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Home >> Lifestyle: Home
Decor:
East Meets West to Bring
Harmony Home
 (ARA) - The Eastern influence in home
decorating is making a strong comeback. Some reasons for its
current importance are steeped in ancient philosophy and cultural
practices; others have to do with the characteristics and enduring
versatility of Asian design.
Asian design
is uncluttered -- perfectly attuned to Americans' quest for simplifying
their surroundings and their lives. Yet, it is as elegant as
it is spare, and many of its themes, such as the lotus blossom
and bamboo, are timeless. Even the monochromatic French toile
was borrowed from Oriental scenic designs along with the use
of gilt and metallic accents -- both popular today.
Modern designers
in particular have historically shown a penchant for Asian design.
Its spare lines and rich materials lend themselves to contemporary
furnishings. Lacquered finishes add sleekness, while bamboo and
rattan provide contrast and interest. Both are pleasing to the
touch as well as the eye.
Feng Shui (pronounced
fung schway), is at the heart of Oriental design. It is the ancient
Chinese art of placement that allows the free flow of energy
and guides our lives toward harmony. Feng Shui, practiced in
China for 4,000 years, is now taken seriously, not only by American
interior designers, but also by builders of high rises as well
as residences nationwide.
The association
between harmony and Asian influences now even moves beyond design
into other important aspect of our lives. Acupuncture is gaining
respect in the U.S. medical community, and Americans are consuming
record amounts of herbal tea.
Several S.A.
Maxwell Co. wallpaper and border collections celebrate Asian
design and illustrate how perfectly this influence meets today's
demand for harmony at home. Like an exotic spice, Oriental design
can be used generously or in small doses, either to make a unique
statement or merely enhance the eclectic flavor of any room,
any home.
Bamboo trail
wallpaper from the Arrangements collection softens the walls
of a crisp, contemporary bedroom. Without disturbing the clean
lines of the room's spare furnishings, it adds warmth that could
not be achieved by color alone. The coordinating border in a
reverse colorway, placed along the top of the wall, adds to the
symmetry expressed in the horizontal lines of the platform bed
and the two, perfectly centered prints above.
What a difference
a change of color makes! The same bamboo trail pattern from Arrangements,
this time in black and tan -- a favorite contemporary color combo
-- ties together a master bedroom and bath. The stunning black
background of the bamboo border is repeated with equally understated
sensation on the walls of the adjoining bath. Meanwhile, the
walls of the bedroom are bathed with just the slightest suggestion
of pattern -- also from Arrangements. The wallpaper features
subtle, miniature repeats of an Oriental woodblock flower within
a six-sided design reminiscent of the pattern of caning.
Surprise replaces
subtlety when a Chinese red version of the very same bamboo trail
pattern brings luxury and glamour to a traditional-style dining
room that can be seen through the open doorway of an adjacent
living room. Red provides eye-opening contrast to the monochromatic,
tone-on-tone, beige wallpaper from Arrangements in the living
room. This pattern carries faint renderings of Chinese calligraphy,
another admired Asian decorative motif that has stood the test
of time.
Proof that
Asian design is equally at home in contemporary and traditional
interiors, and can even blend the two, is offered in three coordinating
designs from S.A. Maxwell's Vintage Colonial collection. The
toile wallpaper in the bedroom features parasols on parade in
scenes derived from documented Oriental art. It makes the perfect
counterpoint to a border based on an Asian bamboo cane pattern.
Rendered in close-up, the border pattern serves as architectural
detailing around the window inset. It continues, horizontally
along the wall at windowsill height, separating the toile from
a coordinating, woven, tone-on-tone striped wallpaper beneath
it.
For true decorating
detailing, the shades of the wall-hung reading lamps on either
side of the bed are papered in a leopard print pattern from Vintage
Colonial. They highlight a pattern on the bed pillow and add
to the exotic nature of the room.
- Harmony at
home has special meaning for women with husbands who raise objections
to floral motifs in the bedroom. The Oriental option puts his
arguments to rest while fulfilling her dreams of luxurious comfort.
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To locate a
retailer in your area that carries Arrangements, Vintage Colonial
and other collections by S. A. Maxwell Co., call (847) 932-3700
or visit www.samaxwell.com on the Internet.
- Courtesy of
ARA Content
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- ARTICLE POSTED
MARCH 28, 2004
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