Japanese Style Decor in a Bedroom

When my niece was in high school, she fell in love with Japanese culture and design. She wore Japanese style clothing and hair styles. She mixed her love for Japan with her natural artistic ability to create a Japanese style bedroom. Here some of the creative ideas she used in her bedroom.

1. Red, black and white creates a typical oriental color scheme. Incorporate these colors throughout the bedroom. Paint is an economical way to introduce Japanese décor into a bedroom. First, paint one wall of the room red and the other three walls white. Use black as your accent color throughout the room in the pillows, throws or curtains you purchase.
2. Purchase or sew a bedspread in oriental style material. You can sometimes find economical silk- like fabric in fabric stores. Create bedspreads, table toppers or small pillows. If you don’t sew, look in stores like World Market, Target or Pier One Imports for your oriental bedspreads and pillows.  
3. Black lacquered furniture adds a Japanese feel to the bedroom. Look for inexpensive side tables, wooden chairs or small tables at thrift stores. Spray paint them with glossy black enamel paint.  Spray a polyurethane finish on the furniture to seal the finish.
4. If the bedroom floor is wood, cover it with a woven mat. If it is carpeted, find an oriental style area rug to cover the carpet. These rugs can be found at inexpensive large department stores like Wal-Mart or Kmart.  Oriental rugs are also easy to find at thrift stores or garage sales.
5. Bamboo adds Japanese feel to a bedroom. Fake bamboo stalks can be placed into a floor vase or you can purchase live bamboo at a garden store or Wal-Mart. Put the live bamboo stalk into a pot with rocks. It is an easy plant to grow.
6. Oriental style photos or artwork are great additions to a Japanese style bedroom. Target, Wal-Mart and Kmart sell an assortment of Japanese photos or oriental style framed artwork. You can also find framed oriental calligraphy that looks great on a bedroom wall. Another option is to create your own Japanese artwork using black or red paint and a thin paint brush on thin parchment paper. Look online at the delicate Japanese lettering and paint free hand. Frame your artwork in a thin bamboo frame. Online websites such as allposter.com have a huge assortment of pictures and posters that are great to hang on the wall of your Japanese style bedroom.
7. Kabuki masks add a dramatic Japanese flavor to a bedroom. These can be ordered online or made at home. Simply purchase white masks at art supply store. Paint the mask in a kabuki style using acrylic paints. Hang the Kabuki masks on the wall of the bedroom.
8. Oriental style lanterns are a lovely addition to any bedroom.  They come in all colors, shapes and designs. World Market has a huge selection of these paper lamps at economical prices. Add a paper lantern floor lamp and several hanging paper lanterns to create a warm oriental feel in the room.