ASIAN THEME CREATES SERENE SETTING

Wednesday, July 26, 2000

©2000 San Francisco Chronicle

 

Question: I am lucky enough to have found a two-bedroom flat in San Francisco I can (sort of) afford. I need to use one of the bedrooms for both a guest room and a small floral design studio. The guests are primarily Buddhist, including some clergy, so the room needs to be simple but pleasing. The floral design work really just takes shelf space and a fairly high, narrow table.

This is a rental, so what I put here will go to a home I am anticipating buying in the next few years.

The room is 12 by 14 feet and cream colored. The entry wall (south) has two doors, one to the closet, and the north wall has a large window with just miniblinds.

I want some furnishings that will work well in a future home for couples as well as singles. The only furnishings I have right now are a rust accent Oriental rug and a small tansu (dark wood, tea chest size) which serves as a shrine.

What should I do to serve multiple uses and have something that can translate in future homes?

San Francisco renter

 

Answer: Creating a minimalist look with Oriental styling is very fashionable right now, and pieces that create this look are readily available and not expensive.

The Oriental approach to design is based on functionality combined with simplicity of line. Minimalism is how this is best achieved, so for those who are collectors of things, this look is not for you.

The redesign of any room should start with the walls and floors. Typically, these elements are visually "large" and will drive other design decisions. Your walls are cream colored, which is a good background palette for this approach, and you already have a rug that you want to keep. Fortunately, you have good "bones" on which to build the rest of the room.

Since the room is both a guest room and work studio, furniture that serves several functions is a must.

Let's start with the bed since this is a guest bedroom. A mattress on a slightly elevated platform would be an ideal design for the Oriental look if this room were only a bedroom. But since it's also a work room, perhaps a futon that functions as both a couch and bed is a better solution.

Some readers will see the word "futon" and immediately think of a hippie's pad. Not so. Recently futon designs have changed drastically and now are readily accepted as alternatives to fold-away, or convertible, sofa beds. They come in a wide variety of styles, from Mission and Shaker to rustic country. The cost is not as high as some sofa beds and you can select fabrics to complement any decor.

For your Oriental theme a solid color would be best, perhaps in a neutral earth tone that complements your rug. For the frame, select a wood and stain color that blends well with the tansu you want to incorporate into the room's design.

With the tansu, you already have the one piece that should be the focal point and could have been the most expensive piece to acquire. A tansu can cost $1,000 and up for a very good antique. However, because Oriental designs are so popular right now, tansus are available at stores such as Pier 1 and are quite affordable, perhaps $100 for a small piece. These tansus create the look people want and don't require a major investment.

Continue to use your tansu as a shrine and let it be the focal point. Arrange the furniture with that in mind, and put art on the walls in keeping with everything else.

Window coverings are always a challenge, but less so here. There are several options. Shoji screens can be custom made to fit any window. Japanese paper roll-up shades are another choice but are fragile and don't take moisture well in damp winters. Matchstick blinds are attractive but don't provide privacy at night.

More functional and less expensive are "duet" shades. They're made of synthetic material and handle everyday use well. Create a soft daytime effect by choosing white shades that let light filter through. Duets can be custom made and are not expensive.

As for the "working"part of the room for your floral design studio, consider a long narrow table on "saw horse" style legs. The legs can be as simple as a pair of connected wood isosceles triangles on each end of the table and a simple top.

For the work surface consider either dark stained wood or white laminate, depending on your needs and preference.

To store your work materials, follow the minimalist approach and avoid clutter. Use a few straw baskets and keep the design of everything simple.

For your work light on the desk, an Oriental-style square or rectangular paper table lamp is a good solution. They're readily available; Cost Plus carries them and again, they're not expensive.

Following the Oriental theme to the nth degree, a display of ikebana is a natural touch that your Buddhist guests surely will appreciate.

Putting all the pieces together in an Oriental-theme room is easy with the abundance of appropriate accessories in the stores today, and because so few elements are required to accomplish this look, it can be relatively inexpensive to put together well. When is doubt, just remember that "less is more."

 

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