Culture and Decor:
How Tradition Intertwines in Modern Living
The joys of summer may be ending soon, but for many Asian Americans, it is time for an important cultural celebration. Held on the 15th of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar calendar, typically in September in the Western calendar, Moon Festival is a significant cultural occasion celebrated by East and Southeast Asians worldwide for family reunion under the full moon.
In East Asian culture, the full moon has historically been viewed as the ultimate symbol of completeness and continuity, profoundly influencing various aspects of aesthetics and design from daily objects to architecture.

This Eastern Asian concept of space is also relevant to modern garden design and improvement. Of course, it is challenging to replicate an exact moon gate. Still, a moon gate-inspired décor or landscape design adds a simple and modern Asian cultural touch to the private garden or courtyard. Having such a tranquil and healing space becomes ever so crucial for stress relief and mindfulness especially when dealing with COVID-fatigue.


Concepts of space and philosophies of living differ between the East and the West. The moon gate is merely one of hundreds of examples of how cultural aesthetics influence our home décor style and preference.
With elevated cultural confidence, today’s Asian Americans are increasingly looking into their heritage for modern lifestyle inspiration. For many of them, no matter wherever their homes are, the transformation of the personal space through the cultural lens is a conscious reinforcement of self-identity.
These artistic elements in the surrounding environment provide not only functionality but also, more importantly, emotional value. And just as Asian Americans are a collection of multiple ethnicities, so too the origins and expressions of cultural home inspirations are richly diverse.





Source: Pinterest and SOLARLUX
Like Feng Shui in Chinese culture, Vastu Shastra is the guiding principle of spatial design for Asian Indians. It is a system that describes architecture, layout, space arrangement, and spatial geometry that incorporate Hinduism and Buddhist beliefs. In simple terms, Vastu aims to balance the energy in the given space and create a harmonious living environment in tune with nature.

Source: Architectural Digest India and Pinterest
Besides everyday home ideas, there is also a wealth of cultural celebrations during which festive colors or décor items are put up in Asian American homes. Red and gold colored décor for the Lunar New Year and Tết. Fancy lightings for Diwali. The list goes on.
We see abundant opportunities for brands in all home-related industries, such as interior design, furniture, textile, décor, at-home activities and entertainment, to understand the cultural needs of Asian Americans, and curate culturally relevant campaign promotions to engage this growing consumer group.
The pandemic has opened a whole new area of work-life integration and ignited an unprecedented interest in home improvement. Showing cultural understanding in this category is critical in capturing this market and enhancing brand preference.
Do you know which of your products or brands will resonate the most with Asian Americans? Let us help you.
Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/realestate/pandemic-shaping-home-design.html
https://www.architecturaldigest.in/content/vastu-shastra-25-tips-make-home-radiate-positive-energy/
https://culturallyours.com/2019/09/28/understanding-the-indian-science-of-vastu-shastra/
Strategy Planning Director&
ADMERASIA
selinag@admerasia.com
Racism Is Contagious by ADMERASIA – a platform that provides consolidated, impactful tools to combat the spread of hate crimes against the Asian American community. Visit https://racismiscontagious.com/ to learn more.[R]EVOLUTION by ADMERASIA – a platform that connects brands with Asian American innovators and gamechangers rewriting the rules for social advocacy, content creation and entertainment. Visit www.admerasia.com/revolution to know more.