African Style: down to the details [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

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

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.

"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.

Presents a hands-on approach to creating African-inspired interiors using step-by-step project suggestions.

Interior designer and stylist Sharne Algotsson, founder of Inside Design, Ltd., produces sets and interiors for catalog production, private residences, corporate spaces, and events big and small, local and abroad. Her work has appeared in publications such as the IKEA catalog, Metropolitan Home, Southern Accents, Martha Stewart Living Weddings, and World of Interiors, and she has been featured in programs that have aired on Home and Garden Television, Lifetime, and The Discovery Network. She lives in Philadelphia with her family.

George Ross is one of New York's most talented commercial and lifestyle photographers. Recognized for his unique approach to lighting and composition, Ross also photographed The Spirit of African Design.