Japandi Interior Design is growing in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. This versatile aesthetic is a joy to live with, and is perfect for lovers of minimalism and nature. In this article, I’m sharing everything you need to know about Japandi design, and how you can recreate this look in your own home.
What is Japandi Interior Design?
It is easy to assume that Scandinavia and Japan are completely different when it comes to home decor choices and colour schemes. However, when you look into the design elements that each uses, they have more in common than you might first think.
For starters, they both take inspiration from natural elements and simplicity. Not only that, but they both look for comfort when it comes to how to style a home.
When you start to dig a little deeper and see exactly what they have in common, it’s easy to see where the Japandi interior design style has come from, and why it’s starting to become so popular.
Of course, everyone will style Japandi in their own way. However, in general, it is a combination of Japanese style (art, simplicity, nature), Japanese Minimalism, and the functionality that Scandinavian furniture design usually possesses.
It’s about light colour schemes, bright spaces, and clean lines to complete a finished room perfectly. The underlying ideas behind Japandi mostly surround muted colour palette and natural material. However, it also has a strong focus on warmth and Hygge, making a room feel just like home.
Is Japandi Popular?
Home decor and interior style trends are always changing, which allows for styles like Japandi to grow in popularity. One thing we have seen over recent years is people have become much more open to considering sustainable furniture and recycled items. This will definitely have helped the Japandi decor trend to grow in popularity.
Although there are many different elements to Japandi interior design, a key factor is using eco-friendly and natural materials.
The Japandi aesthetic isn’t a new idea. And, in fact, has been talked about and used since 2016. That said, it has grown in popularity over recent years. It’s simple, natural take on home decor is something that is certainly more popular now.
The fact that it promotes simplistic design, clean lines, warmth, natural colour rooms has definitely helped it become a popular choice over the last couple of years. Japanese and Scandinavian home decor trends are popular in their own right, so it makes sense that combining them would prove popular too.
The Key Elements of Japandi Interior Design
As always, home decor is all about what you love and what your preferred styles are at home. Japandi interior design has a number of key elements that define the style.
This is a clean style, one of uncluttered minimalism and natural light. The spaces the style can render are quietly breathtaking—perfect in their minimal detail. The style photographs very well, and vibrant, clean examples can be found easily online and in-home style magazines.
It is true that there are quite a few elements needed to make the Japandi style flow. You will see with a closer look at each element that they can be brought together simply and to great effect. When you research the style, you will see the diversity that can come from the style’s key elements. Note how the same basic design can be made to look very different when the elements are rearranged.
Exploring this subtlety of the design is useful when you are at the detailing stage. If implemented correctly, results in a wonderful flowing space.
Things that you’ll want to pay particular attention to include:
- The colours that you use
- The materials and textures
- Artificial and natural lighting
Of course, if you are truly following Japandi interior design trends to a tee then you’ll also want all of this done in a minimalist way with plenty of natural light
The idea is that Scandinavian design and Japanese design work in harmony to create the Japandi interior design style in a way that you love. Think minimalist designs as well as home comfort. Combine these with your personal touches, and you’re well on your way to creating the perfect Japandi-inspired space within your home.
Japandi Colour Scheme
The great news for those interested in Japandi-inspired decor is that there are lots of different styles and colours that you can incorporate into your room in order to make it perfect for the style that you want.
A neutral palette of light and bright natural tones draws its roots from Scandinavian influence. The darker natural tones of Japan’s unique style blend perfectly to complete this look. Black features frame elements or form the feature aspect of furniture styles and connect them to each other fluidly.
Of course, there is nothing to say that you can’t inject some colour into a room if you wish. After all; your home and your rules. It is, however, a good idea to choose calming colours, such as sage green.
There are plenty of retailers that stock Japan-inspired artwork and home decor accessories. Thanks to this, finishing off a room within your chosen colour scheme should not be too much of an issue.
Minimalism
Japandi is naturally a minimalist style. Its clean lines and focus on uninterrupted space ensure a very fresh, yet timeless feel to the design.
Natural, light colours and earthy tones give definition to the spaces created. Simple furniture, created on the same ethos of a simple clean design, frames from natural wood or painted in one of the subtly darker Japanese inspired tones, upholstered with substantial but effortlessly simple clean cushions.
Nature in its vibrant living form has a role to play. The focus on natural materials works well in bringing forth the textures found in nature as it often accentuates a space conforming to the style.
Of course, the amount of open space you can dedicate to Japandi design within your home will depend very much on the space you have available and the size of your home.
Open-plan rooms are generally popular with Japandi design choices. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t work within smaller rooms too. The idea is to keep things minimalistic and uncluttered. Some smart choices when it comes to storage and keeping items out of sight will definitely help.
Japandi Materials
With both Scandinavia and Japan offering the best in natural materials, subtly different hues and textures are used as staples in the Japandi style. Light wood tends to dominate the structural elements, often bathed in a beautiful natural contrasting material like cotton. Unpatterned natural woven fabrics are chosen to fulfill the styles needed for clean, uninterrupted lines.
The influence of the Scandinavian style brings forth light close-grained hardwoods like Beech and Ash. These woods give the consistent homogeneous finish needed for elements forming the background support structure for bolder, darker colours and woods. These woods can be used to display the natural beauty of wood, with bold grain structures on show in featured areas.
Japandi Textures
Japandi is a textural style, drawing inspiration from nature and man in its physical surfaces. These interfaces between the space the style thrive on and the structural elements that define it. They are often used to project differing scales of the same texture. For example, the straight, tight weave of a fabric used can be brought to a larger scale by the inclusion of basketry or wooden screens. This ethos follows through with the differing grain structure of the woods preferred by the style.
If you are someone that doesn’t like the idea of different textures within the same room, then Japandi can still work for you. Minimalistic looks of a room are definitely the order of the day when it comes to Japandi design, so choose one texture that you like and use this throughout the room. Combine this with something like wood decoration items and a light-coloured sofa that you love, and you’ll have the perfect combination of everything needed to create a Japandi room.
Japandi Style Lighting
Japandi style illuminates a room with indirect soft light emanating through the just earthy tones of its shades and fittings. Downlighters can be used, often recessed or hidden within the design, to cast light on key areas. Shadow is loved and used in this style to bring cosiness to spaces in the evening.
A wooden slatted or simple basketry shade over an opaque lamp can cast the subtle shadows the style’s lighting thrives on. Luminaires are often hung lower in the room; when grouped, differing heights can bring depth and balance to the room’s illumination.
Japandi Pattern
The goal of Japandi design is always to focus on natural looks and simplicity, so you don’t have to go too far out there when it comes to Japandi patterns.
Generally, dark black lines that are crisp and neat work well within any Japandi design ideas. Once you start to look up room and decoration ideas that are inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian styles, you’ll find that you come across lots of the same ideas.
Geo print patterns that are repeated across rooms are popular within both cultures, and that is why it has proven popular within Japandi style design again and again too.
However, if you want to mix things up, then Japandi design allows for clean pattern lines on the wall and a clash of texture within other home accessory items nearby. This versatile style allows for experimentation and home design that suits you. You just have to look for inspiration and see what suits you and your decoration needs.
Japandi Furniture
When it comes to Japandi furniture, you will see both the Japanese and Scandinavian nations priding themselves on exemplary furniture design in modern simple styles. Curves can be used, but minimally and generally only in one area, except for light fittings that can break these guidelines and yet look so in keeping with the styles of other elements. Expect to see open-plan seating or simple wood-framed sofas. Wooden topped tables, sometimes painted, often with the wood sealed and left bare. Simple rectangular cushions finish the pieces and bring comfort while softening the overall look of a furniture piece.
Japandi Bedroom Design Ideas
A bedroom, in many ways, is the best room to showcase a Japandi-designed space. Where space is available, room divider screens can be used to define the sleeping area and keep everything separate. This helps to promote the decluttered and minimalistic feel of any room and is perfect for Japandi-inspired bedrooms.
A minimalistic bedroom is a must if you are going for a Japandi-style room. This helps to promote good rest and well-being, which is important to both cultures.
Much like other rooms in your home, some clever storage could well be in order here before you get too far into creating your Japandi-style bedroom.
You want to think of clean lines and symmetry. Matching bedside cabinets, bedroom blinds that fit perfectly, and a stool that matches the rest of the room are all great places to start. We know that Japandi design enjoys plenty of light so mirrors and lamps should be on your home décor shopping list too.
Japandi Living Room Design Ideas
There are plenty of ideas that you can implement when it comes to Japandi and your living room. If you have the space then an open-plan layout is always a good idea. This allows you to promote a decluttered and open space within your home.
Once you have your open space sorted, it is time to consider what decor style you want and how this is going to work.
One thing that works well with Japandi style is plenty of mirrors throughout the room. Mirrors help to promote natural light within a room. This is perfect for Japandi because it helps to distribute the light throughout the space.
If you don’t have enough natural light in your living room then installing minimalist lamps is a great move and fits in perfectly within a Japandi inspirited living area.
Colour-wise, Japandi in your living room works much the same as the rest of the house. Natural wood, beige colour schemes and neutral style décor all work together perfectly. When you combine this with a room that is clutter free and has plenty of natural light, you’re soon well on your way to the perfect Japandi-style living room.
The Best Places to Shop for Japandi Furniture
Although you’ll find home décor items in loads of places that suit the Japandi ethos, you might find that you want to shop somewhere that specialises in these items instead – and that is okay.
If you’re on the lookout for high-quality Japan-inspired furniture, then you’ll find plenty of online retailers that are able to help. Popular choices include CatchMyDesign, Wayfair and Design Public. You might even find that you can seek out homemade décor items on places such as Etsy. If you had more of a Japanese shopping spree in mind then these places might be just what you’re looking for.
Muji
Muji is a well-known Japanese furniture brand with websites and shipping options throughout the world. They’re known for their larger furniture items such as cabinets, tables and even sofas. If you are going for a Japandi-style room, then often getting the furniture right is the toughest part. Shopping with a retailer such as Muji that specialises in the Japanese aesthetic can be a great start when it comes to designing a Japandi space.
Native & Co
Native & Co is a Japanese homeware shop that can be found in Notting Hill, although they do have an online presence too. They don’t tend to offer larger furniture pieces. However, for all these little extras that you need to finish the room, they’re perfect. Whether you’re looking for Endo pottery, wooden cups, or artwork to hang on the wall you’ll find a host of items to choose from at Native & Co.
Wagumi
If you are on the lookout for Japanese homeware then Wagumi is well worth a visit too. They stock a range of tangible items that you can add to your home to be able to finish off the look of any room within your home perfectly within the Japandi design.
Japan Craft
If you want to add a sense of fun to any Japanese room within your home then a look at Japan Craft is a must. You’ll find a range of lucky cats, anime-related accessories and things like puzzle boxes. These are all little things which can help to make any room in your house a little more fun.
Emily Brookes is an Interior Designer based in the UK. Since graduating from the National Design Academy with a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design, Emily started her successful blog, Emily May Designs, which shares ideas and inspiration on how to create a beautiful home.
