Many people have bought homes in the past year. According to the National Association of Realtors, new homeowners comprised 34 percent of the market in 2020. If you're a new homeowner, you probably want to redecorate or at least redesign the home you bought. But if you are still on the fence on what architectural and interior design styles you should incorporate in your new home, consider learning from Asian designers.

Learn why you should consider using design tips from Asian countries and what kind of design elements you can incorporate into your home's new design.

Why Use Asian Designs?

There are literally dozens of countries in Asia that you can look to for design inspiration, but why should you do so? Why not stick to what you know and with the design elements already prevalent in the country?

Here are a few compelling reasons you should seek inspiration in Asia.

• Be Unique

Asian design elements are visually different from the paint-by-numbers designs most pre-existing homes come in. This can make your home more unique and feel like its someplace that is truly your own instead of a prefabricated construction. You should take care not to go overboard and transform your home into a cheap edifice of stereotypical Asian design and make your take on these elements respectful.

• Learn from Other Cultures

Other cultures can have design elements that are not only aesthetically pleasing but practical as well. For example, a day tour of Jiufen village in Taiwan or a week exploring the stalls of Bangkok, Thailand can easily show you how well their structured are built to adapt to the environment.

If you live in a particularly arid area like New Mexico or Arizona, you can be surprised how well Middle Eastern designs can help keep your home cool.

• Reconnect with Heritage

Finally, if you are part of a family with Asian heritage, you could use architecture to reconnect with this part of your background. Not everyone can afford to go back to their family's country of origin and building a home with certain design elements inspired by your family's culture can provide you with some connection to your heritage.

Asian Design Elements for Your Home

There are countless design elements from Asian that you can incorporate into your home but not everything can be used seamlessly or sensitively.

For example, a koi pond is simply a piece of beautiful architecture but building a Zen garden in your backyard when you don't practice Buddhism is insensitive. Always do your research to find out if an architectural or interior design element carries spiritual or cultural significance. This way, you avoid accidentally trivializing a vital piece of Asian culture.

• Japanese Rain Chains

Also known as kusari-doi in Japanese, rain chains form an attractive alternative to rain spouts or rain diverters. These look like a series of bells vertically hung on a chain and installed in your gutters. The idea is that instead of splashing noisily and messily into the ground, the bells stagger rainwater during a downpour, protecting your lawn and channeling the water to a jar or into a drain.

• Koi Ponds

Koi fish were once only the pets of important people in East Asia, and they are still pretty pricey for fish today. Koi ponds provide them with a relaxing and beautiful habitat.

Not only is a koi pond an attractive water feature that could liven up your garden, it's also relatively low maintenance compared to a large fountain or motorized fishpond. This means that you can enjoy the peace of your garden and the contemplative sight of koi without stressing too much.

• Patterned Rugs

Patterned and texture fabric rugs are popular in India and neighboring nations. Some of the finest rugs in the world are woven in those regions and in the Middle East. You can create a visually appealing living room or bedroom by using multiple rugs with interesting patterns and materials.

Brighten sterile spaces like living rooms with a few pieces on the floor where you and your guests can curl up or sit down without worrying about getting cold.

• Welcoming Kitchen

Kitchens are central to most Asian cultures and people tend to come and go in them as they please. Unlike Western kitchens, Asian kitchens are wide spaces with few barriers like kitchen islands.

Instead, most tables and surfaces are pushed against or built into the walls. This allows many people to enjoy the warmth of the kitchen and to help with cooking if need be. You can be pleasantly surprised how much more fun dinner time can be in an Asian-inspired kitchen.

There are plenty more Asian design elements you could incorporate into your home. Just remember not to do so absentmindedly and to always be respectful to the cultures you're drawing inspiration from to ensure your home is as beautiful as it can be.