Asian Elements: Natural Balance in Eastern Living - Hardcover

Edwards, Jane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1840910321 ISBN 13: 9781840910322

Publisher: Conran Octopus Ltd, 1999

Synopsis

Many leading designers have been drawn to creating interiors with a sense of harmony and balance based around the five Asian elements of Air, Earth, Wood, Fire and Water. The fascinating link between materials and design, as well as the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Asian thought are drawn out.

About this title

Review

Frank Lloyd Wright described traditional Asian buildings as having a "timeless vernacular". Today's Western aesthetic incorporates the best of uncluttered living and technology with a softer modernism, which is very similar to Eastern design. While the Asian continent is rapidly changing, its daily life is still imbued with a spiritual mysticism steeped in ancient religious and traditional beliefs. Asian homes are an essential haven of peace, a private sanctuary from the chaos and the hectic pace of the outside world. The interiors selected for Asian Elements are unified by an appreciation of uniquely beautiful natural materials; a restrained decorative style, a "less is more" attitude. Air, the first chapter of the book, focuses on how space and light are used in Asian dwellings, examining the flexible and open organisation specific to traditional homes and how light can be harnessed to add to that spiritual experience. Central to the Earth section are gardens and landscapes and Wood looks at buildings made entirely of wood. The Asian kitchen is examined in the chapter titled Fire and the final chapter Water looks at bathrooms, courtyards and swimming pools. Asian Elements is a beautifully illustrated introduction to Eastern design aesthetics.

About the Author

Jane Edwards started her career as a fashion stylist in London, and after relocating to Hong Kong in 1992, she worked as a fashion editor before shifting focus to interior styling and writing. She now lives in London and works on a variety of writing projects. Andrew Wood has lived worked and sailed around Asia. He has worked for a variety of publications including British Vogue and various Japanese titles.

Edition details

• Publisher: Conran Octopus Ltd
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1840910321
• ISBN 13: 9781840910322
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144