Asian

Asian, or Oriental style in interior design cannot be considered homogeneous, since there is not one place or time it was born in, but is rather a mixture of several cultural influences and style, the main role belonging to the Japanese and Chinese. Here, one stands for asceticism, while the other is known for its love of rich colors and a more vivid style. The true Asian style is woven with the threads of Japanese calmness and Chinese brightness. The common line for both is Feng Shui that sets on strict rules of dividing the space to reach balance and harmony. 

Despite the evident differences, it’s possible to find the common yet necessary elements of this unique style to create a harmonious and calm mood with the help of colors, materials, textures and shapes.

• eco-friendliness thanks to the materials used for all the furniture and decorations;
• fragments of mosaics and wood, floral ornaments on the wall panels;
• big vases and pots or any other type of furnishing with blue and white patterns of animals such as dragons, birds and monkeys;
• indoor fountains and flowers;
• accessories for the shelves and bedside tables - frogs with coins, Buddha figures, red and golden dragons;
• low beds and less furniture in the rooms;
• chests of drawers are usually covered with soft fabric so it’s a place to seat;
• carpets in natural colors and ornaments or tatami -  a straw floor covering;

Significant Features of the Asian Style

Materials and Texture Matter

Being a style that gets inspiration from nature, it demands the furniture and the lighting be created with natural materials such as paper, bamboo, stone, glass, rattan, concrete or wood, and in rare cases metal. The same applies to the upholstery: no synthetic fabrics but silk, jute or even straw. The texture, as well as the finish, is mostly smooth. The wood or any other material is polished and lacquered, so that it shines.

The Range of Colors and Ornaments

Since Asian style is based on the mixture of several Asian cultures, the range of colors is pretty vast. While the Japanese variety prefers neutral to warm colors where all shades of sand and brown are dominant, the Chinese one leans toward brighter yellow and brown along with red and black colors leaving brightly coloured spots in the space. However, to reach an elegant result, there is a rule to follow: bright colors should be an accent only and stand right in front of a neutral wall.

Ornaments in decoration are for the Japanese part of the Asian style mostly: floral and natural ornaments showing gardens and scenes from the life of birds and mythical animals.

Lighting Style

To complete the room made in Asian style, customers choose such types of lighting as wall sconces, lanterns, chandeliers, pendants, along with table or floor lamps. The luxury type of Asian style, when it comes to lighting, uses natural materials and handcrafted items. They are typically made of metal, eco-resin, acrylic and plywood, exemplified by the creations offered of the brands Arturo Alvarez and Boys. Others are made of glass and metal with a gold finish - perfect examples can be found at Italamp. Warm colors for the lampshade, with a base made with metal and wood, are what we see in the beautiful lamps by Fabbian. The English brand Vaughan creates table lamps with ornaments on the base, which follows in detail the Asian patterns with birds and flowers found on Chinese ceramic.