Written By Arina Voy
Hi guys,
Welcome back to Soft Visuals blog!
In this blog post, I decided to share some ideas for creating a Japandi-style home. Japandi is a trendy interior style, a hybrid of Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism, Nordic practicality, and Asian traditions.
What is a Japandi interior design?
It was born quite recently but has already managed to win the hearts of Europeans who wanted to dilute the cold restraint of the Scandinavian style with Zen philosophy and elements of Japanese decor and make it warmer, more comfortable, and hospitable.
The Scandinavians, like the Japanese, have a fondness for natural wood, raw linen, simple lines, and discreet colors. Everything elusive, natural, concise, and textural is used. Extra details disappear. Everything makes sense. From Japanese interiors, the Japandi style borrowed a craving for simplicity and restraint, from Scandinavian - a love for natural materials. Let's see how it all looks in practice. The Scandinavians, like the Japanese, have a fondness for natural wood, raw linen, simple lines, and discreet colors. Everything elusive, natural, concise, and textural is used. Extra details disappear. Everything makes sense. From Japanese interiors, the Japandi style borrowed a craving for simplicity and restraint, from Scandinavian - a love for natural materials. Let's see how it all looks in practice.
Main Japandi interior design principles:
NEUTRAL PALETTE
White, gray, and beige and their combinations are the fundamental colors of the Japandi style. It is characterized by a natural neutral palette, but it also does not exclude the presence of darker colors that will set off neutral tones, such as navy blue, terracotta, or earth tones.
The main thing is to preserve the overall harmony and not create dramatic contrasts that can disrupt the overall state of calm and comfort in the interior. Pay attention to the color of the furniture. For classic Scandinavian interiors, the use of light woods is typical, for traditional Japanese - dark. Japandi style allows for both.
First photo by Caroline Feiffer| Second photo byJitzke Grijpstra
Although, the Japandi-style bedroom should be decorated in a neutral range, it is still acceptable to use other colors that go beyond the boundaries of the natural palette. Why not, for example, cover the bed with bedding in navy blue, graphite gray, or black? Since the walls and floor will be light, the room will not be perceived as dark and gloomy.
2. NATURAL ELEMENTS
Both the Scandinavians and the Japanese are obsessed with nature, trying to fill their homes with natural materials and decor as much as possible. So Japandi just can't help but pay more attention to it. Cotton, paper, bamboo, jute, wood, and stone play a major role in the interior. Priceless is everything that is made by hand, with care and love, calm, lively, and warm - from furniture to dishes and bed linen.
Photos by Norm Architects
No falsity, plastic, and chipboard - only natural materials. Upholstered furniture often has legs, armrests, and fittings made of wood. Wicker baskets and rugs complete the interior. Metals in various variations also work well: silver, brass, and all kinds of aged surfaces.
You can add to this also a play with shapes, and try to combine, for example, a white origami paper lampshade with a thin black metal frame of kitchen chairs. By the way, the kitchen is the only place in the apartment where the so-called "open" storage is allowed. Of course, we are talking about only things whose textures you can admire: clay teapots, wooden figurines, and stone mortars for spices.
3. MINIMALISM
In accordance with the principle of Less Is More, only the essentials and essentials should be present in the Japandi bedroom. Furniture should be as simple and concise as possible, with straight lines, made of natural materials (mainly light wood). Before you start creating, you need to clear the space. Try to get rid of unnecessary things, unnecessary decor, all those vases, frames, assorted paintings, cheerful sofa cushions of all colors, dusty souvenirs cluttering up bookshelves - in a word, from everything that creates visual noise. Say goodbye to obsolete or simply non-functional furniture. Remove the motley carpet and heavy curtains. Let only the most necessary and practical remain, and the rooms will be filled with air and natural light: you will see - it will immediately become easier for you to breathe.
Photos Erik Lefvander | Publication Residence Magazine | Styling Pella Hedeby
The Japanese design philosophy is based on minimalism and practicality, while the Scandinavian one is based on the same practicality and uncomplicated comfort. As you can see, the keyword here is "practical". You can paint the walls any color you like and fill the space with natural wood furniture, but all this will remain only new fashionable decorations unless one condition is met: it must all work. Not a single thing can be present in the house "just like that", shifting from place to place and collecting dust.
The Japanese design philosophy is based on minimalism and practicality, while the Scandinavian one is based on the same practicality and uncomplicated comfort. As you can see, the keyword here is "practical".
You can paint the walls any color you like and fill the space with natural wood furniture, but all this will remain only new fashionable decorations unless one condition is met: it must all work. Not a single thing can be present in the house "just like that", shifting from place to place and collecting dust.
If you are interested in minimalism, want to create a harmonious interior, and always keep your home clean - I recommend reading these books:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up By Marie Kondo
Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life By Shira Gill
Soft Minimal: A Sensory Approach to Architecture and Design By Norm Architects
This is Home: The Art of Simple Living By Natalie Walton
4. FURNITURE
Although the Japandi style is characterized by simplicity and minimalism, there is room for large-sized furniture if it is made of light wood. For example, for a simple bookcase or bookcase - the most concise forms and without unnecessary decor. The furniture in the Japandi interior is Scandinavian comfortable and low in Japanese: according to Eastern standards, the distance from its lower edge to the floor does not exceed 20-40 cm. Moreover, the rule applies not only to the futon-style bed in the bedroom, but also to all armchairs, poufs, coffee tables, and benches. Try it: at least it's fun, and besides, it helps to visually enlarge the space, which is very good if we are talking about a small apartment.
5. ASCETICISM
Minimalism never means a scarcity of materials and simple forms. The same applies to the Japandi style. Yes, it excludes a large number of elements, but it requires the creation of comfort within these limitations. The combinations should create a feeling of a cozy haven where you can relax and unwind, and not a monastery where Zen is learned through hardship.
Japandi style is poetry in interior design. Like haiku, Japandi develops into a neat and precise harmony of colors and shapes. It intertwines natural beauty - natural materials, patterns, textures, and patterns; celebrating imperfections and highlighting imperfections while taking a meticulous approach to practicality and functionality.
Taking the best of both worlds - Scandinavian and Japanese style - Japandi creates a zen feel in the space. Time inside such a house slows down, allowing the owner to forget about the hustle and bustle.
Hope you enjoyed this blog post about Japanese style and it gave you a moment of inspiration!
See you next time,
Arina
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Arina Voy
