Japandi interior design tips and trends

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A harmonious fusion of contemporary style and comfortable functionality, the Japandi interior design style is showing no signs of slowing down! Pinterest and Instagram explore feeds are full of people showcasing their beautiful Japandi-style homes, and creating your own Japandi style is as easy as reading this guide!

We’ll take you through what the Japandi interior design trend is, as well as how you can adopt the practice of stylish practicality in your own home using different techniques and trying various methods to help you find the perfect fusion of your style and the Japandi style trend.

What is Japandi style?

Japandi style is a blend of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian cosiness and functionality. It features a lot of neutral and natural colours and textures, such as lighter-coloured wood and beige wool. The blend of the two styles is quite contemporary and has a lot of focus on sleek, flowing shapes and lines, so you’ll find lots of curves in furniture and straight-edged surfaces blending well together. The style itself is similar to the Danish pastel interior design trend, except pops of pinks, mints and lilacs are more popular here.

Japandi interiors are often simple and pared back, to allow room in the space to admire natural lighting and standout elements like large plants or minimalist artwork. The style allows your mind to wander rather than being attention-grabbing, so it’s great for busy homes where you sometimes need a break from the chaos to re-centre and recharge. But you won’t miss out on any cosiness here! There’s still plenty of comfort and soft furnishings, so it will still feel homely and comforting.

How to create your own Japandi style

There are a couple of ways you can create your own Japandi style:

Incorporating a neutral colour palette
Using natural flooring with a stone or wood effect
Using minimal décor and sleek furnishings

Let’s take a closer look at how you can do that in your own home.

Japandi colour palette

A neutral colour palette is a go-to for Japandi interiors, but this doesn’t mean you need to stick with white and beige! Muted greens and yellows can bring more subtle colour into the mix, and even a touch of dusty blue or pale pink can also bring a little of your character into the space. This can be especially helpful when working with very minimalistic furniture and minimal decorative elements, as it can add a sprinkle of flavour to the room without adding something distracting.

However, the classic cream, beige, brown and white colours are an excellent pick for this style, as they are calming, restorative colours that won’t detract from your statement items, such as a long, low sofa as the key feature of the room, or a large contemporary bookcase stacked with some of your favourite books and artwork.

Japandi-style flooring

Flooring is always important for creating the base of your room’s style – complimentary colours and textures can really elevate a space and make it feel very carefully put together and considered. So for Japandi interior design, flooring must add to the theme of the room, which for this style is relaxation, comfort, and natural materials. For this, stone or wood are the best looks to opt for.

You could create a darker base with a stone-effect luxury vinyl flooring, which could help you to introduce some moodier elements, like black line drawings and darker grey vases or coffee table books. Alternatively, you could keep it much lighter with a beige tile-effect vinyl, designed to create a pared-back base to which you can add a textured rug for added comfort, and will also work well with underfloor heating, so you can keep that cosy feel without compromising on your preferred style.

Another option that’s popular for Japandi style is engineered wood – you can get the luxurious effect of solid wood with all the practical benefits of the sturdy core that engineered wood is built around. And when it comes down to it, carpet is a classic choice for almost every interior design style, because it’s cosy, comfortable, and extremely versatile if you want to change up your style now and again. You can order free samples of any of our flooring if you’d like to see how it looks in the natural lighting of your home before you commit to one type of flooring.

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Japandi style décor

Once you have established a foundation, you’re already most of the way there to creating your ideal Japandi interior design. The finishing touches that pull the whole look together are your furniture and your décor. Japandi-style furniture is similar to Scandi-style furniture – practical and functional, made with lots of natural elements like wood, bamboo, wool, and cotton – and craftsmanship is highly prized in both these styles. Finding hand-made furniture and décor, especially pieces that have been is created ethically and in an environmentally friendly way, are also key to the purpose of this ‘less is more’ style.

You can achieve clean lines, plenty of open space, and allow in as much natural light as possible with low-level furniture, keeping it away from the windows - perfect if you want to achieve an open-plan living and dining design. Focus on separating décor elements such as vases, candles, and artwork, giving them plenty of room to show off in their own space – this will help to keep clutter down, and allow you to appreciate individual décor for their purpose and their style. Remember, this style is focused on intentional design, so try to stick with furniture and décor that is useful and beautiful, not just one or the other!

The easiest way to start with attractive and functional elements of your room is with your flooring, so why not pop into your local Tapi store to speak with one of our floorologists, who can help you pick out the perfect natural flooring to begin your Japandi style awakening. And if you’re feeling a little stuck on where to begin, you can book a free home visit for one of our team to come to you with all the options you’ve considered, so we can give you our best and honest advice!

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Published: 16-02-2023