If you have heard the term ‘Japandi style’ you may be confused as to whether it refers to Scandinavian or Japanese interior design; when the reality is that it is actually a mix of both styles, with centuries of personal history intertwined. The name ‘Japandi’, is a combination of ‘Japanese’ and ‘Scandi’ or east meets west and blends Japanese artistic elements and wabi-sabi philosophy, with Scandinavian comfort and warmth. You will have likely seen this on-trend design on Instagram or in Architectural Digest, and Alle Interiors are here to tell you all about Japandi and how to feature it in your own home.
What is Japandi style?
Japandi style blends Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics and focuses on simplicity, natural elements, comfort, and sustainability. It features neutral colours, high-quality and natural materials with an emphasis on greenery and nature. This is greatly influenced by how much time Japanese and Scandinavian people like to spend outside in nature and therefore, they are keen to follow this through into their homes. Japandi uses natural materials like wood and linen, along with the use of organic shapes and combining of different shapes.
What is the history of Japandi?
Although Japandi is now an established style, it actually dates back hundreds of years to the closed-border policy of Japan. This lasted for around 200 years until they opened their borders again in the mid 1850’s. Following this, Scandinavian designers and artists began visiting Japan again and quickly became fascinated with the Japanese style. They loved everything about Japan, its culture, and all the items available in the shops, which then became an inspiration for many artists and designers in Scandinavia. This was partly due to the fact that the two styles had so many design similarities, which made them work seamlessly together, and included simplicity, good quality, natural materials, and craftsmanship.
How do Japanese and Scandinavian interior design compare?
Japanese Interior Design
With an emphasis on the use of organic and natural materials including wood, stone, paper, cotton and rattan; Japanese design features a neutral colour palette which focuses predominantly on darker and earthy tones like brown and green. Functional décor used in this design tends to include teapots, books, ceramic cups and vases, along with a love of uncluttered spaces and natural light.
Scandinavian-style design
When it comes to Scandi home design, you tend to see an emphasis on the use of natural materials and in particular, light wood. It uses a neutral colour palette and focuses on lighter colours such as white, cream and, light brown, and woods such as birch or white oak. Scandi design features clean lines, uncluttered spaces and also uses natural light where at all possible.
How can I use Japandi in my own home?
As can be seen Japandi is two very distinct minimalist styles which work perfectly together to create a seamless design style. If you want to try and bring the Japandi interior design trend into your home, the first step is to declutter, as it has an emphasis on minimalism and less-is-more. From there on, it’s entirely up to you how little or how much of the look you want to feature and if you want to go more towards Scandinavian or Japanese.
You could for example, choose to use a darker colour palette which is full of stones and dark wood to bring the Japanese side in, or you could go lighter if you want to lean more towards Scandinavian. Try opting for vintage or reclaimed items, or even an original or handmade piece rather than buying something that is mass produced, and choose natural, eco-friendly, and sustainable items and materials.
Japandi is all about trying to create spaces that connect the indoors with the outdoors, via large windows, sunrooms or patios, and by the use of plants and greenery. You can bring the cosy, ambient side of the Scandinavian design in by putting a fireplace in the living room, lighting candles, and using soft blankets for when you are entertaining family and friends.
If you would like to find out how you could feature Japandi in your house or need help with a room or the design of your own home, please do get in touch. You can check out www.alle-interiors.co.uk to view our products and collections and the services we offer.
Notes: –
Alle Interiors is a small creative team providing a one-stop-shop for all your interior design and soft furnishing requirements with customer service their utmost priority.
Image Credits: Gentl & Hyers; Wij Zijn Kees; Jenna Peffley; Alex Zarour; victoria + albert; archeinDesign; David Michael Miller Associates; Kay Story Interiors
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