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How to Decorate a Living Room in the Asian Way

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The Asian way of decorating can create a real sense of serenity in the home. It also works well in smaller spaces, like condo rooms because it is a style that does away with clutter.

Simplicity is at the heart of this style. Keep your lampshades as paper ones. You can get white ones or red ones which are the most authentic. However many China town stores have them in an attractive yellow color that can make quite a style statement. Places like Ikea also have paper hanging or free standing lanterns that add a real sense of atmosphere to a place. Bamboo place mats are also appropriate. Straw mats look very elegant in any room. You can use one to define the seating area of any room.

Oriental parasols can also make very elegant lampshades. You simply saw them to the right length and use them to cover the fixtures. This is a good way of covering over ugly pot hole lighting.

Another classic type of room divider is called a Shoji room divider and using one in a room can really give a room an Eastern flair. These are wood with bamboo paper.

Simplicity and harmony are also at the heart of the window blinds used in this culture. Opt for simple bamboo blinds to give your home a sense of airiness. Bamboo room dividers can also be used to separate one area from another.

To really give your home that Asian look try using an Asia Scroll painting. Hanging a large Asian scroll on your wall gives it a lovely counter point.

You can also make a big Buddha or a collection of Buddha figures the focus of your room. Deerknocker fountains and koi ponds, (fake or real) also make a beautiful addition to any décor.

Another Asian touch is to hang a pair of crossed swords on the wall. This is an ancient placement to protect against evil. Make sure the swords are not that sharp and hung securely on the wall.

Most Asian homes also have an aquarium or fountain of some kind in the room. These can be large or small. A poster of fish, mountains or peonies or a similar type of image printed on your linens can also help.

At tabletop Zen garden is the kind of decoration that also gives your room that Asian Flare. This is just a patch of sand with pebbles in it and a rake. You then use the rake to make patterns in the sand.

Decorating With Nautical Style Knot Decor

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Decorating Items With Nautical Style Rope
One of the easiest ways to give a room a nautical flare is to decorate with rope. Objects made out of rope can also help recycle old vases and lamps that seem like they could never have a second life.

One nifty idea is to take bright white nylon, blue nylon or yellow nylon rope and wind it around the base of a lamp. You simply use a caulk gun to glue the rope as you coil it around and around the lamp until it is completely covered.

You can also dress up an ordinary pillow by taking a handworked clothesline and sewing it to a pillow. You buy white nylon rope and then make it into a series of slip knots. The next step is to hot glue it onto a pillow or pillow case and then give it some hand top stitching to make sure that it is secure. Pillows that are navy or cherry red look with this type of “braiding” attached as trim.

You can also give tablecloths and lampshades this type of treatment as well. Simply make the slip-knot trim out of rope and then glue it to the top and bottom edges of the lampshades.

Yet another way to decorate your home with nautical style rope is to make a Sisal-Lattice Bulletin board. This is a board that is covered with diamond lattice into which you can stick photographs, cards, reminders or whatever is necessary.

The best type of board for making this type of bulletin board is homasote board which can be ordered online if you can’t find it in stores. You then cover it with fabric and sisal rope that is spraypainted gold. This sisal rope is hammered into the fabric covered homasote board with brass upholstery nails.

Another rope project is a Sailor Knot Trinket Box. This is a twine-edged box that stows cufflinks and other odds and ends. It is a very male looking storage box because the handle is made from knotted twine that is affixed to the top of a simple wood box that is stained in the color of your choice. You can then also paste the rope in a design on top and on the edge of the box. For an added bit of kick you can also line the inside of box with a bright red or blue gingham fabric.
If it has a rim, you can line it with rope. Try using your creativity and imagination to attach rope to the rims of garbage cans, jars, pencil holders and whatever else you think could use a bit of a hint of the Maritimes in your décor.