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Beijing Weekend
 With its
hot and humid temperatures, a Beijing summer is more like those of Southeast
Asia.
And as the famous maxim goes, ' when in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Try
Southeast Asian decorations in your home.
This will give you greater coolness, easiness and naturalness at home
during summer.
Remember: natural quality and simple shapes should be the core of this
style.
Rattan and grass are widely used in such a style and cater to Asian tastes
for a natural life, quiet atmosphere and relaxed home. Well-knitted rattan
sofas and beds will be the main furniture of a Southeast Asia home. With
a straw mat, twine-made carpet, cane chair, grass floral baskets, they
convey a special touch of rurality, simplicity and naturalness. Of course,
their lightness and unique quality bring people more coolness in the scorching
summer.
In contrast to the coarse, hard appearance of such furniture, delicate
voile and silk can also be used to make the room vivid.
Rose, peek green, bright yellow as well as well as iridescence are the
favourite colours in a Southeast Asia home. Cushions, bed curtains and
antimacassars in such colours brighten the whole house. Placed on dark-coloured
and simple furniture, they are striking for their softness and vividness.
 Where
to buy cane furniture
Jade Rattan Ware (from Hong Kong)
Orient Home, Yuquanying, Nansanhuan Xilu
Tel: 6375-3078
Yi Li Nuo Yi (Illinois)
Jia 3, Guanghua Lu Bei, Chaoyang district
Tel: 6504-5818, 6594-1699
Wei Tai Yi Na Company
Orient Home, Yuquanying, Nansanhuan Xilu
Tel: 6584-2312, 6375-8155
Home know-how
Q: It is a real headache to clean the dirt from my carpet and leather
sofa. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do?
Beijing Weekend: Don't use a wet cloth if, for example, soup has splashed
on to the carpet. Put a clean cloth on the spillage to soak up the water,
then spread some salt. Wait five minutes then use a dust collector to
clean the area.
If chewing gum is stuck to the carpet, floor or sofa, put ice in plastic
bags and cover the gum for half an hour. The gum is much easier to remove
when it has turned hard.
Dip a cloth in some egg white before cleaning leather furniture. Egg white
helps erase dirt as well as brighten leathers.
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Tips for buying and keeping rattan furniture
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Rattan furniture made in Indonesia is well known
for its high quality. When buying rattan wares, pay attention to the
smooth feel of the furniture. Good ones feel smooth, flexible and
without agnails. Prices of rattan furniture vary greatly between different
brands. For instance, an ordinary set of coffee tables and chairs
costs
about 600 yuan (US$ 72), while famous brands may have a price tag
of several thousand yuan.
Pay attention to maintaining your rattan furniture: frequently wipe
and clean the rattan wares with wet cloths and avoid strong sunlight
otherwise their colour will fade. |
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Tips for Southeast Asia decoration
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| 1. Select rattan and wood furniture |
| 2. Use bright and colourful fabrics as decoration. Silk cushions
and sheets are good choices for their softness and lustre, which contrast
with the hardness and rough edges of cane furniture. |
| 3. Choose a puce wooden floor as it is in harmony with the brown
rattan and grass fitments in terms of color. |
| 4. Faint grey tiles with stripes are another choice for floor decoration. |
| 5. Paint walls with off-white or yellow latex. (Recommendation:
Nippon paint 2801-4, 2970-3) |
| 6. Purchase cloth with grass or cane patterns. |
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2002 By China Daily Information. All rights reserved.