Far-East Flair

By Deena C. Bouknight
Special Sections Writer

When it comes to homes, if Martha Stewart’s doing it, shouldn’t everyone? It seems that she sets the tone for many home trends, and furnishings are no exception. This past fall, she unveiled a Kingsland Chinoiserie secretary in her Martha Stewart Signature line by Bernhardt that will hit retail stores this spring.

The scarlet-exteriored secretary with gold hand-painted blossoms over watery swirls is Asian-inspired — setting the stage for a season of far East flair in home decorating.

“She is right on target with this and always is,” said Karen Cauble, who works in sales and design for Boyles Furniture near High Point. “There are a number of manufacturers who are now coming out with Asian-inspired furniture and accent pieces.”

Cauble said she admires Stewart’s sense of style and practicality when it comes to home furnishings and believes that her new secretary will be a focal point piece that many home decorators will enjoy. “She really takes that extra step,” she said.

The secretary is part of Stewart’s new Katonah Collection for Bernhardt. Stewart said, “Though the Katonah Collection draws on classic American style, many of the pieces bear an Asian influence. Lacquered surfaces, 22-karat, gold-plated or sterling silver-plated hardware and hand-painted accents lend a fresh and compelling quality to traditional design.”

Cauble, who has worked in home furnishings for a number of years, said, “Asian-inspired pieces like this one by Martha fit in so well with 18th century and Chippendale. Pieces can be red like this one or flat black or black lacquer. There is definitely a growing trend toward these pieces as excellent options for accents.”

Stickley Furniture, known as a historic resource for American Arts and Crafts furnishings, drew from Asian influences this season when it introduced Pasadena Bungalow. The collection is based on the California Arts and Crafts style that architects Greene & Greene created in the early 20th century.

Asian neighbors across the Pacific Ocean influenced designs then that Stickley is reproducing today, such as the Gamble House serving table. Constructed from solid sapelli wood, the service table has a dramatic 66-inch wide overhanging breadboard top and two protruding drawers.

Cauble pointed out that clean-lined Asian-inspired pieces, like the new one by Stickley, work well in not only traditional settings but contemporary decors as well.

“Because of the simple lines, they’re wonderful in a more modern setting,” she said.

Bassett Furniture’s new Yaletown is all about mixing contemporary profiles that reflect urban living with the Asian influences of balance and harmony. The complete collection of furniture, upholstery and accessories presents an easy-to-coordinate decorating theme for do-it-yourself decorators. Woods are burl and cherry veneers in a warm coffee finish. Pieces for bedroom, dining room and living room include a woven-back arm chair, display towers and bamboo accent table.

Even top-of-the-bed is Oriental-inspired. Mystic Valley Traders, a maker of high-end bedding collections, introduced Shangri-La at the fall market in High Point. The fabrics are all made of a poly-rayon, yet have a silk sheen. The duvet is reversible from a pomegranate hue to charcoal. The duvet is paired with an almost black quilt and accented with decorative high-sheen pillows.

InFurniture, a trade magazine distributed at the High Point market, named Eastern designs as a “next hot thing.” One piece the publication featured was a massive square lounge bed/sofa inspired by China’s ancient Ming Dynasty. By Simon Li Furniture, the piece has leather on the frame and a hand-carved wood base.

Kenshoma, a California-based company showing in High Point, is even bringing out children’s furniture with an Oriental bent. Designer Francesca Keck has created a line called pi.ca that she said “melds Eastern Zen philosophy and age-old craftsmanship with contemporary art forms.”

These pint-size, yet fashionable, pieces are made of teak and hand-woven recycled plastic. Visiting Thailand, Keck found the synthesis of craft and sensibility to create her definition of luxury.

“I saw that I could create something better for children, something that had a high aesthetic and was bound by an internal and spiritual process. You could say that I’m bringing Zen to the masses, one playroom at a time.”