Asian Style Home Interiors—Kathmandu Valley Style - By: geetha

Asian Style Home Interiors—Kathmandu Valley Style

Kathmandu Valley Style is a book that makes me want to drop everything and catch a flight to Nepal, now! Kathmandu Valley Style, a coffee table edition, brings out the best of Kathmandu's rich heritage architecture, and some really enjoyable restoration projects. It also features the best of noveau Kathmandu style - modern homes that have taken care to carry forward the rich architectural and aesthetic features of old Kathmandu.

Kathmandu Valley Style has been co-authored by Lisa Choegyal - a long-time Nepal resident and author of several books on Nepal, acclaimed Newzealand-based photographer Craig Potton and Gautam SJB Rana - an arbiter of the Nepal style, and creator of Baber Mahal Revisited (an ambitious private restoration project in the Rana style of architecture).

I know my readers would want me to talk less about the book, and see more pictures. Well, in a few minutes. This is a review, remember? :)

The book has pictures and information of over 40 historic and new buildings, most of them never before photographed or published. I found that quite impressive. When I first opened Kathmandu Valley Style, I thought the rather long introduction (running into many pages) rather unnecessary, but as I read along, I realized the book would have been truly incomplete without this information on Nepal's culture, ethnicity, and the influence of dynasties that ruled the country. In fact, I found myself going back to those first few pages even as I read the rest of the book. For those of us who are neophytes in Nepali history and architecture, it serves as a good reference section, right inside the book! The reader will be astounded by the beauty of the Valley, and the mosaic of architectural legacies that co-exist, handed down by various dynasties. Be prepared to be utterly, completely delighted by the fact that many expatriates have endeared themselves to Nepali preservation and restoration work - in fact, going so far as to making Nepal their permanent abodes (featured in the book as well).
The images, the home, the restoration work are things that I loved! They are the essence of the book, and the authors have done very well in presenting them. The photography is superior, par excellence!

About the Author

I don't really think the book lacked anything - it has been well researched and well presented. If anything, it covered so much of the Kathmandu style and architecture, that it left me hungry for the rest of Nepal.

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