Contributed by Lindsay Shugerman, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru
Even if your decorating style isn’t Asian, works of modern Asian art can add a new dimension to your décor.
If you like the look of Asian design, here are the top 10 ways you can use modern Asian art in decorating, without a full Asian design makeover.
10. Add inspiring images to bedroom walls
With the peaceful and inspiring scenes in many works of Asian art, it’s easy to find something for your bedroom walls. Make sure there are pair images – two birds, flowers or people – in your bedroom art work to reinforce good relationship fung shui.
9. Use symbolic Asian sculpture in the garden
The clean lines and simple designs of Asian garden sculpture make it a perfect choice for your garden. Select a dramatic modern piece as a focal point for your yard to add interest and color outdoors.
8. Use modern Asian dishes to add art to meals
There are stunning choices in modern Asian art for the dinner table. This usable art – balancing form and function with Eastern sensibility – allows you to add drama and color to any meal. Select vibrant reds or rich ebony black pieces for maximum impact.
7. Inspire with traditional lighting
The mix of the old and the new is never more effective than when classic Asian colors and motifs are rendered in modern lamps and tabletop lighting.
Choose a piece that has clean lines and bold colors, or a work of visual art – in the shade or lamp base – that works in a contemporary room.
6. Use Asian art in the office
The sharpness of design and intensity of color make modern Asian art a natural for the workplace. Instead of classic scenes of birds and flowers, modern Chinese folk art brings a fresh look to your office, while maintaining a professional atmosphere.
5. Create an Asian themed room for relaxation, meditation
If you have a spare room in your home, consider turning it into an oasis of restfulness. Asian art and asian-inspired plantscapes are the perfect choice for a new meditation room, reading room or even art studio. Select works that inspire you and help you refresh from the stresses of everyday life.
4. Have custom Asian flooring created for an entrance way or a special room
Hand-painted floor cloths or custom woven mats are a unique kind of usable art that can add a distinctly Asian touch to your décor. These elegant designs work well with modern furnishings, making them a wonderful addition to an existing contemporary décor. Traditional oriental rugs are versatile and work well in an eclectic decor theme.
3. Hang a modern bamboo scroll in narrow wall area
If you have a narrow space where the use of larger format artwork is limited, a long narrow scroll is the perfect choice. Instead of the clutter of many small items, the scroll will fill the space without making it look crowded or fussy.
2. Use modern Asian furniture as accents
Whether your home decorating style is contemporary, traditional or eclectic, you can add a few pieces of modern Asian furniture as accents to your home and bring in a touch of the exotic. A simple low table with a few cushions, a well designed futon platform or a simple Asian screen are all easy to incorporate into most home designs.
1. Add Asian religious sculptures to your home
One of the greatest gifts the Buddha shared was the concept of mindfulness, or being truly present in the here and now. A modern statue of the Buddha or the Buddha’s ideals, can remind us to stop, breathe and pay attention.