ETHNIC CHIC: Internationally Inspired Interiors
A Hindu prayer room, the full Chinese zodiac carved of wood and Native American pottery excavated just north of Los Angeles. Since the beginning of my design career, these are just some of the requests or decorative elements that I have been asked to develop design plans for and around. My clients are as varied as the projects themselves. I have worked with a family of four Asian Indian immigrants raised in Guam, to a recently transplanted East Coast couple whose husbands roots rise from a Jewish family that fled to Central America during the Holocaust to a lesbian couple where one half is an Italian Anthropology professor with a concentration on the supernatural and folklore.
When choosing your design style there is contemporary, traditional and transitional but in our melting pot of a world there is one style that can be mixed with all three. I like to call it “Ethnic Chic” that is based on a celebration of a family’s cultural heritage or an appreciation of one or more particular cultural styles. Largely driven by culturally significant colors, patterns, natural materials, respect and power for/of the environment, “ethnic” interiors is the ultimate in sustainable design. Here are some great examples:
• Japanese Zen: With the use of strong horizontal lines, traditional Japanese architectural design is simple and promotes peace and harmony at home. The earth is strongly respected from rice paper walls to a color scheme of only earth tones that range from sand beige to slate grey.
• Feng Shui: Also known as pungsoy (in the Philippines), Kanji or Hiragana (in Japan), Hangul or Hanji (in Korea), Huang Jui (in Thailand) and Phong thuy (in Vietnam), Feng Shui is practiced in a many Asian cultures. The Chinese art uses the laws of astronomy and geography, or Heaven and Earth, to improve life by receiving positive qi or ch’i. Depending on one’s use and/or belief, your practice of the art can range from the simple use of colors (red is best in foyers or entryways for good luck) to the more complicated Luopan orFeng shui compass.
• Moroccan: The recent renovations in Marrakech of Riads or traditional homes or palaces created a new design style trend in both the US and the UK. Moroccan interior design is characterized by strong primary colors mixed with highly embellished patterned, luxurious fabrics and hand carved dark stained woods and silver metal denotes this North African cultural aesthetic. If you love bright colors, Moorish metal and wood working and lavish accessories this style is for you.
• African Safari: Lions, giraffes and carved statues oh yeah. Many travel buffs that visit Africa collect cultural artifacts and souvenirs to remind them of their travels to a continent known for its rough terrain and hunter-gatherer people. Not a style for everyone, this style is centered mostly on the arts and crafts these people hand create. However, we are using these cultures, along with others, in creating Green homes with construction techniques such as rammed earth walls.
The possibilities are endless. I have created Asian Indian rooms using curry powders as my color palette inspiration and have mixed Native American pottery with 18th century European tables. So how will you go “Ethnic Chic”?
When choosing your design style there is contemporary, traditional and transitional but in our melting pot of a world there is one style that can be mixed with all three. I like to call it “Ethnic Chic” that is based on a celebration of a family’s cultural heritage or an appreciation of one or more particular cultural styles. Largely driven by culturally significant colors, patterns, natural materials, respect and power for/of the environment, “ethnic” interiors is the ultimate in sustainable design. Here are some great examples:
• Japanese Zen: With the use of strong horizontal lines, traditional Japanese architectural design is simple and promotes peace and harmony at home. The earth is strongly respected from rice paper walls to a color scheme of only earth tones that range from sand beige to slate grey.
• Feng Shui: Also known as pungsoy (in the Philippines), Kanji or Hiragana (in Japan), Hangul or Hanji (in Korea), Huang Jui (in Thailand) and Phong thuy (in Vietnam), Feng Shui is practiced in a many Asian cultures. The Chinese art uses the laws of astronomy and geography, or Heaven and Earth, to improve life by receiving positive qi or ch’i. Depending on one’s use and/or belief, your practice of the art can range from the simple use of colors (red is best in foyers or entryways for good luck) to the more complicated Luopan orFeng shui compass.
• Moroccan: The recent renovations in Marrakech of Riads or traditional homes or palaces created a new design style trend in both the US and the UK. Moroccan interior design is characterized by strong primary colors mixed with highly embellished patterned, luxurious fabrics and hand carved dark stained woods and silver metal denotes this North African cultural aesthetic. If you love bright colors, Moorish metal and wood working and lavish accessories this style is for you.
• African Safari: Lions, giraffes and carved statues oh yeah. Many travel buffs that visit Africa collect cultural artifacts and souvenirs to remind them of their travels to a continent known for its rough terrain and hunter-gatherer people. Not a style for everyone, this style is centered mostly on the arts and crafts these people hand create. However, we are using these cultures, along with others, in creating Green homes with construction techniques such as rammed earth walls.
The possibilities are endless. I have created Asian Indian rooms using curry powders as my color palette inspiration and have mixed Native American pottery with 18th century European tables. So how will you go “Ethnic Chic”?
The multi-ethnic vibe created by mixing different cultural furnishings together works great here. The red Asian turnk/long console table on the far wall, with an a close to lifesize giraffe statue and possibly Morrocan inspired seatting pieces is a great representation of the owners travels and appreciation of "ethnic" design.
This traditional desgined Japanese family transports you half way around the world. The use of tatami, or rice and rush straw, mats to cover the floorand wood detail it's hard to believe that this home is in California.
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