Japandi Design Style Explained
Japandi Design Style Explained
Your house should feel like you, not Ikea. Here’s how to get the trending Japandi design style in your own home!
Finding the design style in your home feels like an ongoing, ever evolving process.
When I first started this blog, I really wanted to be modern farmhouse.
But I didn’t want to be modern farmhouse because it’s what *I* wanted. It’s because I thought I had to do it in order to be successful in the home decor space.
BOY WAS I WRONG.
Now I consider our interior design style more transitional, but I’m always on the look for a way to make changes to feel more like “us”.
People asked us a lot what style we designed our first flip house and yes, I would definitely say modern, but I would also say it was a bit more than that.
Where am I going with this?
A new design trend I found out about while researching stuff (because I nerd out on stuff like that) called Japandi.
What is Japandi style decorating?
Japandi is the glorious mashup of two styles – Japanese (Japan-) and Scandinavian (-di). The fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design, Japandi concentrates on creating minimalistic designs that are both highly functional yet aesthetically pleasing.
Even though we weren’t putting our own furniture in Beverly, we designed it to lean towards the minimalist side of things, which kind of lines up with Japandi design principles.
Why is Japandi popular?
The Japandi design style is a hybrid aesthetic that features the comfort and functionality of Scandinavian design with the minimalistic, simple elegance of Japanese style. The result is very similar to Hygge, which can be described as the essence or feeling of warmth provided by things that are homemade, cozy, and intimate.
What’s more appealing than the coziness felt when reading a good book by a crackling fire? With Japandi, you can have the ambiance of Hygge all year round!
How can I get Japandi style?
If you’re like me and are quickly falling in love with the feel of this new style, let me outline some ways in which you can start incorporating it into your own home.
Hopefully, this post has sparked your interest in incorporating a bit more of the new and trending Japandi design style into your home for an even
1. Learn what Scandinavian style is
To fully appreciate something, you have to learn about it first, right?
That’s why so many of you love me because I’ve let you learn about me. Right? HA!
Scandi design is an aesthetic style that has been steadily on the rise in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. You’ll find that this style focuses on clean lines, bright spaces, and light colors-all of which create a feeling of art, nature, and simplicity.
With eco-friendly aesthetics more popular than ever before, it’s also really no surprise that Japandi interior design style is also trending!
2. Learn principles in Japanese style
When I say learn principles, I mean learn the “why” behind Japanese style. One thing that I have always appreciated about Japanese culture, apart from the amazing food, is that their homes and lives really revolve around purpose.
There is a reason behind everything in the Japanese homes and without those reasons, things won’t function optimally. That kind of thinking can really be applied to decorating as well. Japanese design puts as much emphasis on beauty as it does functionality and I vibe with that in a big way.
Take Feng shui for example. Feng shui forces you to ask yourself why is that item there? What purpose does it serve? Will setting up this room in a different way allow for more light and energy to more easily flow through? If so, move it around!
3. Stay minimal
Less is more. If you think you can’t have a minimalist house because you have kids, here’s an entire post that’s all about minimalist rooms for kids! It’s possible!
4. Use neutral colors
Choose lighter or muted colors from neutral color palettes to give rooms a bright, open feeling while still maintaining the minimalist feel of the room.
Make each room open and feel connected by keeping the walls white or light so the space feels airy rather than closed off. Having white or light walls will also help pull in the natural light and make the space just feel much more cozy.
5. Choose wood/natural elements and materials
We used a lot of wood in the design of Beverly. We used it on the outside posts, inside with the floors (although they’re LVP) and with the wood accent walls in the bedroom and laundry and the focal point of our fireplace.
Alfred Wainwright said: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” That can be said about design as well.
Some people love to live in very modern looking homes that have a lot of exposed brick and concrete. I get it! If that’s you, get yours boo thang.
I love the aesthetic of these types of homes, but personally I prefer houses with a bit more character to them and one way we were able to do that in the Beverly home was by choosing more natural elements.
Choosing natural materials for surfaces can give a lot of character to your home and they also age with grace, unlike uniform manmade ones!
6. Cozy lighting
When it comes to lighting, choose lamps with a lampshade over lights that are mounted directly on the ceiling as they create a soft glow that makes the room look more cozy and intimate.
Typically with light fixtures, I choose and prefer light and bright bulbs, which you totally can have with Japandi design, but it’s also a good practice to use lamps and bulbs that have lower wattage so you can make sure you’re not creating a glare or harshness in the room.
You can also use candles for lighting rather than overhead lights so your home feels more intimate and cozy. Just be careful with kids around because that could easily turn into a disaster.
7. Eco friendly, but high quality furniture
Think handmade versus mass produced. Ikea style with an RH budget.
I know. We can’t even afford RH. It’s why we made an RH inspired farmhouse table so that we could save thousands.
Choose furniture that is simple in design, like a large, light wood daybed with legs to create a clean, sleek space that doesn’t feel too busy.
Choosing products and furniture that have been made from recycled materials and are of eco-friendly may come at an extra cost, but if you’re really wanting to take a dive into this design, it’s a part of it.
Plus, you’re living a more sustainable lifestyle while also helping to alleviate global warming! Look at you, you little environmentalist!
8. Add textiles in warm tones
If possible, opt for materials that feature organic patterns and textures, like wood grain or linen fabrics to create a warm ambiance that just oh so snuggly. This is where you can get fun and add some color.
You can choose bright pops of color or pillows with geometric designs to introduce a bit of life and excitement to the space.
If you’re not super big on color or patterns, try choosing materials that feature the natural textures instead.
9. Use plants
Well, crap. I had hopes for being able to use Japandi design concepts in our house until I realized plants were part of it. Japandi tends to incorporate nature-inspired features, like flowers or plants to create an inviting living space that isn’t too cold.
10. BE YOU!
This is the most important part of any design style in your home.
Make sure the design fits your personality and basic style preferences! Don’t force yourself to love designs you don’t love just because they’re “in”.
Because if you do that, you’ll be like me trying to “unfarmhouse” your house one room at a time. Oop!
If you’re looking for a new design style in your own home, you could totally create a Japandi space. This Japanese and Scandinavian inspired style could be the perfect fit!
