Folding Fans On the Wall

A "Japanese fans" view on adding interest to your home with items such as a larger size ornamental (wall) fan.

Oriental Home Decor

The decor that is used to decorate an oriental style home is very ornate and colorful. Traditions from the Orient are displayed throughout these pieces. The pieces themselves can be found on walls in the form of artwork, displayed as statues or other ’show’ pieces, or the designs could be shown through the very furniture that is placed throughout the home.

Panel pieces in threes (such as a Japanese shoji screen) are very popular for displaying artwork in the oriental tradition. The artwork itself varies by what is displayed on the panels, but it is typically very traditional and colorful. There is a lot of gold, red, and black used as colors in this artwork.

Large, wall-sized fans are also popular for decorating in the oriental tradition. Again, the artwork displayed will vary, but the colors will be similar to those used in panel paintings. The displays may include traditional oriental women complete with hair pulled back and wearing traditional clothing, likewise for Oriental males. They may also display the mythological creature so often seen in oriental design, the dragon, often breathing fire from its mouth.

Colors of walls in an oriental decorated home are most typically white. The red, gold, and black are most often reserved for the complimentary pieces. Clean lines are important to the Oriental home, so the walls will enhance those clean lines by having been painted either white or very light beige.

Those walls will be lined on the bottom by wood grained shoe moulding and trim around doorways in the home. This further adds to those clean lines displayed throughout the home.

Knickknacks will be sparse. They will be well chosen after much contemplation. Not all Oriental pieces are red, black, and gold. Some use blues, blacks, and yellows too, but the first are the most typical.

These traditional colors will be found in a lot of the knickknacks that will be displayed throughout the home. There will be only a few chosen and they will compliment one another.

Plants will also be sparse. An orchid is a popular choice for Oriental decorating, but many green leafy plants will be appropriate too. Orchids can be hard to care for, so some may choose a simply ivy instead.

Artwork, other than fans and panels, will compliment the color choices of the knickknacks displayed. They will compliment the gold in a statue or the red sprinkled throughout the serving dish. There will never be too much color in the artwork, it should be simple, just like everything else discussed here.

Furnishings will be lower than typical to enhance the Zen tradition originated in the Orient. Some furnishing may not have legs at all, they may be nothing much more than cushions on the floor.

Coffee tables and end tables will also be placed lower than their American counterparts. Again, this is to compliment the furnishings that are set lower. Often the legs of the furniture and coffee and end tables turn in. This shape goes along with the Oriental tradition.

An Oriental home is a clean one that displays its cleanliness through the undisturbed lines in the home. There will never be clutter in this style home. All pieces will have been chosen with much effort.

The homes become pieces of artwork themselves and bring peace and serenity to those that are living among them.

Author: Lee Dobbins

Lee Dobbins writes for Decor How To where you can learn how to have great decor in your home and get more ideas for decorating with Oriental home decor.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Dobbins

Do feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Futon – Japanese Wall Fans.

Asian Decor: Calm and Soothing

In Asian Decor both Japanese and Chinese philosophies believe that our most basic need is for space. Our spirits need room to breathe, move, and think with ease.

Keep the center of your room open. This principle comes from the Eastern belief that the center of the room represents the heart of your self and therefore should be kept open to allow the flow of energy to have full freedom of action.

One of the first steps necessary to transform a home into Asian decor is banishment of clutter. It is necessary to strip away all that is unnecessary in terms of furniture, accessories, and material possessions. For Westerners, this is a very difficult thing to do. If you want a true Asian style home, this is the first step.

Asian decor is attuned to nature and the environment. It would therefore follow that materials used in this style would be natural and bring good feelings to our senses. Oriental flower arranging in the Japanese Ikebana style and bonsai trees are often used. Bamboo is considered to bring good luck when used in a home. Water fountains are in use to bring calm and order to the mind.

Natural fabrics and materials tend to hold more interest for us. Unlike manufactured products, every piece of natural material is unique. It is impossible to get two stones, two pieces of wood, or two pieces of natural fabric to look exactly alike. Natural materials add a new dimension to a design every time they are used.

Here is a list of items you could use in your Asian decorating scheme:

• Shoji screens
• Tatami mats
• Lacquer furniture
• Rosewood furniture
• Ginger jars
• Items made of porcelain and jade
• Japanese fans and large wall fans
• Japanese lanterns
• Paper umbrellas
• Calligraphy wall hangings

If you are truly looking to create a peaceful haven from the outside world, if you are fed up with materialism and willing to part from your "stuff", if you are attracted to the spirit and philosophy of Asian culture, then perhaps the Asian Style of decorating is exactly what you are looking for.

Author: Gloria Daniels

Gloria Daniels has worked in many areas of the home decorating field and has been helping clients decorate their homes creatively for over 20 years. For more help and hints on creative ways to decorate you home, visit her website at Home Decorating Room by Room While there sign up for her ezine Home Decorating Workshop Each month receive a dozen home decorating tips along with a lesson in how to develop your creativity when decorating your home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gloria_Daniels

Asian Inspired Wedding Favor Ideas

Asian themed weddings are on the rise, and they aren’t just limited to those people of Asian heritage. Many brides are finding themselves drawn to the festivity of Chinese themed weddings or the simplicity of "Zen" Japanese weddings. Perhpas you practice a bit of feng shui in your home, to bring peace and tranquility. Or perhaps your tastes reflect the traditional Chinese style and glamour. Whatever your tastes dictate, an Asian themed wedding is a wonderful way to celebrate your marriage connected to your values and lifestyle.

If you’re considering an Asian themed wedding, here are some ideas to inspire your Asian themed wedding favors.

In Chinese themed weddings, white is considered bad luck (the color of death) and red and black are good (colors of luck and prosperity). You’ll want to keep that in mind while planning your wedding and selecting your wedding favors. These Asian themed wedding favors typically feature bright colors and nature motifs.

Some ideas to consider for your Chinese themed wedding are:

• Red and gold place cards held in a Asian themed place
• Card holder
• Take out containers filled with fortune cookies
• Lucky bamboo stalks
• Chopsticks
• Items with the double happiness character
• Brocade sachets or boxes
• Red mini lanterns
• Hand held fans, Japanese or Chinese
• Red envelopes with lucky coins tucked inside
• Asian themed mints and candies

The above are just some ideas you could select for your favors.

In Japanese or Zen themed weddings, brides should look for simplicity, elegance and natural materials when planning their wedding and selecting their Japanese inspired wedding favors. Crane motifs are used in Japanese weddings, wedding kimono and Japanese wedding decorations because cranes mate for life and are devoted to their partners in all seasons.

Some wedding favor ideas to consider are:

• Japanese paper lanterns
• Chinese or Japanese hand fans
• Chopsticks
• Sake gift sets
• Lucky cat ornaments or figurines
• Kaeru frog charms
• Cherry blossom designed items
• Incense cones or sticks.

Whatever your Asian wedding style, make sure your wedding favors are infused with Far East flair to complement your theme. With a little thought and a bit of searching, you’re sure to find your perfect Asian themed wedding favor.

Author: Erica Tevis

Erica Tevis is the owner of Little Things Wedding Favors which carries thousands of wedding favors and wedding accessories to suit every couple’s style, theme and budget.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erica_Tevis

Here are more sites about Japanese wall fans, oriental decor fans and other, related topics:

‘Tis a gift to be simple
Kabuki fans are large and graphically dramatic; tea-ceremony fans tiny and more ornamental than functional; and rakugo (comic storytelling) fans are purposely plain so they can be used as stage props symbolizing chopsticks, scissors, (…)

Cool Items
Mini kakejiku Japanese Scroll Art An item that’s custom made for us foreigners, these are small and attractive kakejiku (traditional Japanese wall scrolls) that you can hang up to Japanify your room. … Niko Niko Seaweed Punch for Bento Fans of Japanese Boxed Lunch.

Decorate Your Walls With Oriental Wall Hangings
These attractive wall hangings come in different sizes and designs. Whether you buy them individually or an assorted lot, Paper Cut Wall Hangings are a great way to add culture and color to your walls.

Give Your Room An Asian-Inspired Makeover
Add in some of those beautiful paper fans that add flair of more Asian to your room. These fans will also add color to the neutral color you have painted the walls. Coordinate the fans with pillows that are in the room, or curtains.

Oriental Feng Shui Wall Fan-Blue Horses
This classic oriental wall fan Handcrafted in bamboo and handpainted on heavy paper.Oriental fans has a history of two thousand years in ancient China. Artists express their artworks by drawing and writing on the oriental fans.

Decoration Tips, Ideas, And Technique
Opened Oriental fans attached to the wall at different angles add character. Have your teenager’s favorite quotes, funny sayings, or pleasant reminders plastered on their wall. Cut out comic strips and tack to the walls – this may keep (…)

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Japanese Style Bedrooms

Japanese design and culture has now entered bedroom decor. This is for good reason: Many people find its simple lines soothing. Since your bedroom is your innermost retreat, your sanctuary, it should offer you comfort as you enter the room. By utilizing sparing, but luxurious, Japanese decor and design, you can create a relaxing, meditative, bedroom. How do you go about creating a Japanese styled bedroom? Let’s find out.

Start from the bottom up, and consider your flooring. Would you like traditional tatami (tightly woven straw) mat flooring? It is very comfortable to bare feet. Traditional Japanese design requires a certain mat layout that dictates certain room dimensions. Modern Japanese-inspired decor may use a traditional tatami mat layout as a floor insert surrounded by other flooring or one tatami mat on top of hard flooring to use as a yoga mat.

Next is the central feature of a Japanese-style bedroom – a futon or platform bed. In Japanese design, this bed does not have a footboard or, sometimes, a headboard. It has an extended platform on which the mattress sits in the middle. It usually does not have box springs. It sits low to the ground and sometimes well away from all walls. Use all silk bedding in a single rich color to continue the Japanese theme (and to pamper yourself). Add several silk pillows to your platform bed to complete the effect.

Add shoji-style lamps for lighting. Their translucent panels are especially good for creating warm, diffused lighting. Put one on a dimmer switch on either side of the bed and have bright enough light for reading or soft, romantic lighting from the same lamps. Shoji doors could replace French doors leading into your bathroom or out onto your deck. Skylights also look classy framed to appear shoji-style.

Remember to keep bedside tables and other tables in the bedroom area low. Keep them in proportion to the height of your bed. If your bedroom also has a sitting area, consider keeping the Japanese theme and use a low table and zabuton (the seating cushions).

You should also consider adding a tokonoma, which is a small, raised alcove in which you might display a wall scroll, and other decorative features. A sliding-door wall closet can be opened up and trimmed to make a deep tokonoma. A shallow alcove can be framed out and set in the wall. If you are displaying a tall, narrow object, you can even put a tokonoma between studs. Traditionally, the decorations are changed every month or so. Small geisha dolls, a bonsai tree, or a Buddha statue are other ideas for your tokonoma decorations.

So there you go.

When you are ready for a soothing bedroom makeover, consider Japanese design ideas. Whether you go completely traditional with a tamaki room, and all the proper accents or whether you choose a lighter impact, only incorporating a few Japanese-inspired items in with your traditional bed and flooring, a bedroom with Japanese style elements is a mentally soothing retreat that you will look forward to visiting at the end of a stressful day.

Author: Tom Matherson

Tom Matherson is a writer for Worldwide Tapestries where you’ll see a wide range of wall tapestry discounts to decorate any home, including a fine range of French style tapestries and Oriental wall hangings as wall art to decorate your room or home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Matherson

Feel free to read more about decor in Japanese homes and the traditions and flavors of Japan here: Japanese Home Decor – Japanese Decorations & Paintings – Japanese Style Furniture – Japanese Decorating & Ancient Culture – Japanese Wall Decor & Traditional Japanese Decor – Japanese Bedrooms – Japanese Rooms – Japanese Shoji Screen – Japanese Wall Fans.

Japanese Bedroom Designs

After a stressful and busy day, wouldn’t it be nice to come home to and rest in a quiet and uncluttered bedroom? This feel is what a Japanese bedroom gives. These Zen designs are proven to provide the sense of tranquility and relaxation that you need. Here are some Japanese bedroom designs that you may use for your own bedroom.

The first item that is vital in any Japanese bedroom is a low platform bed, which may or may not have a frame. Bed frames are usually slanted or curved. The bed is usually placed in the center of the room or facing a window. Windows are usually big and are left open to allow natural light inside the room.

The keyword for Japanese design is minimalism. There are no frills or unnecessary décor. What you see are clean lines and solid dark colors. The wooden bed, which is usually dark brown or black in color, is accentuated by white linen sheets and some pillows with solid dark colors like rust, red, green or purple. And because Japanese furniture is multi-functional, these beds may also provide additional storage. Pull-out drawers are sometimes placed under the bed.

Because there are not too many furniture inside a Japanese bedroom, each piece is essential. What you often see in the room is a dresser, an armoire or wardrobe, and a nightstand. Sometimes there is a tiny tea table and a chair. If more storage is needed, a "tansu" or chest is placed. These chests are usually made of light wood such as elm, kiri or woven bamboo. What’s more, these chests are usually stackable, so as not occupy a lot of space. The furniture also serves a dual purpose. The dresser has drawers for storage purposes. The nightstand also serves as a table.

Another quality of the Japanese bedroom is harmony. That is why each furniture piece is of the same color and type of wood, like mahogany or cherry. Aside from achieving harmony among the furniture pieces, there is also the characteristic of being in harmony with nature. You can place a bonsai or some potted plant in a corner or on top of the nightstand, or a painting with waterscape or scenery may be mounted on the wall. To complete the look, walls are painted with a light color like cream or yellow.

There are other ways to create the Japanese feel in your room. Clear your room of any clutter and take out unnecessary furniture. Add some Japanese home decor like a floor lamp, shoji screen divider or a geisha doll. By changing the décor with Japanese or Japanese-inspired pieces, you can create that look.

Author: Albert Lee

For bedroom design ideas, visit http://www.bedroomdecoratingideas101.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Albert_Lee

Decorate a Room Using Japanese Techniques
If you want to design a bedroom with a Japanese theme, you have to understand the basics of this kind of decorating. A spare, simple look is the key, with accents kept to a minimum. Much thought and planning is involved in this design.

Japanese Bedroom Design
The tranquillity of Japanese bedroom design really helps in soothing down the stress filled moods of our daily life. The Japanese inspired bedroom provides quietude and calmness, taking you away from the bustle of the modern world.

Japanese Bedroom Design
After a stressful and busy day, wouldn’t it be nice to come home to and rest in a quiet and uncluttered bedroom? This feel is what a Japanese bedroom gives. These Zen designs are proven to provide the sense of tranquility and relaxation.

Kyoto: Japan of the past
Once there, we were instructed to take off our shoes upon entering and were led to our room – a traditional Japanese bedroom, where a thin matrass was laid out on a soft, woven straw floor! Although much different to what we had used to (…)

Japanese Bedroom
Imagine a Japanese bedroom. It would be amazing if you could have such a well designed room. Something with a lovely black futon with pure white sheets. A large embroidered screen to get changed behind and some Katana Swords on the wall.

Japanese houses with Tatami
Japanese houses are built with a bedroom with Tatami. The meaning of Tatami in Japanese is ‘folded and piled’. Tatami mats are a traditional type of Japanese flooring. Tatami floors are made of woven soft rush straw, and traditionally (…)

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