Lounging in Thai Style

I remember seeing these for sale in a fancy store in Singapore and loving them. However, I had already way too much luggage and wouldn’t be able to fit something like this to bring back. Now I’ve found it online. It’s a Thai cushion that transforms into a mattress. Not only it is extremely decorative and highly original, it also makes for a great day bed or even for improv sleeping arrangements in case of guests staying over.

Form meets beauty meets function

Check it out, as well as other great items from Thailand, at Thai-Artisan.com.

Bedroom decor: The natural touch of bamboo

Nowadays it’s easy to add an Asia (not to mention natural and eco-friendly!) touch to your kitchen with utensils and other kitchen wares made of bamboo. But don’t the other rooms deserve some bamboo as well? Here’s how to add some bamboo style to your bedroom.

Start with a bamboo-themed duvet cover set from Overstock.com…

This duvet cover is also available in celadon and smoke

…and add these stickers from ferm LIVING to your wall.

ferm LIVING has a whole collection of beautiful removable wall stickers

That’s it! All you are missing now is a panda!

Bookends: Mr. and Mrs. Fu

In China, you’ll often see a pair of dogs guarding doors in palaces, temples, or other important places. Some call them lions instead of dogs, but either way, you’ve probably seen them in pictures. One sits to the left of the entrance and the other to on the right, and they look like this:

Is it a girl? Or is it a boy?

The matter of the species isn’t the only controversy surrounding these door guards. Did you know that one is a male and the other is a female? That’s right, and you can tell them apart, because one is stepping on a ball, and the other one on a cub. But which is which? In Beijing I was told the female is taking care of the little one, of the male is holding the ball that represents power, but in Shanghai I was told the opposite, though I can’t remember the rationale (I still prefer to think it’s the girl with the baby). Have you heard these theories? What’s your take on it?

Lions, or dogs, male or female, chances are you can’t have these huge stone animals at home, but you can have smaller versions to keep guard to your books, with miniature red fu dogs from CB2.

Tabi Socks: Walk Like a Japanese

It’s not like you’ll see actual Japanese people wearing these on a daily basis anymore, but tabi socks, which have a split toe, used to be very popular, especially because they could be worn with geta sandals or flip flops. Nowadays they are still worn sometimes, especially for traditional occasions such as tea ceremonies or temple visits and paired with yukatas (or kimonos). Traditionally they were custom made and fastened to the shin, but today you can find much more practical versions with elastic weave that cling to the foot just like regular socks. Me not being a fan of walking barefoot, and sometimes having cold feet when wearing flip flops at home, I have a couple of pairs to go with my loungewear or pijamas. I find them incredibly comfortable worn with Havaianas.

Japanese tabi socks by Muji

I got my first pair in Japan, but Muji also carries a variety of solid-colored versions. Go to www.muji.com for locations in the US, or shop online at muji.co.uk.