Japandi – where Japan meets Scandinavia.
Scale back. Tone down. Invite nature and embrace imperfection. This sums up Japandi – the interior style that unites Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian simplicity. Explore our tips on how to decorate your home in Japandi style!
What is Japandi?
Japandi is a fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics. Despite the geographical distance between Scandinavia and Japan, the two cultures actually have a lot in common in terms of design. Both design traditions embrace the idea of 'less is more', where clean lines and minimalist shapes emphasise function and simplicity.
At the same time, the austere minimalism in both cases is balanced with soft values. In Scandinavia, the concept of 'hygge' encourages us to slow down, appreciate the beauty in simplicity, and enjoy life's small moments. In Japan, the design philosophy of 'wabi-sabi' revolves around embracing the imperfect. Japandi is an interior style that elegantly combines the best of both worlds.
How to decorate with Japandi.
If you want to achieve the Japandi feel at home, opt for muted and natural colours, natural materials, clean lines, and airiness. The latter implies keeping the number of items in your home to a minimum, allowing the selected few to take centre stage. Low furniture helps to enhance the airy ambience in the room.
Clean lines and a minimalist base create a visual calmness that is typical of Japandi. If you want to design a new kitchen in the Japandi style, you should keep this in mind when planning the kitchen cabinets. For example, you can try using the same width for all your cabinets to minimise the number of lines that may disrupt the harmony. Then, choose kitchen doors and handles characterised by simplicity and functionality, without unnecessary details and ornaments. Smooth surfaces and simple geometric shapes contribute to a sense of order and balance.
But to achieve the Japandi feel, it's also essential to embrace imperfection. This could involve using authentic materials that develop a natural patina over time or incorporating elements from nature into your decor, such as some beautiful stones, a seashell, or a dried bean pod. These organic details contribute to creating a vibrant atmosphere and a connection to nature.
STORAGE: Fronts VERTICAL Umber Wood / Handles BAR 140 Umber Wood /
Furniture legs SLENDER LOW Black
BATHROOM FURNITURE: Fronts PLAIN Umber Wood / Handles PHARMACY Aluminium / Furniture legs SLENDER HIGH Steel / Stone top LIMESTONE / Sink ALAPE 32 White/Steel / Tap TAPWELL EVO Chrome
STORAGE: Fronts PLAIN Obsidian Wood / Handles BAR Obsidian Wood /
Furniture legs TAKUMI HIGH Obsidian Wood / TAKUMI TRIPLE SHELF Obsidian Wood
The colours and materials of Japandi.
To capture the essence of Japandi, the choice of colours and materials is crucial. Subdued and natural colour palettes, such as soft grays, earthy tones, and muted pastels, permeate the style. These colours provide the room with a sense of calm and harmony while creating a natural connection to surrounding natural elements.
The use of natural materials is also typical of Japandi. Details in stone, linen, metal, and ceramics set the tone, but the most significant material for the style is undoubtedly wood. From the light tones common in Scandinavian design to the darker wood shades found in traditional Japanese interiors, wood is simply a natural choice for those aiming to create a home that breathes Japandi.
"The use of natural materials is also typical of Japandi. Details in stone, linen, metal, and ceramics set the tone, but the most significant material for the style is undoubtedly wood."
SIDEBOARD: Fronts PARALLELS Silent Greige / Handles MINI CIRCUS Aluminium /
Furniture legs TAKUMI LOW Silent Greige / TAKUMI SINGLE SHELF 120 cm Silent Greige
TAKUMI TRIPLE SHELF 80 cm Alabaster Wood
Create your own Japandi interior with Superfront.
At Superfront, you have the opportunity to create a personalised interior with a Japandi feel. With our doors, handles, and legs for Ikea's frames, you can not only create entirely new furniture but also give your existing Ikea furniture a complete Japandi transformation. Reusing frames you already have at home is not only economical – it's also better for the environment!
For example, you can transform your existing kitchen built on Ikea's frames Metod or Faktum into a wooden kitchen in Japandi style, where you can choose between smooth and fluted doors made of ash wood in several beautiful shades. To enhance the Japandi feel, you can add our BAR handle – a sleek and pared-down design in solid ash wood, available in different lengths tailored to the dimensions of the doors.
Similarly, you can create sideboards, wardrobes, bathroom furniture and other storage solutions in the desirable Japandi style. Make sure to check out our Takumi Collection – a series of wall shelves and furniture legs in Scandinavian design, inspired by Japanese craftsmanship. It doesn't get more Japandi than that!