Book Description
What is wabi-sabi?
Simply put, wabi-sabi is the marriage of the Japanese wabi, meaning humble, and sabi, which connotes beauty in the natural progression of time. Together, the phrase invites us to set aside our pursuit of perfection and learn to appreciate the simple, unaffected beauty of things as they are. Wabi-sabi can be found in the deep cracks of a weathering pine table. It is flea markets, wildflowers, and cobblestones. Intimately tied to Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic that welcomes comfort and a subtle spiritual component into the home. It is not a decorating style, per se, but a mind-set. To create a true wabi-sabi environment, one must slowly strip away excess and learn to be satisfied living in the moment.
The Wabi-Sabi House recounts the rich history of this emerging trend in home design and reveals countless ways to introduce wabi-sabi elements into contemporary living spaces, including tips for gracefully decorating with salvaged materials and vintage furnishings, advice on how to rediscover the lost joy of hand-crafting household items (or supporting artisans who do), and simple solutions for clearing clutter and blocking noise (even with a spouse, kids, and no closet space).
But The Wabi-Sabi House is so much more than a handbook for interior design. With heart and a sense of humor, author Robyn Griggs Lawrence gently reminds us that there is a life in lifestyle books, and she encourages people from all walks of life to slow down and recognize beauty in what may seem ordinary.
Intimate, authoritative, and truly inspirational, The Wabi-Sabi House lays the foundation for transforming any home into a nurturing retreat from a hectic world.
Customer Reviews:
Wabi-Sabi, Huh?????.......2006-08-19
In answering the question of what Wabi-Sabi means to me, I have to go with the concept that less is more, and it really doesn't matter if the expense of doing something is astronomical or well within one's budget. What does it all say abut you and what your attempting to achieve? Are you talking about your home, your life style, your neighborhood and or your friends and family? What will tell everyone and anyone who just walks in off the street that you are practicing Wabi-Sabi? How can they see that you are not being a whacko or over extravicant and are just showing you that life can be what is just right for you and your place of abode and not be the perfect place to beat all perfection?
If it is imperfection that you are attempting to show/achieve, then less must certainly be more, it is just how you present it in order for everyone else to see how comfortable you are with what and who you are...ED
A good organizational reference book.......2006-02-25
There is so much beauty in simplicity. This book offers many helpful suggestions in how to simplify your decor and your life.
A wonderful book!.......2005-09-19
I have told everyone I know to get this book as a starter to the world of Wabi-Sabi-- a beautiful cover also makes it lovely to look at and I like the sepia pages... I have re-examined my life using some of her practical tips. Get it if you are curious about this art of imperfection...
How wabi sabi goes beyond the house.......2005-07-21
I have read a handful of books dealing with the Japanese concept of wabi sabi (variously translated as "the art of imperfection" or "the beauty of the old and the new"), everything from Soetsu Yanagi to Leonard Koren. This book by Robyn Griggs Lawrence continues in the same vein of trying to put into words for a Western audience an amorphous and ambiguous idea, specifically as it applies to home decor.
For the most part the author gets it right. She gives the reader a little bit of historical background into the idea (its roots in Zen Buddhism and development from the tea ceremony) and then shows examples of how to put it into practice in a Western context. This is not a book about decorating your home in a neo-Japanese style, but rather how to make tangible a Japanese-originated aesthetic philosophy.
In some ways, she goes beyond the strict confines of home decor and discusses wabi sabi in other areas of life, which is appropriate because wabi sabi, as I unerstand it, is really a whole school of thought. In one chapter she delves into crafts, from knitting to woodworking to cooking. I found this interesting because I am a hobby woodworker/furniture maker who is slowly crafting most of the furniture my family lives with.
I realized, in reading this book, that wabi sabi is an aesthetic I have been reaching for in a number of areas without knowing until recently what it was called. For years I have been interested in a variety of topics, including Zen, environmentalism, the voluntary simplicity movement, modern design and architecture, and woodworking. Wabi sabi is the theme that ties these interests together. It is an approach to life, not just a decorating style or, worse, a magical, mystical belief in the power of red satin under your mattress and mirrors above your stove (`a la "feng shui", the popular Chinese-based belief in the flow of energy patterns in a building).
While mostly positive about this book, I do have a couple bones to pick. Griggs Lawrence is a big advocate of shopping in flea markets and antique stores, looking for the piece with just right wabi sabi patina of age and imperfection. Personally, I have no use for other people's old stuff. Just 'cause it's old, don't make it valuable. Why would I want to buy somebody else's history? To me, finding something that is fresh and new, innovative in the way it accomplishes a task, simple and engaging in its design, and gets incorporated into my daily routine is a better expression of wabi sabi than finding an old wash basin at a garage sale and using it as a fruit bowl.
Case in point: Griggs Lawrence has a predilection for a good cup of tea and even takes a swipe at Americans and their need for fancy cappuccino makers. Whoa there! Now she's hitting a little too close to home. My wife and I love a good cappuccino. Last Christmas I bought us what many might consider an extavagant Italian coffee machine. In actuality, it is quite simple (no fancy automatic controls), but it is built like the proverbial Sherman tank. I am quite sure it will survive decades of heavy daily use. After almost a year the gleaming stainless steel exterior has begun to mellow and it has become an integral part of our everyday life. Getting up at daybreak and going through the routine of making my wife a cappuccino with all the love and caring I can has become a sort of daily moving meditation for me. This coffee machine is just as much an expression of wabi sabi as the simple glass vase that displays a single flower sitting on the floating wooden shelf I made in the dining room.
All in all, though, if your are interested in the concept of wabi sabi this is a good book. If you are truly interested in wabi sabi as an aesthetic there are other books that will go deeper into roots of the idea. If you are interested in how the concept has been expressed by artists and craftsmen (perhaps without mentioning the phrase), there are books about that too. Most of these are listed in the excellent bibliography of the Griggs Lawrence book, one of the highlights of the book.
Good ideas, somewhat elitist.......2005-06-27
I admit that I am not sure what to think of this book (and my revisions of this review reflect that).The author works for Interweave Press, whose magazines I purchased for many years, and I have to say that her genuine humility and open-ness shine through the book. The description, and the general idea, sounded wonderful: learn to simplify, appreciate what you have, embrace imperfection, etc. etc. But.....
The "imperfection" referred to here is not the reality that your table has coffee rings on it which you can't get out. It's the subtle irregularities found in really good hand-thrown pottery, for instance, or the slight wavery imperfections found in old glass.This is a huge, huge, difference. Be aware that this book talks mostly about very expensive ways to implement this philosophy, which comes out of Japanese feudal times, and was dictated by the tastes of their nobles. Since the emphasis is upon natural materials and hand-made articles, with mass-produced and mass marketed items frowned upon (however well made or designed), it's not a book for decorating from your favorite mass merchandiser. Note the bit about mass-marketing: wabi-sabi doesn't care if it's in good taste or well-designed. If it's not unique, it doesn'et want it. I fail to understand why good design becomes bad just because other people appreciate it. Nor is it really about appreciating what beauty there is in that couch that your sister passed on to you after it got given to her by someone who was going to throw it out.
And therein is the rub... wabi-sabi attracts those who, like myself, are on quite a budget. Alas, the standards it sets are very high. The author, who is herself on a budget, is free in admitting that she can't make the cut for her ideas of wabi-sabi, and a lot of the book is about her musings on how her own life doesn't meet these standards. There are real gems in here, but they are tned to float around in a sea of recommendations that left me feeling guilty about my home.
For instance, it gives as an example the author spending literally years with a duvet cover sewn from two sheets, until she could afford to pay a group of American quilters to spend three months hand-sewing a quilt. (One is temmpted to ask if the sheets were handwoven, and what about the duvet itself?) The author talks freely about how she does not like her vinyl flooring; during the remodel she did not have the money for the type of flooring she would have liked, and she had to have something to finish it up. It seems to me that something has gone rather wrong with a concept that is supposed to help people simplify and enjoy their lives, imperfections and all, when it leads to more guilt trips over meeting a standard that is just not obtainable by most of us.
The pity is that there are some wonderful concepts struggling to break free of a rigid identification with the tastes of an antique Japanese feudal system. The whole idea about wabi-sabi was for the Nobility of that time to use what was available to them from rustic local producers, instead of items imported from mainland China, which were more expensive, more "perfect", and more colorful. For them, this was simplification. What would be the equivalent for us nowadays? Ideas about quiet and perhaps pulling back on housekeeping perfectionism are worth looking at. Were we to really look at using what is appropriate to our lives (instead of tormenting ourselves because it was made by machine), we'd all do much better.
And I must say that the "inside confessions" of what it is like doing home photo shoots for a magazine (she has directed many) are definitely worth reading. I'm probably going to get a clothesline up (as soon as I can afford one) and knit some dishcloths from the cheap cotton yarn I have hanging around. (The author keeps mentioning knitted dishcloths, and I had never thought about it.) I don't know if it will be wabi-sabi. But it will be what I can do.
Book Description
Peace at Home reveals the principles for creating truly relaxing rooms through beautiful photographs, inspiring wisdom from Eastern philosophies, and practical design advice. Taking readers through each room in the home, author Juliet Pegrum shares the basic design elements that combine to create harmony, simplicity, and ease. For example, in the bedroom, light and texture play essential parts. Pegrum illustrates how softness can be maximized through the use of natural fibers, bountiful pillows and cushions, and plush surfaces; and how light is dimmed or muted for a restful effect. In the living room, she shows how careful selection and placement of furnishings create a welcoming flow and a convivial ambiance. Warm and inspiring photographs of havens of all types speak to apartment dwellers and homeowners alike. For anyone who strives to create a soothing retreat from the outside world, Peace at Home shows the way.
Customer Reviews:
Lives up 100% to its title. Ten stars.......2006-02-15
When I read the inside back flap of the dust jacket and read that the author is a designer as well as a devotee of Tibetan Buddhism, and teaches yoga I senses I might like the book and I was not the least bit disappointed.
To many books on simplicity of design that I have checked out recently are void of true simplicity and or are to 'cute,' which suggested to me that the author thought he/she knew what simplicity of design was, but really did not.
There is nothing 'cute' about this book or its superb photographs. On page 27 the author notes 'Light and Dark. In addition to color, the balance and interplay of light and dark are instrumental in shaping our visual experience of our environment. To promote harmony and well being within our homes, it is essential to create a balance of light and shade in each interior that is appropriate to the room's function at different times of the day. Light has an energizing effect on the body, promoting activity and mental alterness; an abundance of light is therefore desirable in rooms that are used for active daytime pursuits.' Notice she realizes the power sunlight, natural light plays in our overall health. When we changed the colors in the cottage to brighter hues we noticed even occasional depression lifted. Because we felt both energized and destressed.
Now I readily admit that those people who prefer Levitz furniture style wont like this book, because this book and its photos are devoid of clutter that all to many American homes have an abundance of. Especially cookie cutter look alike suburban homes.
Also like as she shows on page 69, her example of how a blend of brick, tile wood and metal in clean lines can work well together. Or how on page 73 she notes that sensual stimulation is important especially at mealtime when one should strive to present food on colourful dishes. Makes me so happy I have a nice collection of Fiestaware in various colours with place settings for four in at least six colours since we entertain a lot.
Her examples of calming restful bathrooms is a feast for the eyes and one can see how using examples she shows can make soaking in a hot bath a spiritual and renewing experience. Clean crisp lines and no cluttered or overdone ceramic tile, shower curtains or matching rugs, toilet tank and toilet seat covers!
She even has a wonderful section on gardens and outdoor dining beginning on page 147 titled Gardens, Balconies and Decks. Where she shows examples of each that will fit in city, suburb or rural spaces.
A wonderful book for the person looking to plan well before they build or even buy a fixer upper. One of my favorite books on peaceful abodes and it lives up 100% to its title Peace At Home.
Excellent, practical advice with strong pictures.......2005-01-14
Unlike most design books, I felt a strong emotional attachment to the succinctly conveyed advice, demonstrated in inspirational, calming pictures. I actually find it calming to review after a long day as well. I recommend taking your time and thoughtfully trying to digest its messages, as oppose to glossing over the pretty pictures.
Book Description
Here is the most complete single-volume collection of the writings of one of the great luminaries of Asian literature. Basho (1644-1694)âwho elevated the haiku to an art form of utter simplicity and intense spiritual beautyâis best known in the West as the author of Narrow Road to the Interior, a travel diary of linked prose and haiku that recounts his journey through the far northern provinces of Japan. This volume includes a masterful translation of this celebrated work along with three other less well-known but important works by Basho: Travelogue of Weather-Beaten Bones, The Knapsack Notebook, and Sarashina Travelogue. There is also a selection of over two hundred fifty of Basho's finest haiku. In addition, the translator has provided an introduction detailing Basho's life and work and an essay on the art of haiku.
Customer Reviews:
A trip to the past.......2006-11-06
I am not a scholar or a critic, I am just a person who really enjoys haiku and as such am familiar with Basho's poetry. I bought this book because it was cited in so many other books that I have read that I just had to read it for myself. I am very glad I did.
A good portion, but not all, of the haiku contained in this book you have read countless times before, though they are translated slightly differently here. To me the real value of this book is that the poems are put in context of Basho's larger world by the prose that surrounds them. Basho's haibun tells of his various journeys around Japan, the people he meets, the sites he sees and how this all affects him.
I love history as much as haiku, and this book is a real window on the past through the eyes of a man who could relate his world in a way that is both clear and yet filled with beautiful imagery, so that 17th century Japan comes alive for you.
If you like haiku and are interested in what goes into a great poet's creative process, I feel you will enjoy this book, I know I did.
*The Great Matsuo Basho Leads Us INWARD*.......2006-09-11
Matsuo Basho's "Narrow Road to the Interior" is translated by Sam Hamill, an accomplished poet who also translated the haiku of ISSA in "The Spring of my Life" (isbn # 1570621446) As B. Watson, professor at Columbia University has said, "Hamill achieves a kind of luminosity of language that I find unparalleled in other translations of the work."
Basho lived from 1644-1694 and achieved acclaim as the greatest writer of haiku and.this book of his last travels is a classic in Asian literature. His stature must have made the task of translating more difficult, even intimidating. The title is of course a metaphor for traversing life to find one's spiritual center or soul.
Amateur western writers who become enamored of writing haiku soon realize there are depths to which their studies may never take them. The sounds, the Zen way of thinking --bring much more to the equation than mere playfulness (as in senryu), or a built-in sense of syllables, and fondness for epigrams.
Basho set off on his long journey & early in his travels was loaned a horse because "it is easy to get lost." The horse carried the poet, then stopped, and returned home without the rider but carrying Basho's gift tied to the saddle. The route of Basho's travels is printed inside the covers -- he describes "pines shaped by salty winds, trained into sea-wind bonsai." In other centuries men walked hundreds of miles, giving & receiving haiku as gifts - many about history, and some memorials. His lodgings were often noted, probably because they were more often miserable than not. His writings often included geographical 'markers' -- these speak of much more than PLACE to Japanese readers. One who had been a companion on the road wrote:
"All night long
listening to the autumn winds
wandering in the mountain"
Basho himself wrote for another companion as he turned back:
"Written on my summer fan
torn in half
in autumn"
And so he gave his thanks to those who shared his journeys and the quest for answers each of us asks on our own "narrow road."
nice of Hamill to try.......2004-11-30
There is only one other book where you can find these four of Basho's "travel diaries" in one volume and that is Nobuyuki Yuasa's. This compilation also includes a generous selection of Basho's hokku. These are the book's pluses. Unfortunately though, Hamill is much too intent on presenting you with Basho as a sort of haiku-zen master, an identity that Basho himself created as a voice through which to narrate. Mr Hamill would have us believe that Basho wrote poetry for the sake of zen, but the truth is that Basho studied zen for the sake of poetry. Also, Hamill's insistence upon translating in the 5-7-5 form ruins quite a few poems: you get sort of overexplanatory, prosaic verses much of the time. It is almost as if he were translating the explanations you will find in Japanese collections of Basho's verse. For example:
Hamill translates "fuyu no hi ya bajou ni kooru kageboushi" as
Crossing long fields,
frozen in its saddle,
my shadow creeps by
though it should probably (more accurately) be rendered:
winter sun...
on horse's back
a frozen shadow
Hamill dropped the phrase "fuyu no hi ya" entirely and replaced it with "Crossing long fields." I don't know why Hamill rids Basho of suggestion and nuance. Maybe he doesn't think the western reader can find poetry in hokku/haiku as they truly are.
The verse quoted by another reviewer
Your song caresses
the depths of loneliness,
high mountain bird.
might as well not be considered a translation at all. There is almost nothing of the original poem remaining except for the notion of loneliness and the kankodori, which is translated as "high mountain bird." "uki ware o sabishi-garase yo kankodori" would be translated literally as
make this sorrowful self feel lonely, cuckoo!
sabishi-garase is the imperative form of the verb that means "to cause to feel lonely." As a translator one of the worst things you can do is to try to improve upon a poem, though, personally, I don't think Hamill's versions actually do. If you don't trust the poet you're translating, then why are you doing it at all?
At the moment I am in the middle of translating Basho's "Oi no Kobumi" ("Backpack Notes") into English, and when I get stuck on an obscure phrase it helps to consult other translations to see how that translator interpreted it, but oftentimes Hamill (Yuasa is guilty of this too) just glosses over a phrase, which in the end robs the text of any of the interesting quirks in Basho's prose. I wonder if Hamill hit the same tough spots as I and just decided to gloss rather than really try to understand it.
I do not mean to be overly critical of Hamill. It is obvious that he is a good writer and some of his translations are successful but I wonder how much he really considered his renderings. In the end we are reading Hamill, not Basho.
Unfortunately, there are not many alternative translations of Basho's other haibun, but there are plenty of his "Oku no Hosomichi." Hiroaki Sato's is probably the best, since it is very faithful and it gives the most background info (including linked-verse sequences written during the journey), but Cid Corman's is nice too because he does a pretty good job at reproducing Basho's prose style. Also, if you're looking for a good collection of Basho's hokku, check out Makoto Ueda's work. For a good critical study of Basho look at Haruo Shirane's Traces of Dreams. A good internet analysis of Oku no Hosomichi: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~kohl/basho/
The Definitive Source.......2003-12-02
Perhaps the most brilliant offering of Basho's beloved poetry. Excellent in composition, translation, as well as the breadth of Basho's work presented.
Clouds of Cherry Blossoms.......2002-08-01
Narrow Road to the Interior and other writings
by Matsuo Basho
translated by Sam Hamill
This is the most complete collection of Basho's writings translated into English available in a single volume. Aficionados of Japanese culture keen on exploring the haiku literature would be hard-pressed to find a better book to start with.
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) lived during the Genroku period in Japan. The Tokugawa shogunate had unified the country and it was a time of relative peace, which allowed those so inclined a freedom of travel not usual in many periods of Japanese history. Basho was so inclined. At the age of forty his restless feet led him on several walking tours of Japan, and he left behind collected impressions of these journeys in both prose and haiku.
Thoroughly versed in the Chinese and Japanese poetic traditions prevalent among the literati of his time, Basho was also an ardent disciple of Zen. He devoted his life to refining, clarifying, and simplifying his poetry. In the brief haiku form he found the perfect vehicle through which to realize his poetic ideals, and the poems he wrote have inspired and captivated readers and poets throughout the world with their elegance, insight, and simple brilliance.
This volume collects together four travelogues (Narrow Road to the Interior, Travelogue of Weather-Beaten Bones, The Knapsack Notebook, and Sarashina Travelogue) and over 250 of Basho's haiku. The translator has provided an introductory essay and an afterward revealing many aspects of Basho's life, work, and the haiku form itself. Also included are a chronology of Basho's life, a map detailing his journeys, and a bibliography.
Sam Hamill's translation is marvelously clear and uncluttered, and allows the glow of Basho's awareness to somehow peek through the words in his poems. The book itself is a Shambala edition, and so quite beautiful: printed on high-quality paper in a gorgeous typeface with lovely endpapers. This book is a gem.
Your song caresses
the depths of loneliness,
high mountain bird.
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Zen Interiors
ASIN: 849626372X
Release Date: 2006-11-15 |
Book Description
Embrace simple layouts, gentle light, clean lines
* Floor plans, color photos, expert commentary from the designers
* Reflects today's desire for simplicity and calm
Zen interiors are a reflection of the modern urge to simplify, to pare down, to slow down. This book features serene, uncluttered havens from the outside world, created through the central concepts of Zen: simplicity, inner calm, harmony. In home design, this means simple layouts, subtle light, calming tones, and clean lines. Original floor plans and rich full-color photography, plus detailed commentary from the designers, show the process of creation and the final results. Zen Interiors will produce a sense of inner calm in any architect or designer.
Amazon.com
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
Book Description
The principles of Zen Buddhism are increasingly reflected in interior design today, as people look for ways to create havens of calm and relaxation within their own homes. Zen Interiors abounds with practical advice on organizing personal possessions to 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; and color and contrast to create illusion and accent.
Room by room, the book puts the principles into practice, combining simple modern shapes with sensuous material. With brilliant photography bringing these inspiring design concepts to life, Zen Interiors is an illuminating and enlightening source of elemental ideas.
Customer Reviews:
good book.......2007-03-26
this book was very useful for my project and helping me get ideas on a zen looking interior which was the feel i needed for the space i was designing. i would suggest this book to anyone who whats to acheive that look. it has alot of pictures to help you mind visulise the space and make your creative juices flow
Excellent.......2007-02-24
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.
Too Sterile.......2005-11-17
This book was too sterile for me. It was done in the modern/minimalistic fashion that is so popular today. I like something that is beautiful, welcoming and comfortable . This book did not have any furniture that appeared to be anything you would want to sit on. Some of the rooms barely had any furniture in them.
Fun and nice photography..........2001-06-01
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...
A relaxing read ..........1999-12-27
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.
Book Description
Simply Zen shows how a traditional Japanese approach can be adapted to produce a tranquil, spiritually nourishing home or garden. The book begins with the fundamentals of Zen design; continues with a look at Zen interiors; and concludes with a survey of Zen gardens. This inspiring guide for applying Zen ideals to the western home and garden includes 125 color photographs in addition to a resource section listing architects, designers, and suppliers.
Customer Reviews:
I Turned Around and Fell in Love.......2001-06-19
When I realized I had borrowed this book 6 times from the local library I decided it was time to buy it. Not encyclopedic, but captures the spirit and the tone with lots of nice ideas to fit into whatever you are doing at the moment. Graceful and thought provoking with beautiful pictures. This is not step-by-step how-to-look-Zen. This is how Zen feels when it touches the things around you.
Great background info on the concepts of Zen decorating.......2000-01-29
As a beginner decorator in Zen design, this booked helped me understand the concept behind why Zen is Zen, and how I can incorporate this into my home decorating. If you want a more indepth look at the meaning behind Zen decorating, while giving you ideas along the way, this is the book for you.
Nice but does not help the lay person with decorating ideas........1999-11-25
Some nice pictures and does provide the Zen philosophy, but cannot be used to provide ideas nor gives a "how-to" to implement the Zen design into your home environment.
Amazon.com
At its most basic, Jane Tidbury's Zen Style simply invites readers to notice their homes and their surroundings. And unlike many decorating books that focus on revitalizing your home by adding new objects or by making large-scale alterations, Zen Style is much more concerned with the details--color, light, the placement of small objects, and, perhaps most importantly, the introduction of sensory elements like scent and sound.
As the book's subtitle mentions, this type of style is about simplicity and balance. The opening chapter is dedicated to elements of this simplicity--showing the reader how to observe the space, light, and textures of their home. In the course of the introduction, the book also eases the reader out of any preconceptions of what is traditionally thought of as interior design.
One of the most refreshing aspects of the book is that very few of its suggestions require either great expense or effort to effect significant change. By making small adjustments--adding a hint of color to a white wall with a single brushstroke, placing a small collection of wildflowers in an antique jar, or lining a mantelpiece with tea lights and leaves--even minor changes in environment can profoundly alter the mood of a room.
For those with more ambitious stylistic ideas, Zen Style encourages any major remodeling efforts to be concentrated around adding more light to rooms or creating a sense of connection within a home by adding interior windows in walls. There are several smaller-scale projects explained in the book as well--the enterprising home decorator will find plans for building a relaxation fountain and repurposing an old table as a hand-painted ornamental display.
Most of the suggestions that Tidbury offers are far less time-consuming, however, and what is most enjoyable here is simply the number of opportunities to convert a bland or cluttered space into a more open and inviting place through well-chosen additions or changes. The book's color photos and Zen sayings illustrate the basic elements of simplifying not only a home's style, but the philosophy of that style as well. One such photo, a slightly blurred shot of a white cot with a simple cotton pillow and a pile of soft wool blankets at the foot, typifies Zen Style: it is often the small comforts and relaxing, familiar things that make a home a peaceful and pleasant place to live.--Kris Law
Book Description
The Zen home is tranquil and light, natural and balanced; it is a minimalist space influenced by Eastern philosophy. This book draws together elements of Zen Buddhism and applies them to all areas of home decorating-- including color, texture, lighting, flooring, and furniture-- to reveal how you can create an elegant and serene interior landscape.
Beautifully illustrated with two-hundred photographs that show practical solutions to common problems and simple projects-- such as an indoor water fountain, textured cushions, and a linen screen-- Zen Style provides all you need to achieve a calm and peaceful living space.
Customer Reviews:
Easy, relaxing read.......2002-06-05
This is a great introductory book to the art of Zen living. Although it seems that the word "Zen" has become more and more of a catch phrase, I still must say I enjoy the concepts and ideas that have branched off of it.
This book has great pictures and illustrations of very interesting and different spaces. As well, my favourite part, it has helpful "how-to's" ... tables, pillows, curtains.. and my personal favourite.. the wall stripe!
Give it a try. I borrowed mine from the library and I'm planning to order it online tonite!
Stunning grasp of the obvious.......2001-01-04
This book displays a stunning grasp of the obvious. Beyond its plans for some not very interesting do-it-yourself projects, it offers little--trite advice like "Spending time alone with yourself is an important feature of reflection" accompanied by an unsatisfying collection of photos. Books like The Japanese House, Simply Zen, and Japanese Style do a much better job of presenting the Zen aesthetic.
Makes a Zen lifestyle obtainable.......2000-10-26
The natural colors and textures of the book make it not only a joy to behold but also read. I enjoyed this book so much, and will be making the wonderful bamboo fountain (instructions are in the book) sometime soon!
Zen Style: Balance and Simpilicity for Your Home.......2000-06-16
This book is excellent! Jane Tidbury teaches you how to create those special looks for your own home, even if you live in a very ordinary house that has no special architectural features. It is easy to follow because she doesn't get too technical, and she even guides you through some simple projects you can do that would create a significant impact on your place.
Just what we needed!.......2000-04-24
We bought this book hoping to get both some useful specific ideas and general good perspective on decorating our new home. This book gave us both. The author gives specific instructions for implementing many of the best ideas (like attractive linen room dividers) and includes helpful commentary among enlightening pictures on how to apply the principles to your own situation. Well done!
Average customer rating:
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No Siempre Sera Asi: El Camino de la Transformacion Personal / Not Always So: Practicing the True Spirit of Zen (El Viaje Interior / Inner Journey)
Shunryu Suzuki
Manufacturer: Ediciones Oniro
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Mente Zen - Mente de Principiante
ASIN: 8497540506 |
Average customer rating:
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El Tesoro Del Zen/ The Treasure of the Zen: Los Textos Fundamentales Del Maestro Dogen / The Fundamental Text of the Master Dogen (El Viaje Interior / Inner Journey)
Taisen Deshimaru
Manufacturer: Ediciones Oniro
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 8497540093 |
Book Description
You don't need to be a Zen Buddhist to experience Zen living; everyone can benefit from a more Zen approach to life, whether it's banishing clutter and excess or learning how to appreciate everyday objects and experiences. These are the gifts of Zen and the way to harmony, simplicity, serenity, and peace. Living with Zen shows you how to create your own refuge-how you can bring simplicity and tranquility to every area of your home, from your garden, to your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living and dining room. And the best thing is that you don't need to go out and buy a whole new set of living room furniture. Zen is about principles and contrasts: asymmetry and symmetry, form and emptiness, stillness and fluidity.Discover ideas room-by-room with advice for more mindful living. Find inspiration from Zen texts, traditional and modern. There are also specially designed meditations to help you become more in tune with your environment, as well as fresh ideas for presenting food in ways that enhance its particular characteristics.
Customer Reviews:
All Bark and No Bite.......2001-06-19
After reading such good reviews I was very disappointed with this book. It is a large, pretty, new age-y, coffee table style book, and I guess that's it's main function. The prose is unenlightened (not to say down right boring), the pictures are too few and far between and not very helpful or explanatory. Unless the whole book is supposed to be a koan (unanswerable zen meditation riddle), you might as well skip this one. The publisher was ready, but alas, no one else was apparently.
Do not miss.......2001-04-02
Baholyodhin will transform the way you look at life. He has a way of explaining Zen that leaves you somehow enlightened, thanks to his lucid descriptions of the world he sees. Accompanied by stunning photography, this book will leave you feeling tranquil, content, and fortified. A must for anyone seeking a more harmonious life. A true revelation in an age of shallow consumerism. Well done, Baholyodin. Roll on the next one!
Yuppie Zen..........2000-12-12
Initially, I thought that this book was very appealing. It's expensive and beautiful, with a simple, elegant layout. As I paged through it, however, something began to bother me. Then I figured it out: ALL of the pictures were of beautiful houses, tastefully and very expensively appointed to illustrate the "simple" life of zen. There was not one picture of a truly simple room with real objects, or an ordinary person's house (someone with a modest income). It was all beautiful, high end stuff that is only had by the wealthy.
Therefore, I think Ou Balyhodhin missed the point. Real Zen living is not about buying lots of pricey stuff for your trophy house, it's about inner simplicity. I had the feeling this is the kind of book some wealthy person would buy so they could construct a "Zen lifestyle" to show off to others how 'simple' and 'spiritual' they are. .. I think there is a clue in the author's biography when it lists Conrans as one of the places he's consulted for and worked.
For a much better take on Japanese/Zen aesthetic, get a little book called "Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers", by Leonard Koren. It's fantastic.
Books:
- Tile Style: Creating Beautiful Kitchens, Baths, and Interiors with Tile
- Traditional Mexican Style Interiors (Schiffer Design Book)
- Universal Principles of Design: 100 Ways to Enhance Usability, Influence Perception, Increase Appeal, Make Better Design Decisions, and Teach Through Design
- Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and New York's Adirondacks (Crown Journeys)
- Window Style (Traditional Home)
- Windows and Doors (Build Like A Pro)
- A Living Lens: Photographs of Jewish Life from the Pages of the Forward
- A Mormon in the White House?: 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney
- American Country Building Design: Rediscovered Plans for 19th-Century Farmhouses, Cottages, Landscapes, Barns, Carriage Houses & Outbuildings
- Arts & Crafts Home Plans: Showcasing 85 Home Plans in the Craftsman, Prairie and Bungalow Styles
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