Oriental Decorating Embraces ManyOriental decorating encompasses the cultures of many eastern societies, but the design styles that are probably most known and recognizable are those of the Japanese and Chinese.
And there are characteristics that are typical of each.
The simplicity of Japanese decorating is particularly appealing to modern and minimalist design fans. The colors are natural and the furniture sits lower to the ground, is clean-lined, light and has an airy feel.
This style refrains from complicated accessories and opts instead for the simple and refined, such as an elegant array of orchids or simply bare branches in a vase for a striking and dramatic arrangement.
Natural elements play an important role in the Japanese style of oriental decorating through the use of water fountains, and also displayed are bamboo plants or bonsai bringing life to a room in a graceful way.
Translucent shoji screens also are widely used as a great room divider and window treatments allowing natural light to come in.
The Japanese use soothing colors found in nature, a palette of soft hues of brown, gray, tans and greens, white and black with minimal accents.
By contrast the love of rich bold colors such as blues, mustard yellow and primary red can be attributed to the Chinese style of decorating.
Along with their bold colors, they display ornate furniture and accessories in their interiors with gold decoration a vital part. The wood furniture shows carved designs and with hand painted details, fancy hardware and often in high gloss finishes of black or red.
Utilizing just one of these finely crafted pieces of furniture in the Chinese design is enough to make a striking focal point to your interior, keeping the rest of the furnishings neutral and low key, so not to diminish away from the statement piece.
Follow through this dramatic style of oriental decorating with your accessories of decorative pottery, figurines of mythical creatures and animals carved in jade or rosewood, or figures of Buddha and other objects of Asian influence and color.
Wall scrolls and plaques with calligraphy and traditional oriental pictures of dragons, bamboo and flowers adorn the walls.
Display vases made of bamboo or a more exotic wood of mango, and ginger jars, fish pots and garden seats in porcelain with an oriental design of a multitude of rich colors or in the classic blue and white.
The larger ones can be shown on the floor perhaps by the entry, and the other smaller ones can accent the mantel and other shelving or table tops. Including some lacquered boxes can be functional to hide away small items as well as adding another dimension to your decorative displays.
Rich opulent textiles such as silks and silks that are embroidered with designs of animals, flowers, birds and fish add to your oriental decorating.
Frame a kimono for a beautiful piece of wall art. Hang it on a richly colored but plain wall or a wall that is patterned with wallpaper, particularly a paper in an oriental inspired design, such as calligraphy, bamboo, flowers, birds or fish.
Dark wood flooring is popular especially bamboo and is a dramatic backdrop for area rugs of an oriental design.
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