Japandi: Where Elegance Meets Minimalism

Is Japandi the new Scandi?

Chloe Taylor our guest blogger explores what exactly Japandi style is and how it can be achieved in your home or workspace.

Image 1 source: domain.com.au

Japandi: Where Elegance Meets Minimalism

By Guest Blogger Chloe Taylor

What do you get when you put together equal doses of Scandinavian minimalism and Japanese love of natural simplicity? If you guessed Japandi, you’re spot-on. One of the new trends making huge waves in interior design waters around the globe, Japandi amalgamates the finest features of two ethnic-inspired styles that have been in vogue in the past few years. A style that marries the principle of Wabi-sabi borrowed from Japanese aesthetics with Nordic designers’ passion for practicality and sleek lines, Japandi effectively trespasses the boundaries of culture, geography, and design conventions. Effortlessly elegant and emphasized by natural touches, Japandi is the next big hit in the word of home décor, and you can use it as a source of ideas if you wish to dress your nest with superior aesthetics and functionality in mind.

Image 2 source: stephaniepowell.com.au

Light, Airy, and Stripped of Trimmings

A trait common to both Japanese and Scandinavian design, minimalism shines at its brightest in Japandi. Simplicity, airiness, and focus on functionality over fancy flourishes and frills occupy a central place in both Nordic and Zen design, and they also constitute the backbone of the newly-developed hybrid style.

Image 3 source: blog.sampleboard.com

Impactful simplicity is the stylistic crossbreed’s strongest forte: a clutter-free setting punctuated by a couple of arresting statement pieces instills the otherwise pared-down backdrop with a precious dose of contrast, helping achieve balance and cohesion without compromising aesthetic intensity.

Mother Nature in Her Classiest Attire

When Scandinavian style hopped on the trending home look wagon, designers fell in love with light-colored and whitewashed hardwood. With Zen on the décor stage, the passion for natural wood grew even stronger, and with Japandi behind the design wheel, décor elements crafted from gentle and dark wood are deftly paired for contrast, and blanched timber is often touched up with pastel accents such as subdued green or blue, muted pink, and nuances of white ranging from ivory to light grey.

Image 4 source: dailytelegraph.com.au

A sophisticated mélange of Nordic and Japanese affection for Nature, Japandi mostly relies on timber to achieve a well-grounded impression, but stone, ceramics, and organic textiles are no less at home in wood-pervaded quarters.

Houseplants for a Hint of Freshness

Materials and color scheme in a Japandi-inspired home aren’t the only elements snatched from under Mother Nature’s wing. A hand-me-down transplanted from classic Scandinavian design, houseplants are often used in the new style as aesthetic accents.

Image 5 source: domain.com.au

Nevertheless, foliage featured in quarters decorated following in Japandi footsteps differs from the green touches common in Nordic homes. Japandi designers prefer tall green tenants with little or no other color touches to tiny succulents that went viral when Nordic style seized global limelight. A statement piece in its own right, a tall plant in a simplistic pastel pot defines the focal point in a Japandi room.

Image 6 source: dailytelegraph.com.au

Quarters Flooded by Positive Energy

Both Scandinavian and Japanese designs thrive on the principle of “Less is more”. Uninterrupted flow of energy and visual equilibrium are achieved by means of a barebones backdrop, stripped of elements with purely aesthetic value. In addition to free energy flow, materials sourced from nature help set the vibe to clean, green, and positive, infusing the quarters with tranquillity and effortless charm. To cozy up a modern Scandinavian home and instill it with warmth, comfort, and personality, you can resort to pattern-free throws, cushions, rugs, upholstery, and similar natural fabrics in pastel hues.

Image 7 source: dailytelegraph.com.au

Laid-Back Vibes of Timeless Elegance

An inimitable blend of Scandinavian raw functionality and Japanese nature-suffused simplicity, Japandi fits Australian lifestyle like a glove. Laid-back yet chic, the style draws on Eastern passion for discovering beauty in the imperfect, singling out the refined in the raw, and achieving visual integrity by means of contrast, juxtaposition, and coordination of elements. As such, Japandi renders itself to various stylistic reinterpretations and creative experiments, and Australian homeowners can use it as a source of inspiration in partial or comprehensive home remodels. Since it relies on natural materials and unpretentious color palette, Japandi holds potential to become a new classic, just like vintage and mid-century modern.

Image 8 source: domain.com.au

A trendy blend of Nordic no-nonsense attitude to life and Japanese love of balance and contrast, Japandi is the new kid on the home décor block which is yet to make a many ripple in Australian interior design waters. In the years to come, keep an eye out on Japandi-inspired interiors: slick, simple, and sophisticated, the new design movement may soon become the new black in homes and offices Down Under.