Features » Home & Garden

Subscribe

Living Space: Hot trends in cool Asian design

Symbols, shapes showing up in new, exciting ways

  • Print
  • •
  • •
  • Post a Comment
  • •
  • Favorite
  • •
  • Report an error Report error
    • Thank you for your submission.
      Error report or correction
      Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  
      Sending report
    • Close
  • •
Asian style is growing in popularity and is grounded in the roots of ancient cultures. Asian feel incorporates natural elements, handmade artwork and handcrafts. This room blends Thai accessories with a Chinese painted screen. Don't be afraid to mix Asian elements.
  • Originally published June 9, 2010 at midnight, updated June 9, 2010 at 4:20 p.m.

By Kathryn Weber

Today's world moves at light speed. This type of fast, digitized lifestyle could explain the recent surge in Asian design. The slow, uncluttered aesthetic of Asian style focuses on clean lines and natural touches. It's a style that, like Asian cultures, has lasted for thousands of years. And as a type of decorating, Asian design is especially contemporary and fresh. Simply put, Asian decor and design is so cool, it's hot.

What's Asian?

With the shrinking world comes more distinction in Asian design. This time-transcending decor relies heavily on arts and handmade crafts and offers homeowners a rooted earthiness. The style is influenced by China and the Chinese culture and stretches to Japan with its Zen decorating style, but it includes other parts of Asia, as well. Today's Asian design ventures further with styles that echo motifs from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and as far south as Bali.

Most recently, Zen decorating was popular, but this strictly uncluttered look with its severe styling felt too rigid. Today's Asian look is more informal and relaxed, yet might be considered more iconic. Symbols and shapes that are classically Asian, and in particular, Chinese, are showing up in new and exciting ways.

A new spin

Long relegated to the entrances of Chinese restaurants, guardian fu dogs can be found today in colorful glazes as objects de art for tabletops and bookshelves. Buddha heads have lost their antique feel and are being produced in stark white to teal blue to add a fresh pop of color to counterbalance their spiritual tranquility.

The calabash, sometimes called a gourd vase, with its figure-eight shape, is another iconic item taking on a fresh spin of the standard Chinese vase. A far cry from your grandmother's blue Ming vases, the updated versions can be found in brilliant white with butterflies (vampdecor.com) or as lamps, such as the "Golden Gourd Lamp" (horchow.com). The "Fortune Teller Sconce," made up of two Chinese crystal balls, makes a stylish, contemporary sconce out of these classic and ancient accessories (horchow.com).

Affordable and easy appeal

Another draw to Asian design is the affordability of artist-produced decor. Because many pieces are handmade, they exude an artisanal quality, making interiors feel as interesting as they are unique to the owner. Whether it's a simple wooden bird cage or a hand-painted wall-hanging, Asian art objects are also abundant and becoming more popular in today's interiors because of their calming, natural appeal and easy price point.

Wallpaper is another easy way to add a current twist on an old theme. Wallpaper adds instant charm and Asian influence for the entire room. Thibaut has a variety of Asian-inspired papers in their Shangri-La and Tea House wallpaper collections (thibautdesign.com). For more styles in wallpaper or decorative items search under Asian or Oriental.

Probably the best aspect of Asian design is that it's as appropriate in Western style as it is in Eastern or even contemporary interiors. And even if life has sped up, our homes don't have to go warp speed. Asian design can bring a fresh, yet thoughtful feel to your home. Check out some of the new looks in Asian decorating and accessories to update your home and move into the slow lane.

For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.

Kathryn Weber is a home and decorating columnist and publishes the Red Lotus Letter feng shui E-zine. For more information or questions, e-mail Kathryn@kathryn-weber.com or write to her at P.O. Box 531, Cuero, Texas 77954. Please include your email address or a SASE for a reply.


Sign Up
CLOSE

  • Print
  • •
  • •
  • Post a Comment
  • •
  • Favorite
  • •
  • Report an error Report error
    • Thank you for your submission.
      Error report or correction
      Contact name (optional) Contact phone/e-mail (optional)  
      Sending report
    • Close
  • •