Korea Style

With over 500 stunning photographs, this design book reveals the relatively unknown, unique aesthetics of Korea.

Korea Style reveals the central elements of Korean design: simplicity, moderation, constraint, and a deep respect for all things natural. Despite the filtering of Japanese and Western design ideas into Korea over the millennia, the peninsula has maintained its own identity and is gaining recognition for its own particular "style."

Spatial, spiritual and material qualities are reflected in the pure beauty of its architectural design, while classic objects that immediately distinguish themselves as being uniquely Korean are used with distinctive flair in interior design and decoration.

Korea Style is the first book devoted to the country's architecture and interior design--featuring twenty-two exceptional homes, studios, and public and heritage buildings. They range from vernacular to cutting-edge creations and are a celebration of Korea's culture, natural landscape, arts and crafts, and architectural history juxtaposed with a drive towards invention, experimentation and individuality.

Marcia Iwatate is one of the leading professionals in the Japanese design and food industry. She is the author of Eat.Work.Shop., and the co-author of Japan Houses and Shunju: New Japanese Cuisine, which won a James Beard Award in 2004.

Kim Unsoo was born in Korea and educated in the United States. She has worked in the contemporary art field in both New York and Seoul. She lives in Seoul with her husband and two children.

Photographer Lee Jongkeun has become one of Korea’s foremost photographers of interiors, food, and products since establishing Apo Associates in 1995. He works actively in the field of advertising and regularly contributes to design and lifestyle magazines. He is currently photo director for Marie Claire and Maison Marie Claire and also publishes catalogs and books from his firm Guru Visual.