Asian American Design & Decor Tips

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage is strongly felt in the United States, with vibrant communities in California and hardworking neighborhoods on the East Coast contributing to the country's cultural tapestry. As you might expect, Asian American design and decor are just as diverse as the Asian American community. As such, there is a huge amount of beautiful variety to explore.

The AAPI community has played a huge role in the American story, and its many achievements have played a defining role in this country's history. In recognition of these amazing contributions, let's give a shout-out to Asian American decor styles and explore the various ways you can integrate these designs into your home.  

Asian American Decor

Asian interior design comes in many forms due to the vast variety of Asian cultures.

As any experienced interior designer would tell you, there isn’t one single item or detail that you can point to and say is definitively AAPI because Asian decor is quite diverse, with all manner of different options. Of course, there are some prominent examples of Asian interior design that tend to be more popular throughout the country, with Japandi-type designs being the most obvious example. These designs are a distinctive blend of Scandinavian minimalism and the curvy natural forms found throughout Japanese interior design, making for a minimalist look but not so much as to be devoid of personality.

Asian designs can sometimes be referred to as ‘Oriental design.’ Still, we would encourage you not to use this term since it lacks specificity and has come to be considered old-fashioned and even offensive in some circles.

Because Asian design is, in many respects, about various Asian motifs interacting with other design styles and creating something new, it is not uncommon for Asian interior styles to feature a balance between various eras, between old and new, between the glitzy and the subdued. For instance, an Asian-style home might be a Mediterranean-style room with wooden ceiling beams but be filled with various pieces of decor and Asian-style furniture that come from different eras but blend together tastefully. This gives off an eclectic vibe, a quintessential element in Asian American design.

Essential Goals of Asian American Design

That said, let’s get down to brass tacks and talk about some concrete goals of Asian design. After all, having a specific set of action items makes for a more cohesive design philosophy, which can be helpful if you want to emulate this design style in your home. Of course, it’s essential to keep in mind that none of these principles are necessarily universal, and different types of Asian interior design may not approach things in the exact same way.

Minimalism

As exemplified by Feng Shui, minimalism is a common element of Asian interior design.

Drawing from Japandi design and Feng Shui, many Asian designs will emphasize a sense of minimalism, although this is not always the case. It is still a good principle to go off of because it allows you to keep your design layout uncluttered, which means you can better envision a busier design if that is what you want later.

Put simply, it’s a lot easier to see your future design if your home’s interior isn’t cluttered with too much decor or accenting. Plus, certain philosophies, such as Feng Shui, aim to reduce negative energy in your space and maximize positive attributes such as happiness, productivity, etc. 

Natural Color Palette

Asian designs emulate the colors of nature.

Your average ‘traditional’ American home is usually filled with muted neutral colors on the walls and exterior, making for a look that sometimes comes off as rather bland. Asian American design rejects this by using more vibrant natural colors that aim to emulate the various colors seen in the natural landscape. This means your home will look more visually interesting and more harmonious with your local area's natural features. 

Smaller Scale 

In general, Asian American design focuses on smaller-scale designs, meaning smaller Asian-style furniture, smaller pieces of decor, and smaller overall homes. This means that the little space that is there is used in a highly efficient manner, further increasing the utility of the minimalist aesthetic by maximizing usable space. In other words, while an Asian design may feel small, it will not feel cramped thanks to smart design.

Asian designs often maximize space efficiency.

Earthy Materials

As we strive to be ever more connected to the environment and to adopt more eco-friendly decor choices and lifestyles, it only makes sense to integrate more natural materials into the design process. In Asian interior design, this comes in the form of items such as natural stone tubs, hardwood flooring, stone walls, bamboo decor, and plenty of decorative pieces made of wood.

Additionally, Asian designs are big on allowing in lots of natural light. This prevents the designs from feeling cramped and allows you to reduce your electricity consumption. This is usually achieved with larger windows and skylights, whereas a more open-concept design can also maximize this effect with higher ceilings.

Tips For Bringing Asian Design Into Your Home

Alas, if you feel inspired to create your own Asian-style design interior, you may feel lost in getting started. Many of these principles require some pretty significant home improvement projects to put into effect, but fortunately, you can get started with some relatively simpler steps. Here are a few ways to start on your journey towards an Asian-inspired home interior.

The right decor can add texture and character to the space in a big way.

Adding Texture 

Adding layers and texture to your design in a balanced way is a great way to set the tone for Asian home decor. This means achieving harmony of colors, elements, and textures that is interesting but not overdone. Work towards balance by adding ‘textured’ decor elements such as bamboo blinds, organic textiles, greenery, and natural stone decorations.

The Perfect Backdrop

Creating a great backdrop with Asian decorating techniques gives your design a prominent centerpiece that can give you a framework for bringing the rest of the design together. We recommend keeping the backdrop neutral in color and composition by focusing on natural browns or even light blues and cream colors. The point is to make a soothing backdrop for a more relaxed ambiance, so if you are going to add anything more, it is best to keep it to a minimum.

A backdrop does not have to be busy to be beautiful.

Water Features 

This applies to all-natural decorative elements. Running water is considered a vector for positive energies in the Feng Shui design philosophy. Still, you can also add greenery in the form of an indoor garden, bamboo, or, of course, the iconic bonsai trees. Whatever you choose, the most important thing is to keep your decorative items relatively balanced for a serene effect.

Better Lighting

Even something as simple as improving your lighting can set you on the right path to a beautiful Asian interior. Simply focus on increasing the brightness of your existing lighting with LED light bulbs and maybe add some more lighting fixtures. You can even go for something aesthetically appropriate, such as Indian-style lanterns or paper lanterns from the Far East. Finally, increasing natural light is another good move that yields many benefits in Asian decoration.