To give your home an Oriental flavour, you don’t necessarily need to work with Buddhas and incense. Chinese Feng Shui and Japanese minimalism will fill your home with Asian flair! With the right accessories, materials and furniture, this style will express itself in harmony and balance. The key to harmony and balance is a conscious use of the available space and incorporation of natural materials such as stone, wood and bamboo. The Oriental style is very pure, exuding a sense of calm, and is closely associated with the four traditional elements: air, fire, water, earth. In addition to these elements, which are easily applied in your home, you can use various shades of grey, white and black combined with accents in brown, red, purple and green.

There are two main subcategories in this style of interior design: Japanese and Chinese.

The term Less is more captures the essence of a Japanese interior; the Japanese style goes back to basics and is characterised by finesse and subtlety. A Japanese interior implies simplicity and clarity, but also pays attention to detail. The colour palette is fairly limited, the main colour is predominantly white paired with black, white and grey.

If you choose this style, it’s wise to start off with combining the furniture you already have with characteristic Japanese elements, such as tatami mats, pillows made of raw silk and wood furniture in light ash or dark birch.

Bamboo is also an important element! Bamboo wood is quite hard, so it can be used for various things, like chairs, storage bins and frames. Plants don’t just add texture, but also artistic expression. Bonsai trees are frequently seen in this style. 

Would you like to explore similar styles, but still haven’t found quite what you’re looking for? Then perhaps the Chinese style will suit you better. Choose colours like deep red, brown and black that will bring a warm and mysterious note to your home. Jade green, yellow ochre and sapphire blue are also typically Chinese colours. These colours go very well with velvet, leather and silk.