The Nanyang Interior Style: Exploring the Rhythm from the East
The Nanyang decoration style was originally a term used to refer to the Southeast Asia region, including the onMalay Archipelago, Singapore, the Philippines, and the Indonesian Archipelago. The development of this style is closely linked to the historical background, particularly during the 19th century when Southeast Asia underwent colonization and trade expansion. European colonial powers brought foreign cultures and architectural styles, while Chinese immigrants introduced Chinese cultural traditions to the region. The collision and fusion of these two different cultures gave rise to the Nanyang style of architecture.
The characteristics of Nanyang style architecture lie in its diversity and the blending of multiple cultures. It shows influences from European Gothic and Baroque styles while incorporating Chinese architectural elements. The exterior walls of buildings often feature bright colors, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere, which highlights the multicultural aspect and showcases traditional European elements alongside influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and other cultures.
Over time, the Nanyang style evolved into an interior decoration style, incorporating classical Chinese elements, British and French colonial styles, and local Southeast Asian culture. This eclectic fusion of styles has created a unique visual experience and living environment, offering both a homely warmth and a mysterious sophistication. It is considered the ultimate expression of eclectic style. The Nanyang style, with its distinct exotic charm, has attracted many retro enthusiasts and has become a niche choice for those seeking individuality and taste in home decoration.
Color Matching
Color coordination is the soul of the Nanyang retro style. It typically uses low-saturation colors, primarily green, white, black, and caramel tones. Green is often used as an accent within this subdued color palette, bringing a natural vitality and vintage texture to the space. Occasionally, contrasting colors, such as golden-orange brown, may be added as secondary hues. These color combinations come together perfectly in the distinctive Nanyang style, where warmth is subtly balanced with restraint, and elegance contains an element of mystery. The style blends tenderness with passion, creating a harmonious and unique atmosphere.
Green
In the Nanyang style, green is frequently used due to the region's geographic and climatic elements. Occasional green accents can help visually cool down the space. As one of the essential colors in the Nanyang palette, Nanyang green spans a range of shades, from light green to deep emerald, each offering a unique pairing effect. It is eye-catching, soothing, and vintage, with the flexibility to be both deep and light. This color is excellent for adapting to different spaces.
Colors like white tea green, olive green, moss green, and deep green can all be used in the Nanyang style color palette. These shades can be applied to walls, ceilings, or decor, infusing the space with the vibrant energy of tropical plants and bringing life and vitality to the environment.
Black
In the Nanyang style, black is also frequently used. One reason is to balance the clash of numerous colors in the space. For instance, when green, earthy tones, gold, and orange are intertwined, the addition of black helps prevent these colors from creating a jarring visual contrast, bringing a harmonious aesthetic to the space.
Coffee Color
Coffee color belongs to the earthy tones and gives off a gentle, delicate feel, much like a cup of milk tea. Of course, it also carries the inherent depth and rich character of the color itself.
White
White is the most inclusive color, as it doesn't carry strong color emotions of its own. Instead, it acts more like black, harmonizing with other hues and making the overall color scheme of the space richer and more dynamic.
Red-Brown
In addition to the striking green and the subdued black, vintage red-brown is also a commonly used color in creating the Nanyang style. For example, in furniture, flooring, or curtains, this color is often paired with materials to impart a soft, relaxed, and unconstrained feel to the style. It creates a sense of comfort, making the space more livable and inviting.
Gold
Gold is often used in architectural textures and home accessories, adding a touch of sophistication and richness to the space, and enhancing its refined and opulent charm.
Color Combination Reference
In the Nanyang style, using a large combination of red-brown and deep green will intensify the exotic atmosphere of the space, giving it a more vintage and mid-century feel. If paired with regal, palace-style lighting, it will add a touch of French vintage charm to the overall style.
Using a large amount of white and high-saturation green in the space will bring a fresher feel to the retro Nanyang style.
The classic black-and-white combination with green, paired with a story-rich decor style, creates a pure and resolute atmosphere, giving the space a strong and bold feel.
Hardbound Features
Nanyang architecture, shaped by Classical and Art Deco influences, blends opulence with intricate design. Modern trends suggest simplifying decor by focusing on essential functional hard decorations, reducing complexity while preserving elegance and utility.
Walls
Due to the hot climate in Southeast Asia, the use of green helps cool down the space. As a result, green wall paint is commonly seen in Nanyang-style interiors.
In addition, there's no need to stick strictly to shades of green. Bright colors such as blue, white, yellow, and pink can also help eliminate the sense of heat. These colors were commonly used by Chinese builders in the past for constructing shop houses.
There is a wide variety of wallpapers and wall fabrics available for the Nanyang style, with endless possibilities in color, material, and pattern. When used in different areas, they can create unexpected effects. Palm leaves and other plant motifs are particularly representative, infusing the space with the vitality of nature while also adding an air of mystery and exploration.
The living room and balcony can be adorned with vibrant colors or intricate patterned wallpapers, creating a sense of passion and freedom, and offering a refreshing and uplifting atmosphere.
The bedroom is suited for wallpapers with subtle floral or bird patterns, or simple line-drawing designs, which create a serene atmosphere. These not only highlight the style but also promote relaxation, helping the inhabitants to sleep better.
A retro green color-blocked half-wall combined with plant-patterned wallpaper evokes a vibrant, Nanyang-inspired ambiance.
You can also use half-wall wainscoting or create a "faux wainscoting" effect by using minimalist wall waistlines to naturally divide the space.
Mosaic tiles can also be used on the walls. No matter the pattern, floral tiles are a unique and indispensable element in the Nanyang style.
Floor
Floral tiles, imbued with unique cultural and historical symbols, play a particularly important role in the Nanyang style. When choosing patterns, it’s recommended to use floral designs or curved, interwoven shapes, which are more in line with the era's aesthetic.
Square block tiles offer over a hundred arrangement styles, commonly used as accents in foyers, balconies, and kitchen walls, enhancing spaces with varied visual appeal and distinctive character.
In addition to floral tiles, dark-colored flooring can also be considered. The richness of the color gives the home a natural feel, reducing the modern atmosphere. Especially when paired with sheer curtains, ceiling fans, and canopy beds, the space can evoke a British colonial style.
Terrazzo, a popular element from the last century, retains its vintage charm when used in contemporary spaces.
Ceiling
Early Nanyang architecture, influenced by the Dutch, featured plaster decorations on outdoor doors and windows, as well as on interior staircases. Later, Chinese immigrants used plaster to decorate areas such as shop-house columns, porch ceilings, and interior ceilings.
If you want to create a flat ceiling, you can add a ceiling fan, which is an iconic feature in tropical regions. Opting for black or dark brown will give it a wooden look, maintaining the natural feel of the space without disrupting it.
Doors
The Nanyang style incorporates the Singaporean architectural concept of "large windows and wide doors for brightness and ventilation." The arched, symmetrical doorways facilitate airflow and cooling, while also carrying the classical charm of honor and grandeur.
The height of the doors is usually close to the ceiling, and the material is primarily wood. Many doors also incorporate large square or arched glass panels to enhance light transmission.
Black or brown doors can also be used to instantly give the space a vintage feel. However, it's important to pay attention to how they blend with the surrounding environment, as they may appear out of place if not carefully coordinated.
Windows
Shutters are also an important element in the Nanyang style. They not only create interesting light and shadow effects but also blur the boundaries between the interior and exterior spaces.
To meet modern needs, shutters or honeycomb blinds can be used to achieve this atmosphere, serving as regional accents in the space.
Modern wooden shutters may not provide insulation, but when used as interior louvred windows for room partitioning, they still inject a Nanyang charm and vintage feel into the space.
The begonia window grille is also a classic element. Printed on translucent glass and paired with black metal hardware, it not only emphasizes the retro, nostalgic atmosphere but also creates a visual effect that extends the sense of space.
Curves
When the Nanyang style first developed, it combined elements of British and French court decoration, with curved lines appearing throughout. Arch elements were initially common in outdoor terraces and verandas of Nanyang architecture. Today, they are used indoors to divide spaces, enhance a sense of depth, or create a relaxed, carefree beauty through rounded curves.
The design often features curved shapes, such as arched windows and doorways, using curves to highlight the elegant beauty of the space.
Soft Matching
Soft decoration plays a crucial role in the Nanyang style, often serving as the finishing touch. Nanyang's design follows the principle of using locally sourced materials, commonly choosing wood, stone, brick, and rattan, and focusing on creating a natural, relaxed atmosphere. Because the Nanyang style incorporates a variety of elements, soft furnishings tend to be quite diverse.
In limited home spaces, traditional Nanyang architecture presents an array of intricate interior and exterior elements. Therefore, in modern Nanyang interiors, soft decoration coordination requires careful layering to balance these elements.
Rattan Furniture
Rattan furniture is the perfect embodiment of craftsmanship, carrying the warmth of handwoven artistry. In Nanyang-style homes, you’ll often find chairs, cabinets, and bed screens made from rattan and bamboo weaving. After undergoing special coloring and weaving techniques, these pieces retain a degree of breathability, infusing the space with a fresh and comfortable atmosphere.
Most rattan furniture is made from rattan strips with excellent flexibility. During the manufacturing process, they undergo intricate procedures, making the furniture resistant to compression while remaining supple and elastic, which makes it particularly durable.
Lighting
There are two main types of lighting used in Nanyang-style decor. One is in harmony with the local climate, incorporating wooden elements and fan features, creating a casual, natural, and relaxed atmosphere. The other, influenced by British and French colonial countries, features vintage and luxurious lighting with elements like brass and colored glass, adding a more refined touch and giving the Nanyang style a cinematic quality.
Ceiling fan lights are the finishing touch of the Nanyang style—both practical and aesthetically pleasing. They not only enhance air circulation but also create a dappled light effect, adding charm to the space.
Textiles
Nanyang style incorporates elements of Southeast Asian design, which belongs to the tropical style. As such, breathable, comfortable, and natural linen materials are often used to soothe the space. These textiles are commonly found in curtains, throw pillows, or bedding, adding a calming and natural touch to the interior.
Velvet, with its inherent vintage and luxurious texture, is often used for curtains or cushions.
Wall Art
There are no strict limitations on the materials for the artwork, with oil paintings and embroidered art being the main choices. You can opt for pieces that subtly incorporate Chinese elements.
Chinese Elements
Chinese elements brought by the overseas Chinese community are also very common in the Nanyang style. Chinese blue-and-white porcelain can be boldly mixed with European furniture, creating a unique exotic charm. Even some vintage decorative items serve as witnesses to the passage of time.
Plants
Green plants are one of the key elements in the Nanyang style. Besides being suited to the climate, they also reflect the Nanyang people's love for nature. Large-leafed plants placed indoors not only help create a pleasant atmosphere but also purify the air. Plants like Monstera, areca palm, bird of Paradise, and anthurium are beautiful and elegant choices for home greenery.
Nostalgic Items
Oil lamps, record players, and folding screens make perfect decorative accents for cultivating a charming vintage ambiance.
