East West Style: A Design Guide for Blending Eastern and Western Elements at Home [Paperback]

Ann McArdle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2000

A visually Stunning survey of Eastern influences, design, and objects incorporated into Western interiors, East West Style will help you create beautiful Interiors, incorporating the Eastern ideas of balance and harmony, color and texture, simplicity and richness. Blend the essence of Eastern style with the comfort and familiarity of Western interior design to energize and simplify your home. Sumptuous fabrics, smooth wood cabinets, celadon pottery, Japanese, Chinese, of Islamic calligraphy screens, gleaming red lacquer boxes and lamps-these are some of the Eastern design elements featured to help you create a harmonious, restful home as a retreat from today's hectic life.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The blending of two vastly different styles achieves stunning results in East West Style. It's far more than simply adding a Japanese painted screen to your comfortably overstuffed living room--it's about finding beauty in clean lines, unusual textures, and an overall balance of simplicity and opulence. With dozens of glossy photos and simply written text, author Ann McArdle clears the path to a wholly new style, using only the best of both worlds.

At first glance, many of the rooms seem a little spare by western standards. On closer examination you'll spot comfortable couches with down-filled cushions, silk bed coverings, and deep baths meant for long, relaxing soaks. One sunny spot behind the kitchen sink is filled with a small rock-and-bamboo Japanese garden, a delightful new use of the ubiquitous bay window. Furniture ranges from the classic Eames chair to a plump, bright-yellow loveseat to an elegantly stark raised platform bed, each looking equally at home in its setting. Dramatic carved screens, Chinese silks, and unique ceramics are added in small doses, rather than as full-blown themes--the idea is to achieve harmony, balance, and a sense of peace that incorporates every element in your home and garden, paying attention to shape and ultimate effect rather than strict conventions. Accompanying the pages of inspiration is a shopping resource list, which will prove a great help as you head off on your way to a whole new interior style. --Jill Lightner

Review

Scores of elegantly simple, peaceful and calming rooms, designed by many different designers, make this book a visual treat. -- Shana K. Wilson, Décor & Style Magazine, July 2000

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Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: Rockport Publishers (August 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564966550
• ISBN-13: 978-1564966551
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,744,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars East is more than Japan, June 6, 2001

By 

"janejane" (Tai Tam Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: East West Style: A Design Guide for Blending Eastern and Western Elements at Home (Paperback)

If you think that Eastern style is all about Japanese style and minimalism then this is the book for you. But if you think Asia includes India, Thailand, Burma, Bali, Korea etc, you will find this book and its aesthetic a huge disappointment. I did. Stick with Kelly Hoppen.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars too unfocused, April 17, 2002

By 

Justus Pendleton (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: East West Style: A Design Guide for Blending Eastern and Western Elements at Home (Paperback)

The five main chapters of this book are "Simplicity and Order", "Proportion and Form", "Harmony and Balance", "Color and Texture", and "Eastern Treasures". The book purports to show you those "eastern" elements can be incorporated into western rooms. Well obviously the concepts of color and texture aren't unique to the east so you might expect a length discussion about how eastern notions of color and texture differ from western notions and how the two can blend together to create a harmonious and beautiful room. Instead, the two pages of text in this chapter merely say, "Ancient Eastern beliefs include much color symbolism that relates to the emotional responses the colors evoke" and "The Eastern affinity for natural fibers and materials introduces a broad range of textures". Gee, thanks.

The other problem is the poor dilenation of topics. If you flip to a random picture in the book you'll have a hard time whether they are trying to tell you something about texture or proportion. Certainly, in a complete room all of the factors need to balance each other out, but without focusing on each one individually it is harder to grasp its importance.

There are a few hundred photos of designs that look like they would, for the most part, require expensive modifications (for instance, the kitchen with contrasting textures made of three separate materials or the dining room with the floor treatment). As another reviewer pointed out, virtually all of the photographs reflect a Japanese and (to a much lesser extent) Chinese aesthetic.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great blend of western & Asian design, April 30, 2001

By 

Angel Lee "Liocorno Amethyst Moonstone" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: East West Style: A Design Guide for Blending Eastern and Western Elements at Home (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to elements of Asian design, which are so popular today, to their home. With so much to choose from you can't help but be inspired. Sections focus on various principles including simplicity, order, proportion, harmony, balance, color and texture. Examples in photos are accompanied by descriptive text.

Since I am a crafter I am always on the lookout for the things I can make for myself and I saw many here that I could. My favorite idea is a Japanese-style dining table that is sunken into the ground. It looks so elegant and I am dreaming of having one someday. They also use lots of screens, which are one of my favorite elements with their beauty and versatility. I though an attic room with a semi-hidden bed was a great idea as well.

I appreciate the practical approach here of incorporating authentic Asian design into existing Western homes of various types. If you are looking for some fresh ideas for your home and want a simple, yet elegant style this book will give you some great ideas.