In the west, our traditional furniture tends to be quite demure, with simple colourless finishes that let the natural materials speak for themselves. Or varnishes that enhance the wood and make it look more regal. We don’t seem to have embraced colourful, painted furniture until relatively recently. We can see the heritage of this today. While we do use more colour in our modern furniture today, it is still often reserved, simple pastel shades that blend well and do not stand out too much, rather than vibrant, colours. You can see the same practices in our architecture in the West. The real eye-catching detail of the buildings, is in their grand form rather than their colour.

Traditional furniture from the Far-East, is much less reserved in terms of its colour. Following in the traditions of technicolour religious festivals, vibrant food and painted wooden buildings, traditional, Asian furniture bursts with zesty colours. You can find examples of this in the Tikamoon catalogue. In addition to the bright colours, you will recognise the characteristic Asian brass ring handles on the drawers of our Zhang Solid Pine Console Table.

You might also relate to the mystical apothecary look of the Seti Wardrobe. With its 38 drawer fronts, (theses are only a facade for two large cupboards) where a medicine man or woman might have kept their herbs, plants, liquids and spices.

Asian furniture can really freshen up your interior, purely because of the balance it can bring to classic western furniture. One, sure way to promote a more energising and appealing interior, is to combine furniture from different cultures. You could try adding a piece like a Zhang Chair to your current interior. This clever chair, is a decorative piece that would enhance and invigorate the other elements in the room by drawing the eye and creating a beautiful contrast.