5 November 2020 - The current global pandemic and subsequent international travel bans have hit Hong Kong residents especially hard with respect to one of their favorite destinations – Thailand. World-renowned Thai cultural treasures are manifold, not the least of which is the Thai sense of interior home decorating.
Home owners and flat dwellers in Hong Kong are always on the lookout for ways to transform their living spaces with that special type of ambience, natural comfort and tranquility found in many homes across Thailand. With this in mind, here are some of the key Thai interior design concepts you can apply to your residence.
What actually constitutes authentic Thai interior home decorating?
Many find Thai home decor to be a mix of the nation’s historical roots and their strong belief in Buddhism. You can also see design touches borrowed from Thailand’s neighboring Asian countries including Malaysia and Myanmar. Given the many design elements involved, you can apply Thai decorating concepts in many ways to express your own taste and preferences.
1. Texture and Materials to Beat the Heat
Thailand’s tropical climate plays a big role in the country’s home decorating philosophy. Natural materials that are light and retain as little of the oppressive tropical heat are the ones most commonly found in a Thai home. By the same token, wood and bamboo construction materials are also used most often as these items help maintain and promote a cooler environment. Flooring, furniture, interior walls, and home accessories are nearly always made from Thailand’s abundant resources of top-quality wood, bamboo and other related natural materials. Natural fabrics like silk as well comprise soft furnishing items as well as decorative accessories like wall hangings table cloths and other items.
2. Thai Hues
Thai interior design color schemes always seen to captivate non-Thais. There are so many rich vibrant hues like purple, green, gold and many more that cast a wonderful glow in a Thai home. If you want to create a stronger statement, Red is a key color to consider but you can also add other colors with it. For those opting for a more traditional look, gold and bronze create nice ornate mood. Modernist fans of Thai style will often paint the walls white to infer a kind of zen space to calm and relax the soul. Small dashes of color can then be expressed through the placement various accessories and plants.
3. Under Foot
Almost without exception, teak or other dark wood is the material of choice for home flooring in Thailand. It is both practical and looks wonderful. Often, you’ll find Thai home owners sanding down wooden floors to a smooth finish then they will stain them to a perhaps a lighter or darker shade, or else they may just add a lacquer varnish to protect the wood. Today you can find exceptional wood flooring products to place on your existing floor. Throw rugs as well help maintain a traditional look even in modern Thai style homes.
4. Creation of Calm
Unlike European and other western design styles, modern Thai homes tend to avoid specific patterns and opt for clean lines, open areas, and calm refuge spaces in the home. However, the traditional Thai look at times will indeed employ geometric motifs and patterns inspired by nature which may appear on soft furnishings, rugs, and other similar items.
5. Furniture
There tends to be a dichotomy of going after a either a traditional or modern look when it comes to furniture placement in a Thai home. Modern Thai style certainly favors a more minimalist approach. Wood furniture pieces revealing clean lines are the ones most often chosen and great care is taken to place only those furniture elements that are absolutely necessary to adorn a room. For those seeking a more traditional ambience, darker wood furniture highlighted with ornate motifs is often the approach taken by interior designers.
Thai Design Ideas for Specific Areas of the Home
1. Corridors
Many Hong Kong homes feature a hallway from the front door to the living room. To help create a soothing zen-like effect, you can adapt the Thai technique of painting the entryway the walls white and then adorn them with plants. If space allows, add some type of small running water fountain as the sound of water is a calming and relaxing feature of the Thai culture. To impart a more conventional look, go with bold colors and place a few wood carvings and perhaps an ornate Thai-style mirror on the wall.
2. Living Room
Thai living rooms are noted for the relaxing mood they impart. To achieve this, go with a neutral color scheme then highlight with strategically placed touches of color. There is a decided emphasis on light and space in Thai interior design, so this idea should always be borne in mind. Thai living rooms also feature seating that is relatively low to the floor and create clean lines throughout the living room. traditional Thai-style living rooms are often marked by bold color schemes on the walls and the inclusion darker hued furniture. You can also add more ornate accessories made of bronze or gold to help spice up the overall look. Small high-quality rugs will covey and additional sense of warmth and color to the room. Thai artwork pieces as well will draw the eye to specific interesting focal points.
3. Dining Room
A great idea for creating a Thai-style dining area is the addition of a rectangular-shaped table crafted of teak or other dark wood. Again, white and off-white colors will create a more modern look while more bold features will call to mind traditional Thai culture.
4. Kitchen
Installing darker wood pieces with smooth finishes that reveal the grain will create a superb Thai look in the kitchen. Remember to also keep everything uncluttered and place all appliances out of sight. In keeping with the Siamese love of nature, perhaps think of adding some herbs or potted plants on the window ledge; it not only looks wonderful put Imparts a pleasant aroma as well…a key aspect of interior designing in Thailand.
5. Bathroom
Just like in the hallway entrance running water to affect a tranquil and peaceful mood is essential when pursuing a true Thai-style home design. The bathroom makes it easy to do as the plumbing pipes, etc are already installed. If feasible, try to create a wall-mounted fountain fixture. A white bathroom featuring a freestanding bath adorned with bronze claw feet look s fabulous with this concert style. Again, by adding plants to the window ledge and placing an ornate mirror above the sink will transform your bathroom with amazing results.
6. Bedroom
Since this is the space you go to for relaxation and sleep, the bedroom is most likely to reflect your own individual personality. If you seek a more a zen-like ambience, opt for white walls and white bedding. Add a comfortable bed with clean lines that sits lower to the floor.
We all await the chance to again travel to Thailand, but in the meantime, you can surround yourself with the Thai cultural soul through an interior design transformation that combines the best of both modern and traditional Siamese heritage.