Eastern Horizons: 8 Asian Interior Design Styles to Inspire Your Home
At Stripe Interiors, we're always drawn to the quiet confidence of Asian design — the way it balances restraint with warmth, ancient tradition with everyday function. This month, we're travelling east, exploring eight distinct interior styles from across Asia, each rooted in its own culture, climate, and philosophy. Whether you're looking for serenity, richness, or something entirely unexpected, there's something here to inspire your next Room Story.
1. Japanese Ryokan
The art of considered simplicity
Step inside a traditional Japanese inn and immediately the pace slows. Ryokan interiors are built around tatami mats, shoji screens, and the gentle play of natural light through paper panels. Every element is intentional; nothing unnecessary, nothing missing.
Key elements: Tatami flooring, low furniture, sliding paper screens, neutral palettes of sand and cedar, minimal ornamentation. Décor details: Natural linen cushions, bamboo accessories, a single ceramic vase.
2. Chinese Traditional
Lacquer, red and the poetry of symmetry
Chinese traditional interiors are rich, layered and deeply symbolic. Deep lacquered woods, bold reds, and carefully balanced arrangements reflect a design philosophy that has evolved over thousands of years. It's opulent without excess — every detail has meaning.
Key elements: Dark lacquered furniture, red and gold accents, carved woodwork, silk textiles, porcelain accessories. Décor details: Embroidered silk cushions, lacquered side tables, blue and white porcelain vessels.
3. Korean Hanok
Warmth beneath the floor, calm above it
The Hanok is Korea's traditional home — built with timber beams, clay walls, and underfloor heating called ondol. Interiors are spare and graceful, with sliding doors that open the inside to carefully considered garden views.
Key elements: Timber beams, paper doors, clay plaster walls, natural wood floors, soft muted tones. Décor details: Hanji paper lanterns, simple wooden furniture, handwoven floor cushions.
4. Indian Heritage
Colour, craft and centuries of story
Indian interiors are an extraordinary meeting of colour, pattern, and handcraft. From the jewel-toned palaces of Rajasthan to the carved wooden havelis of Gujarat, this style is unafraid of beauty. Rich textiles, ornate carving and layered pattern sit together with confidence and warmth.
Key elements: Jewel tones, carved wood, mirror embroidery, hand-blocked textiles, brass and copper accessories. Décor details: Velvet cushions in saffron and teal, carved wooden screens, brass lanterns, layered rugs.
5. Japandi
Where two minimalist traditions meet
Japandi, the fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design, feels like the meeting of two old friends. Both traditions value simplicity, natural materials, and functional beauty. Together they create interiors that are deeply calm, quietly beautiful, and endlessly liveable. Emerging in the design world around 2016, Japandi is seeing a resurged interest in current styling.
Key elements: Pale timber, linen, muted neutrals, considered negative space, handmade ceramics. Décor details: Wabi-sabi pottery, linen throws, simple wooden furniture with clean lines.
6. Thai Colonial
Tropical grandeur with a European whisper
Thailand's colonial-era architecture blends traditional Thai craftsmanship with European influences brought by traders and diplomats. The result is graceful and grand — high ceilings, carved teak, deep verandas, and interiors that breathe in the tropical heat.
Key elements: Carved teak furniture, high ceilings, rattan, silk textiles, deep verandas, tropical plants. Décor details: Silk cushions in gold and green, carved wooden screens, rattan pendant lights.
7. Vietnamese Traditional
Gentle layers of French and Far Eastern influence
Vietnam's design story is one of quiet layering — ancient craft traditions meeting French colonial architecture, creating spaces that feel both exotic and intimate. Think narrow townhouses with open courtyards, lacquerware, and beautifully simple furniture.
Key elements: Dark wood furniture, lacquerware, lanterns, natural textiles, courtyard gardens. Décor details: Silk lanterns, lacquered trays, woven rattan chairs, terracotta pots with tropical greenery.
8. Tibetan Monastic
Colour and stillness from the roof of the world
Tibetan interiors are unlike anything else; deeply spiritual, richly coloured, and grounded in the landscape of the Himalayas. Think hand-painted woodwork in deep reds, saffron and blues, heavy wool textiles and spaces designed for reflection.
Key elements: Deep reds, saffron and cobalt, hand-painted wooden furniture, wool textiles, thangka wall hangings. Décor details: Woven wool cushions, painted wooden chests, brass butter lamps, layered rugs.
Each of these styles carries its own philosophy — a way of living as much as a way of decorating. Whether you're drawn to the spare serenity of a Japanese Ryokan or the vivid richness of an Indian Heritage interior, there's something deeply rewarding about designing a space that tells a story beyond your own borders.
Which eastern style speaks to you? We'd love to hear how you're weaving global influences into your own Room Story.
