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Moroccan Interiors

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Manufacturer: Taschen

List Price: $19.99
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Average Customer Ratings:

A temptation to dream This book explores contemporary interiors in the sun-soaked land that stretches from the Sahara to the Mediterranean: Morocco. The diversity is breathtaking: the rural pis? architecture of the south is a far cry from the Hispano-Mooresque ornamental beauty of the imperial cities. Moroccan Interiors are as endlessly varied as the country itself, from the restored palaces in the medina of Marrakesh (where aesthetes of the international set now live) to humble troglodyte fishermen's homes at Sidi Moussa d?Aglou. The colorful palette of this country and the light there themselves suffuse these very different homes with a vitality that is as distinctive to modern Morocco as it is a reflection of contemporary trends in d?cor worldwide. The author: Lisa Lovatt-Smith was born in 1967 in Barcelona of British parents. She has since lived in London, Madrid and Milan. At eighteen she began a meteoric career at the various international editions of Vogue. She has since decided to concentrate on writing in Paris, her chosen home, where she lives with her daughter.


PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS:

Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 745
EAN: 9783822847527
Format: Illustrated
ISBN: 3822847526
Label: Taschen
Manufacturer: Taschen
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 319
Publication Date: 2005-09-01
Publisher: Taschen
Studio: Taschen


SIMILAR ITEMS:

• The Villas and Riads of Morocco
• Living in Morocco: Design from Casablanca to Marrakesh
• New Moroccan Style: The Art of Sensual Living
• Mediterranean Style: Relaxed Living Inspired by Strong Colors and Natural Materials
• India: Decoration, Interiors, Design


CUSTOMER REVIEWS:

Interesting Interiors -
This book features some very interesting residences. Many of the homes featured in this book were actually purchased and fixed up by foreigners to be used as secondary residences, although some live there primarily. There are also some very unusual residences featured in this book.

Tiny, unreadable print -
Absolutely georgeous photography and Lovatt-Smith has obviously hiked all across Morocco searching for homes. I was most impressed with the variety of homes, especially the cave homes.

I'm sure there is a great deal of useful information in this book, but I gave it three stars because the print was tiny and itallicized. In places where it was superimpossed over sand, water or some other scenery, it was unreadable. Why didn't an editor catch that?

This is an OH WOW, LOOK AT THAT book -
Preservation or desecration of certain architectural styles and decorative heritage goes in and out of fashion the world over. It's not only Morocco that wanted to demolish the old and over-value the new. How much of the beauty and culture of the East has been lost in the name of "progress"? The situation is not simple, however. In the latter part of the 20th century there was an urgent need throughout the Mediterranean for affordable, modern housing for quickly expanding populations and growing economies strapped for cash, skills and resources. Unfortunately aesthetics and the traditions of artisans often got trampled in the rush. Lisa Lovett-Smith's sumptuous Moroccan Interiors reminds us that embracing preservation has so much to offer the present and the future. While she focuses on the homes of the rich, ex-patriate and famous and could therefore be accused of being elitist, she also illuminates the beauty of the simplest of objects that could be found in any home, rich or poor. Lovett-Smith has divided Morocco into regions and cities and celebrated the best of each, appreciating the exquisite, ornate beauty of Islamic art and the colour schemes reflecting the dramatic terrain of the Mediterranean: desert ochre and blistering reds, turquoise, azure, sapphire, gold, saffron and cinnamon to name a few. Lovett-Smith is aware that a picture tells a thousand words and her accompanying text in several languages is brief. The photography is faultless and the lighting of the interiors unobtrusive. This is not just an ornate coffee table book. It is a valuable archive, a celebration of great style and a treasure trove of inspiration for interior architects, artists and designers.

contents -
I would like to add to my previous reveiw some more practical notes on the contents of the book. The book is seperated into different regions and cities of Morocco and almost all the homes featured are renovations of delightful, but previously run down, Moroccan palaces and estates. In all but one home the owners are Europeans who have settled, or reside much of the year, in Morocco. This is important because, until recently, the Moroccans themselves weren't much interested in preserving thier architectural history, preferring to knock down old buildings and replace them with new ones. Neither were they much interested in preserving thier own style. The Europeans however were devoted to preserving both and created a movement, over time, within the country for Moroccans to begin to do the same. Each home featured reveals the owners deep love for Morocco and for its history. The photographs are lush and beautiful, and the wealth of ideas for interior design and architecture are matched by few books available today.

gorgeous and inspiring -
The first time I saw this book I couldn't stop looking at it. I was entirely engrossed with the beauty of the interiors, the use of color, texture and interior architecture in these homes. In a word...MESMERIZED! I should say that the interior design in this book is not my 'style'. It doesn't matter in the least. I have integrated, and plan to integrate, many of the ideas into my own home (Colonial - which couldn't be more different) and have, and will, simply do it in my own way. To add to my point I have shown this book to my mother-in-law who is extremely traditional and conservative in her tastes and she was delighted and inspired. I showed it to my sister, who's taste run to the super modern Italian leather look, and she loved it and plans to use some of the ideas for color in her own home. I showed this to another friend who's tastes are essentially 'the cottage look' (she is very good at it) and she was thrilled with the wealth of ideas she obtained. This book can be used as the ultimate coffee table book or the launching pad for new ideas for decorating your own home. Opening this book is like entering a dream world, where magic and graceful living really do exist.

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