Asian Home Style Guide

Tips For Various Asian Decorating Styles

From elegantly simple and clean lines, to ornate furnishings with bold colors. Asian style interior design covers the cultures of Japan, China, Thailand, and Vietnam. This guide will take a look at the three most prominent styles of design from the orient: Chinese, Japanese, and Zen. While many homes that employ Asian themed decor mix more than one style, we’ll look at main components of each of them individually.

CHINESE DESIGN

Feng Shui- The Art of Balance & Placement

When Chinese people begin the process of decorating or designing their spaces, be it home, business, or outside areas, they first take into account the principles of feng shui. Feng shui follows guidelines based on the theory that all objects have positive or negative energy and need to be balanced in each room or space. There is much to contemplate when following feng shui standards, such as which elements are used (wood, fire, metal, earth, water) and how they affect all aspects of your life (wealth, health, love, family, etc.). Check this guide for further research.

Colors

Red & Black

The immediate colors that come to mind when visualizing Chinese design colors are high-gloss lacquered red and black. In Chinese culture, the fire-engine red is associated with good luck, fame, money, happiness, and joy as well as long life. Black is associated with power, stability, knowledge, and trust. Red walls with black trim is a gorgeous combination in your Chinese inspired home.

Gold, Gray, & White

For a more modern Chinese palette, combine gold, gray (or muted silver), and white. This is a more sophisticated palette that denotes wealth and ancestry. Gold doors, white trim, and soft gray walls (or any combination of those three) provide a luxurious setting for your modern Chinese interior.

Furniture

Current Chinese furniture mimics traditional styles as they both are defined by natural materials, simple design, and exquisite craftsmanship. The characteristics of Chinese furniture are ornate carvings and lavishly decorated pieces that form structurally to the body.

Accessories

Chinoiserie is a Western interpretation of Chinese motifs. This influence from China can also be seen in the architectural style in pavilions and garden pagodas. From folding screens to figurines, and pottery and porcelain, chinoiserie is still widely coveted and used in today’s Asian inspired decorating.

Animal Motifs

Chinese decor is studded with all sorts of animal motifs, including mythological beasts, such as dragons. These decorative elements are all symbolic and have deep meaning in Chinese culture.

JAPANESE DESIGN

This design style is more calming than its Chinese counterpart. Using natural materials and subdued colors will begin to create the base for your Japanese style home decor.

Colors

Browns

A soothing color palette of brown, beige, tan, and dried bamboo provides one of the main foundations for a Japanese styled home.

Green

The vibrant, fresh greens of nature are another strong part of the Japanese home colors.

Furniture

Furniture tends to be clean-lined and simple. Minimal bedding such as futons are traditionally used for bedroom furniture. Low tables and floor cushions are the norm for dining areas.

Accessories

Floor mats, screens, wave prints, crane art, and bonsai trees are all traditional Japanese accents.

ZEN DESIGN

The word Zen essentially boils down to the Japanese term for the concept of meditation.

• The core of Zen décor is a sense of tranquility rather than specific features.
• Incorporating a minimalist style allows you to make the most of a clutter-free home and life.
• Create a connection to nature, resulting in a more relaxed and tranquil home.
• Prioritize what personally works for inspiring your sense of peace and balance.

Before Beginning

Zen basically translates to minimalism, thus before starting your Zen decorating journey it would be wise to declutter. Here are several guides to easily decluttering, organizing, selling items, and tidying up your home.

Colors

Choose neutral hues in the softest tones such as white, shades of beige, or stone. Accent colors are natural too; hues of soft greens, yellows, and light blues.

Furniture

Streamlined and minimalist. The idea is to carry on the simple uncluttered look with clear lines.

Accents

Plants are key in this setting; bamboo, snake grass, and the dracaena. Displayed beside collections of rocks or a water feature.

SUMMARY

For Asian decor to fully work, it is best to embrace the style throughout your home. Start by reducing clutter. Then take a deep look at your space and layout while applying the guidelines of feng shui. Keep furniture lines clean and simple. Finish by infusing the space with your choice of Asian inspired accessories.