How to furnish your home in Japandi style

A hygienic feel-good atmosphere paired with simple and reduced furniture of the Far Eastern style - that's Japandi. At first glance, it seems like a bold, opposite fusion of two styles. But a closer look reveals how many similarities the new living trend has in common.

Table of contents Table of contents Japandi: The furnishing style is conquering Germany

• What is the trend?
• Wabi-Sabi: A Japanese concept of aesthetics
• Implement the Japandi style at home

Table of contents Table of contents Japandi: The furnishing style is conquering Germany

• What is the trend?
• Wabi-Sabi: A Japanese concept of aesthetics
• Implement the Japandi style at home

New living trends keep popping up - some prevail and others are forgotten after just a few months. The Nordic Skandi style is the best example of a timeless furnishing trend that has been with us for several years and will continue to be in the future. Its bright colors and simple shapes create peace and order in a hectic world - its high-quality craftsmanship and design classics are more popular than ever. But this timeless furnishing style is also evolving. As the name Japandi suggests, the popular Skandi style is now combined with a hint of Japanese aesthetics, creating a particularly elegant environment.

What is the trend?

Japan and Scandinavia are not only far apart on the map, also two cultures seem to collide here culturally. The fact that these different lifestyles now meet in the facility and combine harmoniously shows how many similarities exist. The simplicity of things is valued in both Japanese and Nordic culture. Sayings like "less is more" and "quality is more about quantity" apply to both styles. Straightforward, functional and puristic furniture is not the only thing in the Scandinavian style of living. In Japan, too, people like to focus on the essentials when it comes to furnishing.

Recently the Japanese bestselling author Marie Kondo triggered a veritable euphoria of tidying up, causing people around the world to ask themselves: What items really bring me joy and what can be removed? At the same time, the term Wabi-Sabi comes up again and again in this context. What at first sounds like a delicious delicacy from Japan actually describes a Buddhist concept of perception, which is also decisive for the Japandi style.

Light colors and woods are typical of the Scandinavian furnishing style and are also used in the Japandi style.

Photo: living4media / Lene-K

Wabi-Sabi: A Japanese concept of aesthetics

In order to be able to skillfully implement the Japandi style in your own home, you have to understand the influences that created it. The word "Wabi" means sad, abandoned or alone, "Sabi" stands for old = " and pass away - at first glance, a negative combination of words. However, this is not true. Rather, Wabi-Sabi describes an aesthetic concept that perceives imperfect and incomplete in Zen Buddhism. Things that have Wabi-Sabi quality are unpretentious. At the same time, they have a presence in the room: they should encourage the viewer to appreciate the imperfect and to perceive the easily overlooked. The influences of the Wabi-Sabi in the Japandi style put an end to the otherwise so stylish Skandi chic - there is more freedom in the design.

Wabi-Sabi values ​​purity and simplicity. So do without too much decoration. Even a large, striking houseplant makes a statement in an otherwise empty room.

Photo: living4media / Bauer Syndication

Implement the Japandi style at home

In Japandi style, both styles of living create a certain tension. The clean lines and Scandinavian minimalism are grounded by Wabi-Sabi principles. Organic shapes, natural materials and colors complement it with a well-proportioned portion of security. The Nordic furnishing style is warmer and more elegant thanks to this Far Eastern influence.

In the color palette of the Japanese style, the discreet, bright colors of Scandinavia meet the dark tones of Japan. For example, combine furniture made of light wood with dark decoration. Muted colors such as brown, beige and terracotta are just as suitable for this as gray and black.

The Japandi style creates a tension between the more rustic Skandi style and the sleek elegance of the Japanese decor.

Photo: living4media / House & Leisure

High quality materials in the Japandi style are indispensable. Wooden cabinets with a visible grain and natural textiles such as cotton, linen, jute and wool are perfect. Avoid eye-catching patterns. For example, a Shibori pattern is more suitable. This 1000 year old dyeing technique was once used for kimonos and can even be done by yourself - we will show you how to do this with this decoration for the apartment. In addition to the typical color blue, you can also use muted, earthy tones.

You should always choose furniture and materials with care. Rather rely on a few, but expensive individual pieces. Everything else can be sorted out.

Photo: living4media / Bauer Syndication

When it comes to furniture and accessories, we recommend carefully choosing each piece for the Japandi style. Everything that is visibly placed in the room should be interesting or at least be placed there for a good reason. So use decoration rather wisely. Exquisite furniture, such as large armchairs or a coffee table with an extravagant base, can have a statement character and serve as an expressive eye-catcher in the tidy Japandi environment.

Empty corners are not boring, they are wanted - not every surface has to be used. For many, this can be a real challenge at first - everything quickly feels empty. However, try to concentrate on special, atypical accessories that really come into their own through the remaining restraint.

The Japandi style emphasizes the love for the natural and handmade: ceramics and earthenware dishes therefore belong in every modern dining room.

Photo: living4media / Chiaratti, Ilaria

Tip: Dishes with a touch of the Far East have become an integral part of the interior design scene: simple, almost rudimentary plates, drinking bowls and ceramic jugs are already available on every corner in Germany. Inexpensive sets are available from Ikea and Depot, but also from the Danish retail chain Søstrene Grene.

A great advantage of the Japandi style: the furniture used is so timeless and delicate that it can be used for years. For Japan, low-level furniture such as futons is particularly common, which creates space in small rooms. Combine them with Nordic design classics like shelves from String or an Eames Lounge Chair.

Not every surface of a shelf has to be used. Instead, focus on individual pieces.

Photo: living4media / Karl, Anderson Lea Straub Redaktion haus.de