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“Bibi conveys the intoxicating appeal
of the wild settings, original style and
eclectic personalities that first lured
me to Africa!”
—Peter Beard, Author/Photographer
Swahili Chic: the Feng Shui of Africa unveils an exotic approach to gracious living from a 2,000-year-old culture rich in beauty and sophistication.
Swahili Chic happens where the coral atoll islands of East Africa meet the warm Trade Winds of the Indian Ocean, mingling the scents of fragrant cloves and tropical flowers in a land where African kings, Arabian sultans, Chinese sailors, American whalers and French pirates met to trade jewels, spices, and silks.
Long before the Portuguese ‘discovered’ East Africa, the Swahili voyaged to India where they learned vastu shastra, the Vedic concept of decor. They sent emissaries to China where they observed feng shui, the Asian method of design. Then, they evolved the Swahili shule (school) of interior design philosophy that creates a haven of harmony and hospitality in any home.
And, best of all, Swahili shule can be applied anywhere… from Mombasa to Malibu. A blend of East and West and Africa and Arabia, it is the world’s first true fusion style making it a timely style that is ideally suited for the global tribe that we are becoming.
Discover ancient Swahili secrets that transform any space into a sanctuary of simplicity, sensuality, and spirituality.
Swahili Chic: the Feng Shui of Africa portrays a side of Africa rarely revealed: the urbane lifestyle of Swahili patricians’ long hidden by their penchant for privacy. This gloriously illustrated book exuberantly throws open the door to ancient coral mansions steeped in Islamic customs, quaint beach cottages blessed by shamans’ charms, and contemporary caravanserai favored by savvy travelers.
Explore the Stone Towns of Lamu and Zanibar, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as stunning beach villages from Malindi to Msambweni. Each chapter details East Africa’s rich history with fascinating facts about Swahili culture and highlights the most inspirational aspects of the region’s décor, to create a ‘must-read’ for arm-chair travelers, globe-trotting adventurers, decor aficionados, and professional designers.
Marvel at all that the Swahili share with the West: townhouse communities, mercantile networks, international trading, foreign intrusions, and religious diversity. Their majestic lifestyle embodies core values of cosmopolitanism, world learning, and integrity that are as critical today as they were in the past for building a global community based on peace and understanding.
As Kenya’s leading conservationist Richard Leakey notes in the Foreword , “Books like this promote the realization that the use of ancient ideas in new contexts can be both pleasing and comfortable,” He urges readers to learn from ‘the homes illustrated and described so brilliantly in this book.’
Finally, learn how to integrate aspects of Swahili style into any décor as world traveler and style expert Bibi Jordan offers her inimitably chic assistance in room makeovers, illustrating how you can bring the beauty, color, and grace of this timeless culture into your home …wherever in the world it may be.
If people could see Earth from up here, see it without those borders,
see it without differences in race or religion, they would have a
completely different perspective…because when you see it from outer space,
all you can see is One Earth.
– Anousheh Ansari
Iranian-American space traveler who flew last year to the international space station
