Old furniture in modern homes
Classical Chinese furniture, categorized into groups of windows, beds, stools, chairs, wardrobes, chests, and tables, are currently becoming a new fashion and part of the younger generation's modern lifestyle. Modern people accustomed to using Western-style furniture are inevitably overcome with a longing for past grandeur when they discover the quality of materials used, the excellence of workmanship, and the fine ornamental carving of traditional Chinese furniture.
The carved boards, a kind of highly decorative architectural ornamentation with rich and storytelling designs, can be used as murals hanging on walls or in front of alcoves. These boards, which are very lifelike, are sure to spark interest among visiting guests.
A well-proportioned mobile fretwork (thinly patterned wood design) window placed on the table and covered with glass usually looks great and can be admired with a cup of coffee or tea. In addition to serving as a decoration, old fretwork windows can also be put together to form a screen, (pingfeng in Chinese), or to divide the space in a large sitting room.
Traditional style furniture not only lives and thrives in China; furniture aficionados of other countries who buy a piece of Chinese style furniture will usually display it with pride in a prominent place in their house.
(By Vivien Song)
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