Simply Safari - Hardcover

Balfour, Daryl; Balfour, Sharna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0789207117 ISBN 13: 9780789207111

Publisher: Abbeville Press, 2001

Synopsis

Two hundred colour photographs and an inspiring text aim to entice home decorators into transforming a city apartment or country house into a home reminiscent of African tree-house camps and lodges. Lodge addresses are provided for the intrepid traveller, along with source lists.

About this title

Review:

In our culture, the word safari--which means journey in Swahili--conjures exotic images: romantic treks across desert plains rife with wild animals, journeys through dense jungles and down winding rivers, and the stylish indulgence popularized by early explorers like Captain William Cornwallis and depicted in movies like Out of Africa. Nowadays, Africa still attracts adventurous travelers who want to experience wilderness in the style of these early explorers. Lucky for them, many camps and lodges perpetuate these traditions, adopting the decorative style and offering many creature comforts to provide at once a romanticized way of "roughing it" and an experience of great luxury.

In Simply Safari, Swaziland-based wildlife photographers Daryl and Sharna Balfour illustrate a broad spectrum of architectural and decorative styles--from the more traditional to the most modern, and from the original tented safari style to motifs more reminiscent of a luxury hotel in the wild. The authors take readers on a photographic tour of 26 lodges in seven southern African states, including Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, illustrating the dynamic combination of primitive architecture and the high decorative style of European explorers. They depict romanticized versions of safari life ranging from a tree-house camp in Zambia, high on the banks of the Zambezi River, to the air-conditioned luxury of South Africa's Shamwari Lodge.

Botswana's Abu Camp on the Okavango Delta offers lavishly furnished tents with polished teak floors, a custom-made mahogany sleigh bed, and solid brass and copper bathtubs imported from Italy. Sossusvlei, Ongava, and Skeleton Coast safari camps in Namibia avoid competing with the stunning setting by relying on the simplicity of raw materials and natural textures. Combinations of vibrant earth tones and natural materials such as canvas, wood, stone, and thatch blend effortlessly to delight the eye without detracting from the views beyond.

Sumptuous photographs and inspiring text will entice those who want to transform their homes--whether city apartments or rambling country spreads--into exotic retreats that call to mind these breathtaking African locales. A handy source list is included to make it easy for readers to find many of the home furnishings pictured. Contact information for the featured lodges is included for those inspired to experience safari life firsthand. --Robin Donovan

From the Publisher:

With appeal for designers and home owners, this lavish volume shows how to combine African simplicity with colonial grandeur to create interiors with safari style.

About this edition

• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0789207117
• ISBN 13: 9780789207111
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192