Amazon.com: Zen Interiors (9781556709302): Vinny Lee: Books

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Zen Interiors [Hardcover]

Vinny Lee (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 15, 1999
The principles of Zen Buddhism are increasingly reflected in interior design today, as people look for ways of creating havens of calm and relaxation within their own homes -- oases where they can unwind, regain some contact with the natural world, and enjoy a few moments of serenity.

Zen Interiors abounds with practical advice on organizing and editing personal possessions to eliminate clutter and simplify the home environment. Readers learn to use natural perspectives to achieve harmony and balance; fabrics, furnishings, and floors to produce an alliance of touch and texture; color and contrast to create illusion and accent; and light -- natural and sculpted -- to echo nature.

Room by room, the book puts the principles into practice, combining simple modern shapes with sensuous material. There are chapters on entrances, eating places, working and leisure rooms, sleeping spaces, rooms with water, and transitions to gardens and the outdoors beyond. Also covered are the use of objects, ornaments, and flowers to punctuate or accentuate the natural space and flow of a room.



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Two major tenets of Zen--simplicity and serenity--lend themselves perfectly to today's quest for tranquility and balance in the home. Espousing restrained, uncluttered rooms documented here in soothing, neutral-toned interiors, Vinny Lee's Zen Interiors outlines the philosophy and the practicalities of streamlining your home and your life to achieve such an environment. The results are a soft modernist look, a pared-down contemporary styling of minimal architectural detailing, limited color palette, and absolutely no clutter. But, as Lee cautions, you don't want to add to the burdens of an already busy lifestyle, so you must find the degree of minimalism that suits you. In other words, if you're merely daydreaming of less cluttered surroundings yet know in your heart that you can't live in a sparse environment--no matter how elegant--then the Zen interior is probably not for you. But if you're truly seeking to streamline your life in search of that harmonious balance, you'll find plenty of good advice here. --Amy Handy

About the Author

Vinny Lee is a writer and stylist specializing in interior design. Her work has appeared in Homes & Gardens and House & Garden magazines, as well as The Independent and The Guardian. She has written several books including Kitchens: A Design Source Book for Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Stewart, Tabori and Chang; First Edition edition (September 15, 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1556709307
  • ISBN-13: 978-1556709302
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A relaxing read ..., December 26, 1999
By 
This review is from: Zen Interiors (Hardcover)
The serenity of form and function are clearly brought together in this tranquil volume by designer Vinny Lee.

With the Zen perspective that one's possessions are burdens, the book manages to create inviting, peaceful living spaces uncluttered by frou-frou and bric-a-brac.

A great resource for those comfortable with themselves, not requiring a plethora of possessions to make a statement about who they are.

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22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun and nice photography..., June 1, 2001
By 
Yuri Kuzyk (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Zen Interiors (Hardcover)
Well, with the plethora of Feng Shui books out these days it is nice to flip through one that doesn't shout in your face. The photography in here is excellent and there are many great ideas for living simply. That is, this is a "clear your clutter" without any preaching; the pictures should provide reason enough to get rid of your piles of (crud).

That said, there are some illustrations of definite "no-no's" and some spaces in here do not really look liveable. I wonder if the 'dressers' did a bit too much styling and removed all signs of life from some houses; either that or one wonders what the closets look like since you do need a certain amount of stuff to live.

It also bothers me a bit that "zen" has become little more than a buzz-word. Go get a zafu, take a weekend session and start meditating. Then start fixing your space and you will have a "zen" living space. Following instructions and/or copying layouts from somewhere is about as far from zen as you can get! I think the author could have stressed this point a lot more.

Still a fun coffee-table book...

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, February 23, 2007
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Zen Interiors (Hardcover)
I really like this book, is minimalist, which I understand not everyone identifys with, but the photos, the coments the whole concept and contect makes this book a must have reference for anyone wanting to integrate oriental mindset to western culture. Highly recommended, and the price is unbetable.
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