Greentea Design - Japanese Furniture, Asian Furniture, and Asian-inspired Kitchen Cabinets.

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Shown: Miyamoto Wardrobe

Asian furniture - antique and modern furniture designs

What type of piece are you looking for?
This section contains all our Asian-inspired modern furniture – from kitchen cabinets to tv stands. Choose a category above to hone in on that perfect product, or try our helpful antiques guide!

Is it a table? - We have solid wood tables in small, medium and large. Check out our unique end tables, sleek coffee tables, and century-old dining tables.

Or perhaps it's a cabinet? - We’ve taken the famous Japanese storage chest and adapted it for the modern lifestyle. See our exclusive line of kitchen cabinets, entertainment centers, and more.

What else could it be? Check out our step chests. They’re room dividers, storage cabinets and media centers all in one.

Welcome to Greentea Design!

Remodeling a room?
Browse by room and see all our designs – both antique and modern furniture – sorted by room of use.

Looking for inspiration?
Browse our model suites to view select pieces in modern settings.

In the area?
Visit us at our Toronto showroom. We look forward to meeting you!

Why Greentea?

You can choose from a variety of stain choices and hardware styles
Our cabinets can be made according to your specifications. Some of our best pieces were designed by our customers!
All our furniture is constructed from reclaimed woods (no trees are felled, and the wood is already seasoned).
Our contemporary Asian furniture collection has simple lines and clean designs that emphasize the beauty of the wood grains.
The strength and character of our tansu chests comes from classic Japanese construction. This unique style features solid beams that extend slightly and sliding doors with the option of iron rivets.
Traditional Japanese joinery is used in the construction of all our pieces.

Salad Days

It's nearing the end of January and I am still trying to get over the effects of the gustatory excess of December! So it's been salads, salads, and salads -- or at least, that's the general idea. And there's a whole slew of really lovely and scrumptious salad ideas to try, among them Steamy Kitchen's Grilled Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing, and Rasa Malaysia's Shrimp and Pomelo Salad, both of which have that exotic Asian kick.

And to give a light, fresh, and delicious salad meal even more oomph, kick them up another notch with these incredibly stylish salad bowls and utensils. They'll give the eyes so much more to feast on.

Salad Bowl by Joseph Joseph via Charles and Marie

Image via The Kitchen Dresser

We here at The Design Tree have a special

The Dragon Year

2012 is underway, and in a couple of weeks it will be the Lunar new year. For some cultures that follow the Chinese Zodiac, or their own version of it, this year is an auspicious one because it belongs to one of the most highly regarded signs -- the dragon.

The Chinese zodiac is regarded by other Asian cultures apart from the Chinese, most of which have strong influences and ties to China. Countries such as Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines all celebrate their own versions of the lunar new year.

Japanese new year's cards. Image from the Japan Post.

Lunar new year is always a colorful celebration wherever you go, and is traditionally celebrated with several festivities that last about a week or so. In many Asian countries, it is almost as significant as the Gregorian new year, with the first day or first few days granted as public

Inspired by a Shanghai Madam

A couple of friends took me for drinks at Salon de Ning, a bar in The Peninsula Manila, and I am still reeling from the place's heady spell. It was such a visual feast, an immensely delicious one! Everywhere I looked were mosaics and photographs, paintings and sculptures, memorabilia and objets d'art -- all set against a backdrop of voluptuous opulence.

Ning is a fictitious madam and socialite of 1930's Shanghai, nicknamed then as the Paris of the East. She is the muse for the glamor and decadence in this hotel lounge's interiors, where art deco meets chinoiserie, exotic east meets posh west.

There are a lot of seashells in the decor. The pillars are covered with what looked like scales made of capiz shells. The lamps -- oh, the glorious lamps -- are made with different kinds of shells that were strung together to create lovely textured disks suspended in the air.

Salon de Ning

In the Showroom With Greg: Festive Display

Greg Laciak is Greentea Design's lead designer. When Greg's not helping clients plan their dream kitchen he's often in the showroom giving it that quintessential Greentea vibe. With an unmatched eye for what's beautiful and how it all fits together, The Design Tree is delighted to have Greg as a guest contributor. This month in celebration of the holidays, Greg lends the showroom some festive magic.

Taking inspiration from traditional Japanese country houses (while adding in other Asian elements), I decided to celebrate the season with this whimsical showroom display.

Caption: Actual Korean floors (Marus) are used as platforms to feature our contemporary take on the traditional Hibachi. Hanging above is the much commented on Jizai hook, fish and kettle.

Caption: An antique kimchi pot holds our "Holiday Tree" The floor lamps are from Cherry Tree Design and the paper lanterns on the tree are often used at festivals in North East Asia.

I created this stunning displaying using a striking Martha Stewart color

Asian American Portraits of Encounter

Portraiture Now at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery: Asian American Portraits of Encounter

Image courtesy of Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is one of my favorite parts of the Smithsonian Museum complex in Washington, DC. Most people go to the museum to see the famous exhibition of Presidential portraits, but I like it because it progressively communicates American stories of identity through contemporary art, focusing on the portrait as a medium rather than format in accomplishing this.

The current installation of Portraiture Now, the museum's changing showcase of contemporary portraiture, features an installation of works by Asian American Artists tackling the topic of identity. The artists featured come from a variety of backgrounds, and the show was well-curated to show the breadth of themes as well as individual voices of the artists and their work.

Shizu Saldamando, Carm's Crew, 2008
Image courtesy of Smithsonian

Mid-Autumn Means Mooncake!

It's Foodie Tuesday!

Growing up in the Philippines, I remember fondly how our family would receive mooncakes from our family friends around September. While our family is not Filipino-Chinese at all, the tradition of giving mooncakes is still popular among families, and we usually receive one or two boxes a year.

I never really thought about mooncakes back then beyond the fact they came in brightly colored tins, looked like large stamps, and had a sweet pasty filling. I also had no idea that the mooncake giving tradition was also linked to a cultural celebration, the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

The festival is usually celebrated today in China and Vietnam, with regions in each of the countries celebrating their own traditions accompanying the main celebration. Common festivites include eating mooncakes, matchmaking, the use of lanterns and fire dragon dances. The festival pays homage to the moon goddess for a good harvest (the festival traditionally marks the end of the autumn harvest).

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Adapting a beautiful antique for a modern purpose can provide a focal point around which to design a room. Many of our antiques have a rustic quality and have been used for decades. Whatever you do with your piece will only add to the patina and increase the "antique look". This follows the Japanese concept of Wabi Sabi - in which an old piece with a rich history of use and wear gets a new life with a different purpose. Pieces with a story make wonderful conversations and add depth to your decor.

One of the most popular trends is the conversion of antique buffets into vanities. There are many elegant bowl sinks available on the market and this is an easy and incredibly effective way to turn a dull bathroom into a stunning "powder room".

Other adaptions have included:

Korean Blanket Chests transformed into bars
Chinese Sideboards turned into TV Consoles
A Japanese Tansu retro-fitted to become an elegant wardrobe

Have an Adaptation in mind?
Call us at 1 888 222 0195 and one of our designers will help you find your perfect match and walk you through the adaptation possibilities.

Interior designers often use antiques as "defining pieces". Simply put, the piece brings up the tone of everything else around it. Money invested in a quality antique is well spent as it adds value to the entire decor.

More importantly, antiques reflect a person's experiences and personality. Customers who have traveled to Asia often want to incorporate part of what they've experienced into their interiors. A new aesthetic has been revealed and the great memories can stay fresh. Antiques, just like their owners, have stories to tell.

Antiques can be used in may ways. They can be matched with similar organic pieces or contrasted with modern interiors (as you can see in many of our online suites) as a natural counterpoint to an industrial design. Antiques need not be themed. African masks are at home with Asian cabinets and European lighting. The "esoteric design style" is a much more natural way to shape your space. Found pieces that are gradually added, easily fall into place with other present elements. The possibilities are endless and your decor will always remain fresh and interesting.

Looking for your defining piece?
Call us at 1 888 222 0195 and one of our designers will help you find your perfect match.

Oriental Furniture From: Japan Korea China

Japanese furniture embraces the beauty and simplicity of Classic Japanese design. Solid and utilitarian, its minimal ornamentation and asymmetrical design allow it to fit in with almost any decor.

Antique Japanese furniture features clean simple designs, natural wood grains, and the famed Japanese joinery.
Traditional "tansu" ('chests' in Japanese) are the well known kaidan tansu ('step chest') mizuya tansu ('kitchen chest') and the sendai tansu ('drawer chest').
Cabinets are commonly constructed from solid kiri wood, hinoki and gingko wood, and are usually built in two stackable pieces.
Hand-forged iron hardware and minimal ornamentation are common on drawer chests, while kitchen chests feature top and bottom extended beams.

Korean furniture depends on graceful proportions, skillful use of the natural features of wood, and a high level of craftsmanship for its beauty. It offers both highly decorative pieces with meticulously forged hardware, and minimalist pieces, made of solid, durable, woods.

Most Korean furniture is a variation on a simple box with only necessary additions.
Utilitarian chests such as the Rice Chest and the Grain Chest were found in traditional kitchens and would be built of thick pine wood for durability.
Highly ornamental chests like the Headside Chest and the Blanket Chest were used in women's rooms and took on female qualities.
Symbolism was prevalent in these pieces - auspicious signs such as turtles, cranes and butterflies were frequently used.
Exotic woods such as persimmon and paulownia were used for inlays on more expensive pieces.

Chinese furniture is characterized by the frequent use of lacquer coatings, hand painting, and precise carving. To acheive this unique style artisans must spend countless hours perfecting their craft.

Chinese pieces are usually large and heavy with minimal hardware. They are often lacquered or painted and contain some carving or relief.
Buffets, Altar tables and Consoles were common and would often hold incense burners and other buddhist relics
Chairs were very ornate and came in several classic styles that would be copied with slight variations.
Tables were constructed of heavy solid elm with curved and stylized legs. They were built low to the ground, as chairs were not popular and sitting on the floor was the norm.