Oriental Furniture Guide

View our range of Oriental furniture

Oriental furniture has a rich, complex history going back several centuries when the Chinese and Japanese, with their great emphasis on craftsmanship, developed astonishing woodworking skills as well as mastering the fine art of lacquer and painting. There are numerous styles that fall under the description of Oriental furniture, but perhaps the two strongest themes can be seen in the dark, glossy pieces with their simple lines and almost Buddhist simplicity and, by contrast, the intricately painted Oriental cabinets and chests with flashes of bright colour and glints of gold and copper.

Much of the Oriental furniture made over the last few centuries has had a far-reaching influence on European design including the British Chippendale furniture of the late 1700s and the wildly fashionable 18th century Rococo designs and today we continue to find inspiration in this distinctive tradition with our Oriental screens, cupboards, chests and shelves.

Lacquered Oriental furniture is rich with meaning. The panels will either tell a story, perhaps from a famous play, or will be filled with symbolic images. At The Pier, we have a wide range of Oriental designs including screens, trunks, cabinets and chests and they are exquisitely painted in the traditional way - take a look at our Jade Garden range featuring peonies for happy marriage and pink hyacinth to symbolise enjoyment; other pieces might be illustrated with pine trees for longevity or Chinese characters that reveal wishes for love and wealth.

Our Oriental furniture works perfectly in any home - it's distinctive and elegant yet fulfils our modern day functional requirements with capacious cabinets, generous cupboards and drawers and useful shelving. Go on! Lose yourself in its romance.
<h2>Care of our Oriental furniture</h2> All woods will mellow and darken in natural light and this is more noticeable on lighter finishes. Bear this in mind if you keep any objects on a surface for extended periods as they will also leave areas of lighter wood.

Keep furniture away from heat sources to prevent warping and splitting.

Clean with a moist soft cloth and dry immediately.

Liquid spills should be removed immediately to avoid staining.

Always use tablemats and coasters when dining.

Do not use wax polishes on furniture which has a protective lacquer or varnished finish.

Wax-finished products can be re-waxed occasionally.

Use teak oil on outdoor furniture at the beginning and end of each summer season.

<h2>Important - Have you checked your measurements?</h2> This is stating the obvious, we know, but particularly when ordering larger items (wardrobes etc) it is important that you carefully measure both the ultimate location of the item and ALSO whether it can be manoeuvred through doors and hallways to get to its destination. If you have narrow doorways or a staircase with tight corners, please be sure to check again and get in touch with us if there's a problem.

View our range of Oriental furniture