One of the recent trends in home decorating is the influence of the Far East Asian Furniture. With its simplicity and attention to space, this lends itself well to our hectic Western lifestyle. A lot of the elements of Asian home decorating can be traced back to two schools of thought, one originating from China and the other from Japan.
Feng Shui is a Chinese concept of space and object placement. Feng Shui associates the home with both health and prosperity. There are various rooms in which Feng Shui is more prevalent. The kitchen is one of them. Couple this perspective with the role of the kitchen as “the heart of the home,” and you can see that any feng shui in this room can have a significant impact on your family. A few things you can try are to place Buddha statues at strategic places. Buddha statues are known to add vibrant chi power to your home. Especially the Laughing Buddha statue. Buddha statues can be made from various stones. Jade, as well as bronze, are the most popular choices. Quan Yin is the female version of Buddha.
Chinese Dragon in Arts-
Common Feng Shui gifts include Chinese dragons. These dragons are said to provide powerful chi energy and keep evil spirits from entering your home. For better wealth, riches, and prosperity, one can turn to Chinese Feng Shui money frogs. These frogs are made from either jade or agate. They symbolize fortune and good luck with your hard work and clever mind. If you’re looking for a healthier frame of body and mind, an Asian Feng Shui crystal globe might be your answer. This is one of the most commonly used cures and produces amazing results. When sunlight hits these crystals, beams of colored light radiate in all directions activating chi energy and can also be used to slow down chi. Incidentally, various Asian animal figures such as jade horses can also be used to the same effect.
The Japanese perspective of home decorating and home furnishings is quite different. Rather than concentrate on objects to attract or repel energies, the Japanese focus on spatial matters. It uses room dividers known as Shoji screens to separate form and function within a living space. A single Shoji screen can transform a dull square room into practical, attractive living areas. These oriental screens are often made with rice paper and can have vibrant colors or symbols. Some common designs are bamboo tree shoji screen, cherry blossom shoji screen or Geisha shoji screen. Light also plays a vital role in Japanese home design. Japanese lanterns are known for their boxy shape which reflects strength and substance. The thin rice paper allows ample light to shine through while displaying the intended images, much like silk paintings. In fact, Japanese lanterns are sometimes made from silk.
Top 5 Ways To Add Asian Furniture & Decor To Your Home
In recent years, adding in a touch of Asian decor has become a popular way to decorate the home. The striking look and feel that such decor can give to any home makes them a much-admired option.
So what are the top 5 ways of using Asian decor in your home? Let’s have a look in an article at how to use the Asian style in your home in a way that will show your taste in Oriental-themed objects.
Use Asian sculptures or statues
Asian statues, especially those depicting the Buddha has become a very popular decoration in Western homes. The figure of the Buddha that is most popularly used is the black stone statue. It has a special presence and a calming nature about it. When placed on a chest of drawers or table, it brings a feeling of the Orient, but subtly and elegantly. It also tends to match almost any other piece of home decor as well.
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Use Oriental paintings and works of art.
Oriental paintings and wall art are another popular way to add Eastern decor. Some of the most popular images include mountains in mist, animals such as horses, and the ocean waves’ Japanese images. There is an image to suit almost any taste, and these images and designs are timeless in their beauty and appeal. You can use them as a single image, or a series of images, especially if they are smaller items that go together.
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Use an Asian wall scrolls.
The wall scrolls are a specialised form of Asian wall art that is very popular in East and West. They portray a variety of images or kanji characters, but are presented in the ‘wall scroll’ form that is hung on a wall and can be rolled up when stored away. They are more traditional in appearance than a poster or framed painting for example. The artwork portrayed in them are often accompanied by Chinese or Japanese text.
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Use Oriental plants.
Yes, this is also considered a form of home decor in the Eastern theme. The most popular plants here are bamboo plants, the Japanese cherry blossom, and the Chinese tallow tree. The bamboo plants can be used indoors or outdoors, while the trees can be planted in a large pot or garden soil. They are most effective when visible from a window from the inside of a home. You can even design a Japanese garden nearby to show these Oriental plants.
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Use Asian furniture and accessories.
There is a variety of Oriental furniture becoming more available now. You can use Asian folding wall screens, Oriental umbrellas, paper lanterns or Japanese-styled tables to add a touch of the exotic in your home. You can even create a ‘tokonama’ room if you want the experience of your own Japanese-themed room in your home. Use your imagination and see what new furnishings will go well in your home setting.
So there you have it.
You now know the top 5 ways to add Asian-themed decor to your home. Depending on your preference and taste, you can add a single object of interest or a series of objects that will enhance your room setting or home. So get a feel of what will suit you and your personal taste, and use these tips above to help you to decorate in the Asian style.
Finding Genuine Asian Furniture & Antiques
Asian antiques are extremely popular today, as they have been for many years. Many people find them charming, interesting, and impressively unusual compared to the type of furniture and art that is found in other regions of the world. While collecting antiques from Asia can be fun, and even addictive, you have to know what you are looking for to ensure you purchase genuine pieces and never overpay for an item.
If you visit Asian Furniture auction that present a lot of genuine antiques you will come across quite a few Asian antiques in the mix. The problem is that they are so popular today may replicas and knockoffs are in circulation. You could easily pay thousands of dollars for a piece of furniture only to find out at a later date that it is not worth anything at all and was just designed to look like an antique Asian furniture piece.
Some people don’t really care about purchasing genuine Asian antiques. They just want the look of these furniture pieces or works of art in their home. As long as they get a genuine feel, they do not really care whether their pieces are genuine. If this sounds like what you really want, purchasing cheaper knockoff items may be the way.
On the other hand, if you want the real thing, you need to start researching and learning more about the antiques you are interested in purchasing. You need to learn about design features that are common to Asian antiques and marks or patterns that may show up in genuine antique Asian Furniture for Sale or works of art.
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For instance, you may know that a very popular Asian table design is one that sits very close to the floor, with people seated on the floor to eat or do other activities. You may not know that there are some styling features commonly found on genuine Asian antique furniture.
These tables are commonly found with legs resembling elephant trunks with rather elaborate, thick curves that push out and then curve back toward the feet. Many tables and cabinets will also have claw-shaped feet that seem to be digging into the ground.
Another thing that throws many people off is the cheap wood that was often used. Since the unique styles of Asian cabinets appear to be stable and very functional, you might assume they were made with top-quality woods. This is not true! It is very common to find the best Asian antique chests made from cedar, which is a rather inexpensive wood.
You will also need a good pricing guide to pay the right price for the antiques you come across. You can access these guides online or purchase them in book form, so they are portable.
Once you know a bit about what you are looking for and have a reliable pricing guide to help you determine what the antiques you find are really worth, you are ready to start attending those auctions and looking around for Asian antiques!
Make sure to thoroughly examine everything you come across and check your guides to ensure you are getting a fair price for the item. Do your research to increase your chances of purchasing legitimate antiques rather than cheap knockoffs.
Also read: How to Take care of Your Marble Furniture