If one is interested in absorbing some of Ms Hoppen's design philosophy, this is an excellent book with which to start.