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If I have never been to the Denmark, should I forgo Danish Modern? A ridiculous question.

My Windsor-style chairs are made in Malaysia. Is that cheating, too?

I don't really consider Danish Modern ethnic, though. I mean, I see folks with Tibetan prayer flags draped over said Danish Modern furniture, with no idea what they even mean. To me, that's like getting a tattoo in Chinese, Japanese, or Thai without double-checking the real meaning behind the characters.

Is it "cheating" to have antiques or vintage without time travel?

Good point Lisa!

I never thought that you should only have things from places that you've actually visited. That would be such a dull existence.

I don't see decor as a game, so the only way there could be cheating is actual theft.

My pizza is made by bitter German Americans - is that cheating?

There is something to be said in favor of bringing home things from your travels -

For instance whenever I use the table runner that I purchased in Guatemala - I always think of the trip there and the lady that I purchased it from near of the Quiriuga ruins.

Same for the candlesticks I brought home from Georg Jensen in Copenhagen - I had no idea of the dollar/kronor exchange rate, but I wanted them and ended up getting a decent deal.

oh, that's silly. but I would encourage everyone to learn something about the item and where it came from, (even if you can't get there yourself), rather than looking at it as a mere exotic, ethnic knick knack. and as always, try to buy fair trade.

Funny, I seem to be the only one who thinks that creating an "asian look" with mass produced junk from Pier 1 is kind of pointless. And JoeyBrill, what you're eating there is not pizza, sorry...

I have fabrics from Indonesia and Nigeria - never been. Metal and wooden boxes from India - never been. Bowls and baskets from Uganda - never been. Jewelry and other cool stuff from Ghana - never been there either. These gifts from family and friends are a way for me to appreciate and learn more about art and culture of places I'll probably never visit.

the question was about global, not ethnic. Danish Modern must have some ethnic root in that it is Danish which distinguishes it from other styles of Modern design.

i see the initial topic as being a mix of two different questions: the first is about travel and the other is about style. having a fondness for an African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Celtic, South American, Aboriginal, etc style has nothing to do with travel and need not be legitimized by travel. What about people who are descendants of another culture, but have never been to their motherland? Just 'cause you've never been to India doesn't take away your right to express a Punjabi culture.

Lying about locally bought items as though you found them in another country is just a reflection of a pathological personality, I think. There are import stores everywhere. You don't have to apologize for your taste.

I love the Moroccan/Indian vibe and that's how I roll. If I ever get there, it will be awesome, but that shouldn't preclude me enjoying a similar environment at home. That's like saying you shouldn't go somewhere unless you speak the native language. Life is too short to wait for all that.

This is sort of like a question that was posed on this site not too long ago: "Is it OK to decorate with Buddha statues if you're not Buddhist?"

I'd say "no" in both cases.

Your home represents you.

Decorate with Buddha if you're Buddhist or if the Buddha means something to you, and not just because you like his little round belly (he's only fat in Chinese versions, by the way; the Japanese, Indian and Thai buddhas are all thin).

Decorate with various objects that mean something to you. Why hang a hex sign or a prayer flag if it doesn't represent something from your heritage or your family? It gives your guests an impression of you that may or may not be true. (Frankly, when I see stuff like that in other peoples' homes and I know they haven't visited the place or someone they know hasn't visited the place and brought it back as a gift, I think the people are vain.)

The Danish modern example doesn't apply here. Nor does the example of chairs made in Malaysia. Re: Danish modern - there are only so many ways to build a sofa, chair or table. Re: Foreign-made products - just about everything is made in Asia these days. Finding American-made anything is nearly impossible. Owning something from either example is very different than owning a tatami mat or prayer rug or religious icon.

Here's what I think: if your home is decked out an - as particlebored said - an "Asian look" from Peir 1...and you've never been closer to Asia and a P.F. Changs, then you might be expressing and interest, but it's kind of a lie. Because you like the look but haven't familiarized yourself with the culture.

On the other hand, I have things in my house that people have brought me from other countries - I had a little Eiffel Tower before we'd ever made it to France - and I have jewelry from India and I haven't made it there, yet.

So there are two options - you want people to think you're worldly and well traveled, or you actually are worldly and well traveled.

The Vintage/Antiques/Time travel argument is specious.

To me it doesn't seem like cheating. Although I would never lie or try and pass something off as authentic if its not. The "Made in china" carved on the bottom of it would probably give it away anyway.

I think the question here is more about filling your house with mass produced catalog items or unique pieces that have some connection with who you are and where you have been.

Obviously the latter would lead to a more meaningful personal space but, but in the end I think its mostly about making your home a comfortable, enjoyable, and functional place.

Furthermore, if you don't know what the object is or represents, you run the risk of offending others.

Let's say my husband, who grew up on the Navajo reservation (but is not Navajo), wanted to hang the Navajo symbol for peace somewhere in our home. Sounds like a nice idea, right? A peace sign should be OK, right?

Nope.

Cock that peace sign on an angle and it becomes a swatsika - a worldwide symbol of hatred. If any of my Jewish friends saw that, they'd be more than a little freaked out.

Fortunately, my husband understands that.

You might say, "That different. Everyone knows what that is."

You'd be wrong. I saw the same symbol (also a symbol for peace in Japanese culture) all over several temples I visited when I went to Tokyo a few years ago. The Navajo actually used to weave the symbol into almost all of their blankets until white traders asked them to stop in WWII.

And the swatstika/peace sign isn't the only symbol like it in the world. There are other objects and symbols that represent different things to different cultures. Travel and do your research, or decorate at your own risk.

what other people think should not be an issue in setting up your home. no one else has to be there. they can make their own homes.

I think the 'cheating' part comes into play if you're gathering objects that have certain cultural representation without fully understanding them.

The Buddha example is perfect - a non Buddhist friend remarked to me that I should have a fat Buddha, not a thin one - because Fung Shui says fat people represent wealth. He had no idea that the thin Buddha is representative of my branch of Tibetan Buddhism.

Now, I've never been to Tibet, but I do have a Tibetan Buddha on my bookshelf. Is that cheating? I dunno... :)

Just about every thing the average American owns is made in China, right? We're all a bunch of cheaters I guess?

Is it cheating to order something from CB2 online if the store doesn't exist in your city? This question is absurd.

That having been said, I have brought things back from numerous countries, and love those items because they remind me of my travels.

I find it more ridiculous when someone brings back something from abroad that has nothing to do with their personal style and therefore the item stands out like a sore thumb screaming "look, look! we traveled somewhere!!"

I agree with Lady J. I don't think it has anything to do with how wordly travelled you are or not (I am not) or if you're trying to say something about your family or heritage. If you like something, put it in your house. If I see global decor in someone's house I assume it's there because that person likes it whether or not it means something to her/him.

If that were the case then not only would such items be limited to people who could afford to travel to such places, but it would be further limited to people who could afford the costs of bringing those items back with them, especially when it comes to larger pieces of furniture. Some of us are stretching our pursestrings just getting to these places in the first place!

I say don't lie about where or why you procured an item (ex: "it's from X local store but it reminded me so much of the things that I saw in Y"), try to pick items that are as true as possible to the culture you're drawing influence from (still nothing wrong with picking up an "inauthentic" piece if you genuinely like it in and of itself, though), and use pieces--authentic or not--becaus you honestly enjoy them, not because you think they give you some sort of "worldly" status.

I think that if you find it beautiful, you are free to decorate with it. Some research in order to be respectful would be good, but not generally necessary. Some of my ethnic decorations are from places I've visited, but my Morroccan-ish bedroom stuff is not. And it's mixed with American antiques including an antique American Turkish-style rug. I happen to think it's lovely and it helps me dream of going one day.

Maybe that mass-produced Asian-inspired item speaks to you. Maybe it whispers of a calm day sipping tea under the bamboo or maybe just makes you feel happy. Either way, that feeling is no less authentic than one evoked by a piece picked up in Kyoto on holiday and that's what really matters.

@Christinalouise - you can't decorate to avoid offending people. The A-ok symbol is really insultin in several cultures, sets of four are bad luck in Japanese culture, etc. If you choose your decorations in order to avoid offending friends (who, one would think, would realize you mean none) you'll end up with some netutral wall color and a bare room. Decorate for you.

If that's cheating, that's snotty. If you're on a budget, you can't afford a trip and a nice piece of furniture.

i'm petrified of flying and don't drive.... but i have gifts from all over the place thanks to friends and relatives. my grandmother always brings me back something cool when she visits my uncle in Hong Kong and i have a collection of kitschy Irish linen tea towels because everyone in my family brings me those when they go "back home".

i love to display and use these gifts - doesn't make it "cheating"...

Also, this completely sidesteps the question that must go hand-in-hand with this debate: is it ethical or even legal to buy those pieces and take them out of their source culture in the first place? For example, in Greece this is such a centuries-old problem that one of my traveling companions had even the piece of local marble that he'd picked up off of the ground confiscated at the border, much less the fuss that happens--and rightly so--if you try to take even the most common of artifacts out of the country.

Not all collection and usage of culturally-specific pieces is cultural appropriation, of course, but the potential problems don't just dissapear in instances where you've traveled to the source culture or acquired a piece authentic to that culture.

Of course it's cheating! If the game is "Who can spend the most money decorating their home?"

It's great if the objects in your home have a cool story behind them, but just because something looks exotic doesn't mean you need an excuse to own it.

I'm against buying mass-produced souvenirs just to 'prove' that you were in Paris, Beijing, Cairo, etc. But I have nothing against people decorating with identifiably 'ethnic' items or even incorporating religious symbols (after all, they have to bear the costs of possibly offending certain people or having to explain why they have a Buddha statue or a crucifix in the living room).

Where does one draw the line? I like dala horses, but I've never been to Sweden and have no desire to go there anytime soon. Does that mean I'm somehow being inauthentic by having a collection of dala horses? What if I just like the look?

I think the associations attached to objects that you purchase in another country are likely different than if you acquired the items locally, but I don't see locally buying items that originate in other countries as "cheating" or as somehow inauthentic. At the root of all, I think most geographies are imagined anyway and the experiences that you have are inward no matter where your atoms are located at any given point. I think all of the associations that you make with tangibles items are 'real' and 'authentic' inasmuch as they are 'real' and 'authentic' to person having them.

I think the question that was *not* asked is more interesting: what are the ethics of consumerism and of the commodificiation of other cultures through the appropriation of goods through travel? Cultural critics have some very interesting insights on this particular question.....

I wonder what foreign visitors to America bring home from their travels?

I think there is line...
And if you are of mixed German/Irish heritage (like me) would you just wear a full Sari or a Kimono out into public because it 'looks cool'. No, you shouldn't. But you can wear Asian or Indian inspired jewelry/clothes/shoes.

Same goes for your decor, you shouldn't deck your bedroom out like you are a Moroccan princess. But a few pieces, or some textiles are fine.

However I don't think you should fill your house with religious icons, like Buddhas, Tiki Masks, and Kokopelli unless you have some type of cultural or emotional connection to that item more than 'I think this looks cool'.

This post reminds me of another, personal, issue that's been giving me some grief lately...

I used to live in Japan, Denmark and Italy, and my work took me to Central Asia, Afghanistan and the Middle East. And I never brought a single decor item home. There were so many beautiful things that I saw, or touched, or held in my hands, and which I would so love to have in my home now. But I didn't really give much thought to decor back then - and I don't have any of those items in my home now. So sad.

You don't have to travel everywhere and lug everything back to your homse to enjoy global decor. However, if you are using culture-sensitive symbols in your decor, you need to know what they mean in different cultures.

You also have to understand that some people might be offended by the items you choose to display even though you might have chosen them because you "like the way they look" and not for their "meanings".

Yes, it is your home and you can choose to decorate it however you like, but come on, have some common sense. If you're gonna be that way, at least know that you will be criticized unless you are very well prepared with a good explanation.

I think you can decorate your own private space however the hell you like. It isn't a contest.

I'm pretty well traveled and my home's decor is definitely influenced by the places I've been. I think the key word here is "influenced". I could hardly decorate my home with all the great finds I've come across while traveling. It is one thing to fly halfway around the world and entirely another to ship these great finds home. I think it is perfectly acceptable to buy "global" influenced designs at home or imports, whether your are doing it because of the direct influece of a culture, or indirect through research, or simply a lifelong desire to visit that location someday.

This is a great topic of discussion. While I've always liked "global" or "ethnic" themed decor, and have never judged anyone else for decorating with that style without having actually been to a specific place, it has always seemed inauthentic to me.

I think it's like someone else mentioned, it's just SO much more interesting and cool when items are from somewhere you've been and experienced than from Pier 1 or World Market or whatever. For me, the alternative then just pales in comparison so I tend not to do it.

I'm excited now to have a hint of an international/ethnic theme in our living room, with items from places we have actually visited or lived (Tibetan yak wood rug, pillow covers from Crete, salt crystal from Chile, driftwood from a lake near our home, pottery from artist's towns we've visited, etc.) and gifts from friends from their travels. I did worry that displaying the Tibetan prayer wheel might be inappropriate, given that we are not Buddhist. However, it's so cool looking and was something that made such a huge impression on my husband when he travelled there that I'm letting it go.

I think this discussion is really more about accents and art in decor than furniture, so I agree the comments about furniture don't seem that relevant.

All this being said, I really think it's a matter of personal taste. Whatever makes your home be a space that is beautiful to you and makes you happy to be in it, go for it. Not everyone has the means or access to obtain what may be "ideal."

I don't even really understand the question. Why wouldn't you decorate your home with anything you like that you can acquire legally and afford?

My family lived in Europe in the 60s, and my parents bought furniture in Denmark, and brought it back to the US when we moved back. I'm sure it was considered darned exotic.

If this topic garners a post, why not one about ignorance of/misappropriation of another's culture alphabets, statuary, etc. Tats and prints of chinese characters are a common example, but I was a bit surprised at the drama generated by a small cool entrants Mao statue. But then I think about how a type of flag (confederate) or how it's displayed (Mexican above US, for example) can generate quite a bit of heat.

there's no reason to expect criticism or prepare a defense of your home. if someone insults your house make that their last visit. it's a gift to be invited into someone's home. it's incumbent upon the guest to be courteous.

a friend once passed along her mom's apologies in advance of our sixth grade teacher's visit. he stopped her cold, saying "you should never apologize for your home."

I'm too poor to be "well travelled" (and, as an aside, find people who lord their "well-travelled-ness" over others to be a little too self-important for my taste). But I am NOT too poor to buy a gorgeous Morroccan-inspired footstool from Pier 1 that adds a funky ethnic accent to my living room and makes me happy.

Judge me if you will.

I think for people who have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel and even live in other countries, this must look different than to people like me or, even more, my parents or brother. I have been on exactly two international trips in my entire life, and the rest of my family none at all. But Mom loved things Japanese, and I love lots of global items, and when we get the chance to own them (from flea markets or whatever) we do. (Well, Mom did before she died...)

I own a "pantheon" of gods, goddesses, and other religious figures (including a Pieta) from many cultures and periods in history. I'm sure there are some religious people who seeing their own religion represented in the throng would be offended, but MY friends know my orientation and take it in stride -- and those who are easily offended in MY home with MY beliefs can either suck it up or leave. (I don't comment on the crucifixes or whatever in their homes...) Disrespectful? Perhaps a little. But it is not public, and I love the various figures people have created to worship -- the collection pleases me, it is not designed to convey a message to anyone else. I think it expresses my interest in archeology, more than anything, since most are museum replicas.

As for doing things like wearing kimono in public if you aren't Japanese, objecting to that is just silly. If you are comfortable in garb like that, why the heck NOT wear it? It might be unwise to wear the wrong do-rag in gang territory, or Palistinean headgear in Israel, but things like saris and kimono aren't likely to offend anybody. (Might AMUSE someone, especially if you aren't pulling the look off effectively.)

People who worry about this sort of thing shouldn't do it, but be aware, the burden you put on the actions are of your own creation.

I'm with BornSlippy - not everyone has the means to travel, let alone travel AND have exotic decor shipped home from whatever faraway ports they visit. My best friend has never been on a plane (can't afford it) but that doesn't mean she can't appreciate the Indian brass statuary she's unearthed at flea markets.

I have gorgeous things from France, England, Thailand, and Japan. I've been to France and England (Thailand and Japan are on my 'bucket list'), but it really is very expensive to have furniture and such shipped from overseas, and there's always a chance it'll be held up at customs, damaged, or stolen in transit. I'd rather just buy something from a good antiques dealer within driving distance; let them deal with the import costs and (if applicable) the paperwork.

I don't think it is cheating, but I think a more important question is how has the items travelled from their point of origin to your abode. This is particuraly important in these days of climate change. Is the environmental impact of having the item shipped from some part of asia, or somewhere else, to your door step worth it, this is particilarly important as you can be sure that no environmental costs such as the costs of carbon pollution has been factored into the price you have paid for the item at your local store.

Also, personally I think that it is sometimes sad that items of great cultural significance in one country is shipped of to another to be merely a decorative item in someones house.

Your home is your personal space and (should be) a reflection of who you are. You fill it with furniture, paintings and object d'art etc that speaks to you.

Regardless of its of origin (I do think it should be fair trade) or where you purchased it from (travels or shops), you have it in your home because it's a piece that you enjoy, so there is always a story as to why you have it.

I have some really lovely carved wood trays which I purchased in the Philippines and then I also have a beautiful embroidered cushion cover I purchased from Oxfam here in Perth but was made by former homeless women being taught skills by Nuns in Calcutta, India.

Your space, your home, your choice.

It is absolutely not cheating. Most people can barely afford to travel within their country, let alone outside it. So if one has to purchase a basket woven in Africa and purchased at the State Fair in Albuquerque, to go with the set of Moroccan tea glasses paypalled (not a word!) online, I say tell me what website and I'm typing it in. More power to you!!

But if you can travel the world and discover amazing pieces and their beauty while appreciating the culture that developed it, well that is a blessing. And blessings can come from excursions to Latin America or to Macy's.

It's only cheating if you lie about it

But why on earth would anyone lie about things like this? It doesn't matter if your kitchen table took three years to hand carve from some exotic wood deep in the Bolivian rainforest, or if you found it in a dumpster. If you like it, be proud of it, and be honest about it.

Your home is, well, it's YOUR HOME, and you should be free to decorate it in any way you like. I don't think that you should have to read up on the in-depth symbolism and history of an object before having it in your home - just recognize the fact that the more exotic the object is, the more people will comment on it, positively or negatively.

i agree with emika (and others)

decorate in a way that feels and looks good to you. it's YOUR home.

surround yourself with the things that you appreciate and love.

I think calling it 'cheating' or insisting on having actually bought the item at it's point of production misses the point.

I think the question you are trying to get at - is it authentic to adopt a particular ethnic style just because you like the way it looks and not because you have any personal interest in or tie to the culture of origin?

I do think there's a difference between adopting an Asian ethnic style because you like to shop at World Market vs someone who collects Japanese obi because they are fascinated with Japanese textile arts who has not necessarily had a chance to travel to Japan. I love World Market too, so I don't judge, but I have a number of friends who are international aid workers, and there's a real difference in the feel of a true world travelers apartment vs someone who has collected state-side. Every object has a story, and most are far better made. That feel really can't be replicated without actual travel.

And I know for myself, I became fascinated with Turkish carpets after a long trip to Turkey last year. I brought home one carpet and have purchased a few others state-side since my return. But I'm not nearly as attached to the others as I am to the one I haggled over in Turkey over endless cups of tea. It just means so much more to me than a rug I admired, as it is attached to a wonderful memory and time.

Some people go on very short, guided vacations to 'exotic' destinations' and think they are buying authentic materials from local vendors, when in fact it is mass produced and imported. Same thing.

I am with those who think this is a pretty silly question. You should live with the things you love, wherever they are from. And yeah, I don't like faux-Asian Pier 1 stuff, but that has more to do with the construction and materials than anything "ethnic" or not about it. It feels too new and slick and shoddily made. I think a better discussion would be, "how can you make a global/ethnic decor feel authentic and like a real reflection of your personality?"

I have been lucky enough (determined enough? I certainly don't have pots of money) to travel a great deal, and stubborn enough to haul bulky things like quilts and paintings back from all over the world. These are definitely some of my favorite items in our home... but they do have the added anxiety effect of being irreplaceable, just like a favorite antique. So sometimes it's nice to have easier access! Also, sometimes I find that I've bought something abroad, and when I get home, I want more. For example I have two little South Indian 1930's tiger statues that I bought at Philipps' Antiques in Mumbai... and when I came home, there was a display of all kind of these little animals, including horses and spaniels,on a table at H.D. Buttercup. I resisted buying more, because I have too many little things already, and because they were so much more expensive... but I sure wanted them!

The trick to avoiding the mass-produced look-- whether shopping at home or abroad-- is mostly to avoid buying new items or items that are not traditionally made. Even if you buy it in Bali or Mexico, a brand new wood carving or painting just isn't going to have the same air to it. But you can buy new things traditionally made-- block-printed textiles from Fabindia are a great example-- that will have the right "feel." And buying things from a place you've never been/never can go won't give your home the "fake ethnic" feel if they have some age and patina to them! We have a large (eBay-acquired) collection of African masks from the DRC/Gabon mostly dating from the early 20th century and they definitely do not feel like we bought them at Cost Plus! And odds are that we will *not* be traveling to the DRC any time soon, so getting them from the source is not really an option...

I'm with Emika on this. Cheating, by definition, is misrepresentation.
Whether you hauled it back to the US from your recent diplomatic mission or you bought it at Pier 1, it's doesn't matter. It's all about how YOU represent it. If you (for your own needs) really have to say, "The Ambassador presented this rare tchotke to us", but you actually purchased it at Pier 1, well, that is just so sad.

Do you eat Chinese food only when you're in Shanghai? This is silly.

"is it authentic to adopt a particular ethnic style just because you like the way it looks and not because you have any personal interest in or tie to the culture of origin?"

Well, that's the point of design, isn't it? I have an antique Shaker table, but I still have sex.

I think Tiamet_the_Red said it perfectly. Decorate with whatever "speaks to you," whether that be something from Target's Global Market line or something you picked up on a trip to Japan...or both! If you're so worried about whether other people will find it authentic enough, you need to take yourself less seriously. Remember, YOU are the one who lives in your home, not your guests. Do what makes you happy.