How to furnish in modern ethnic style?

Oriental furniture for the home

Contrary to what one might think, oriental furniture, thanks to its functional and neutral furnishing elements, is suitable for various customisations. In fact, it is possible to create a unique and inimitable modern ethnic style environment with great aesthetic impact.

The characteristics of modern ethnic style furniture

Modern ethnic style furniture, which takes its shape from oriental culture, is today also very well suited to interior designs with a contemporary and minimalist taste. At the same time, they retain a strong reference to the beauty of distant lands. In a nutshell, this style is characterised by functional furniture characterised by ethnic objects, accessories and furnishings from ancient oriental cultures.

The cultures of reference in oriental furniture

Oriental furniture is characterised by different styles, each of them linked to a specific culture. Therefore, before starting to buy furniture and accessories of all kinds, it is a good idea to define the reference style to be followed in all furnishings.

The culture of the Far East, i.e. Japan, China and Thailand, is characterised by minimal and elegant oriental furniture characterised by contrasting colours and sophisticated and evocative patterns. On the other hand, the Middle Eastern style of the entire Arab world, i.e. Egypt, Morocco and Turkey, is expressed in all its beauty not only in the furnishings, but especially in the embossed metal objects. Africa and India are also part of the Eastern world. In the former, what recurs most is the tribal decorative style recognisable by bright colours, strong geometries and defined contrasts. On the other hand, the Indian style, also rich in colours, is characterised by complex and elegant geometries such as mandalas.

Of course, you can also choose to combine elements from different cultures. In this case it is the multi-ethnic style, thanks to which it is possible to create a true fusion of cultures. However, the modern ethnic style, which combines contemporary elements with those of cultures more distant from us, is also very popular today. Here is how to recreate it in your own home.

The materials and elements of the modern ethnic style

In general, oriental furniture is characterised by natural materials such as dark woods, bamboo and stone, cotton and linen fabrics, and warm metals such as bronze or copper. These are traditionally used for the production of all furnishing and decorative elements, such as vases, tapestries, textiles, bowls and candles. However, today it is possible to find faithful reproductions in more technologically advanced materials on the market.

Oriental furniture: the living room in modern ethnic style

If you want to renew the look of your living room and are in love with the modern ethnic style, you can achieve an elegant and sophisticated overall effect by following a few small steps. Exotic woods and modern lacquers in dark shades are welcome, to be contrasted with furniture in neutral colours and wood grains. An ideal piece of furniture to include in this ambience is a coffee table to be combined with an ethnic tray in inlaid wood. The trick is to play with contrasts, combining traditional oriental accessories with more modern and minimal elements to achieve a balanced effect.

Furnishing a modern ethnic-style kitchen

In order to recreate a modern ethnic style of oriental furniture in the kitchen, it is necessary to focus on the combination of multicultural decorations and the simplicity of modern lines. Therefore, one could opt for a modern kitchen with a neutral colour scheme, characterised by a dark wood worktop and clearly visible grain. In order to recreate a true modern ethnic style, it is also a good idea to focus on objects and furnishing accessories such as plates, trays, teapots and containers that also come from different oriental cultures and are characterised by a specific feature.

The ethnic style bedroom

Oriental furniture in a modern bedroom is characterised by a few neutral elements, such as walls, stoneware flooring and a bed decorated with a few tribal elements in bold colours. Also welcome are cushions and carpets characterised by geometric and linear textures such as zebra stripes.

The real elements representing the ethnic style in the bedroom are the wardrobe, the chest of drawers and the bed frame. These should be chosen in materials such as wood or bamboo and combined with other furnishing elements such as rugs, lamps and armchairs in a more neutral style. In this case, care must be taken not to overload the room too much with four-poster beds and wicker armchairs, which would make the modern ethnic style unnoticeable. In fact, the result can only be achieved if one manages to be sober and elegant in the choice of each element characterising the environment.

Oriental furniture in modern ethnic style, regardless of the combinations chosen, is characterised by a warm atmosphere that takes anyone entering the home into an exotic world of smells and visual stimuli characteristic of ancient and distant cultures. Discover on Arredare Moderno what the Wabi Sabi style is and how to bring it into your home!