The Paper Home

by Labeena Ishaque

Paper is readily available, versatile and inexpensive. It is also, as Labeena Ishaque brilliantly demonstrates here, an easy-to-work with material that can be used to create stylish, yet practical, objects for the home. Drawing on ancient Asian skills and influences, The Paper Home shows how perfectly paper can function within a modern interior environment. Using a variety of materials ranging from tissue paper to corrugated cardboard, Labeena Ishaque offers a fresh approach to the traditional crafts of paper folding, cutting, layering, and weaving. Her designs demonstrate the enormous versatility of paper and include a simple papier mâché vessel, organic in shape and fluid in texture, a simple woven bowl made from newspaper, an elegant origami mobile of paper cranes, as well as a wall hanging fashioned from decorative cards and a clock made from corrugated cardboard. Beginning with a brief history of paper, the varied ways in which it has been used in interiors and the different techniques involved, the book goes on to provide directions for 20 beautiful objects for the home – some quick and easy, others requiring more time and skill – each of which is accompanied by easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions and beautiful photographs. Labeena Ishaque grew up in Manchester. She was both the style editor and a founding member of Asian Woman magazine. Since leaving the publication in 2001, she has worked as an interiors stylist & writer. It was whilst living in Tokyo that she picked up her interest in the art of paper and origami. Labeena has written two other paper related titles.

Genres: Crafts

127 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are lots of great projects in here -- not all of them will suit everybody's taste, but what really is pretty cool is the techniques. For every project, you get some good ideas about how to put your own spin on something similar. It's gorgeously photographed, too.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I look at this book almost every time I'm in B&N. It is beyond gorgeous. Ome day I'll actually buy it....

[Mary Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid book. It includes many different ways of manipulating paper. Some of the projects are not my style, but some are very fresh and modern.

[Alissa Faust · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't like every idea in this book, but there are two that I am definitely going to do when I get around to it...