Japandi Style 2023: Interior Design Trends and Ideas

hackrea / February 21, 2023

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The current world situation has brought tangible changes in trendy style concepts. So, instead of a harsh and cool Loft, the emphasis is on soft Industrial. Provence and Country are gradually giving way to the ideas of a “progressive village”, and Modern Minimalism is now more and more often supplemented with Boho-style accessories. Also, very young trends come to the fore, which are just beginning to take shape in an individual style. One of the brightest representatives of such movements is Japandi – a charming symbiosis of two styles from different parts of Eurasia that changed our vision of harmony and serenity. What’s more, designers regard Japandi as one of the top interior design styles in 2023.

Japandi: Formation and Characteristics

The style was formed due to the fusion of two directions in design – Japanese and Scandinavian. Its name was created in the same way – from the English words Japan and Scandi. At first glance, it may seem that there is hardly anything in common between the interiors, created under the influence of the cold climate of Northern Europe and the atmosphere that has arisen thanks to the Land of the Rising Sun’s traditions. However, the designers still managed to find related features – and combine them most successfully.

The key similarity between Scandi and the Japanese style is that they are both based on minimalism – which means that both directions tend to be laconic, restrained, and practical. An obvious similarity can be traced in the selection of the palette, materials for decoration, furniture, and accessories. Simultaneously, both have their nuances. However, Japandi allows you to find the perfect balance between them and create an entirely new interior.

When planning to decorate an apartment in this new, unusual style, you should pay attention first of all to the following essential features of Japandi:

the priority for functionality and rational solutions;
the most simple shapes and lines;
the most open space, zoning with lightweight mobile partitions;
a remarkable balance of proportions for furniture;
hidden and, at the same time, a variety of storage systems;
a calm palette with a predominance of warm tones and gradations;
an ascetic approach to decoration;
an almost complete absence of active ornaments and visual disturbance.

It is on these characteristic features that an actual and, at the same time, delightful stylistic symbiosis is built, in which the laid-back Nordic aesthetics are in impeccable balance with the Eastern ideas of home comfort, order, and harmony. If you like this vision of the interior, it’s time to think about decorating an apartment or room in the Japandi style – especially since it does not require high costs and tedious searches for something super-exclusive.

Japandi Finish 2023

If you are interested in this kind of interior and cultural mix, forget about wallpaper, patterned panels, complex structures, and embossed textures. Walls, floors, and ceilings should create an even monochrome background against which the lines of furniture and laconic decor will look more voluminous and expressive without adding bright color accents.

The obvious plus of Japandi is that there is no need to spend money on expensive coverings and finishing materials. This style is characterized by painted or plastered walls, as well as floors made of wood, natural stone, or matte porcelain stoneware with a calm neutral texture of stone slabs. You will also have to do without stretch and suspended ceilings: such structures are simply unacceptable, and therefore it is worth abandoning them in favor of ordinary paint or whitewash.

At the same time, designers insist on slight imperfections in such coatings. The effect of careless application, slight irregularities, cracks, and abrasions create the very “hooligan” note and ease, which is especially appreciated in Scandinavian interiors.

Harmonious Japandi Color Palette 2023

In terms of color, there are some differences between the Japanese and Scandinavian styles. It would seem that both styles are based on ideals in the spirit of minimalism, which means they should focus on calm, light, and neutral shades. However, not everything is as simple as it seems.

The fact is that the Scandinavian style prefers tones closer to cool ones – it can be snow-white, smoky, calm gray, opal, and faded blue. Even the wood for such interiors is chosen light, with a predominance of silver and neutral milky gradations.

However, with the Japanese style, everything is somewhat different – for it, warm shades and nuances are much more valuable. Cream, beige, coffee, and gray-green with yellowish notes create the sun’s effect penetrating the windows and warming the room. For bright accents, colors from the warm spectrum are also chosen – and primarily red. Wooden elements are also selected with a bias in golden and dark tones.

Based on all this, the designers had to look for certain color compromises, and they quite succeeded. In any case, the list of shades characteristic of Japandi is quite clear:

earthy and warm woody tones;
coffee and beige;
dark brown and black for accent details;
calm natural shades of gray;
white without cold gradations – muted and matte;
ocher and terracotta – in small quantities for neat contrasts.

Updated Japandi Style Furniture

Furnishing is the first thing that needs to be paid maximum attention to in such an interior. Furniture for interiors that combine Japanese and Scandinavian styles has several unique features:

The lowest possible height. Low furniture is a conceptual solution designed to demonstrate the connection between man and the earth. It was borrowed from Japanese interiors, where they often get by with poufs and tatami. However, Japandi does not insist on such an extreme at all: low coffee tables, sofas, wallpaper, armchairs, benches, and chairs will create the right atmosphere and will look incredibly stylish.
Simple and precise lines and shapes. Impeccably geometric silhouettes of chairs and tables, rectangular outlines of sofas, and straight legs of chairs and benches will provide the necessary interior rhythm. At the same time, any decor is denied – possibly, except for light decorative stitching on the upholstery of upholstered furniture.
Natural materials. Japandi is a true celebration of decisions made by nature itself. Wood, metal, leather, willow vine, rattan, cotton, and linen are becoming a real axiom both for the furniture frame and for its upholstery. This is why considering the Eco-style interior design trends is a great asset in choosing furniture for a Japandi interior.

Brand-new Japandi Storage Systems

Another undoubted advantage of Japandi is the complete absence of visual disturbance. Open racks and cluttered shelves are completely uncharacteristic of this style. In no case should things be put on display – however, it is quite possible and even necessary to ensure their aesthetic storage.

The optimal solution for modular wardrobes with light sliding doors, decorated following the room’s color and texture solutions, small long chests of drawers, and low laconic consoles – preferably suspended. The striving for order, characteristic of the Japanese style, is favorably emphasized by closed fabric and wooden containers and boxes and stylized organizers for small items and wicker baskets.

Decorative Solutions for Japandi

This direction in design does not provide for intricate decorative design at all. The varied and multicolored decor makes the interior sound too loud, which fundamentally contradicts the basic concept of Japandi. Therefore, it is worth finally forgetting about paintings and posters, collages, mood boards, complex and voluminous draperies on the windows, and fluffy patterned carpets. However, this does not mean that the atmosphere cannot be revived with absolutely anything – this style also has its own decorative solutions. Let us mention the most important of them:

books installed on tables in special holders are a better solution than traditional shelves;
abstract black and white painting – maximum one or two works per room;
simple, possibly ethnic pottery;
woven jute rugs and mats in neutral shades;
hidden lighting systems or simple pendant lamps with ball-shaped lampshades made from natural materials;
light bamboo blinds and Japanese curtains on the windows.

As for flowers and plants, the Japandi is more than favorable to them. However, here, too, specific rules must be observed: compositions made of natural cotton and soft ikebana made from dried herbs are more suitable than living colorful bouquets, and tall tree-like plants in tubs and squat succulents in pots made of metal and ceramics will look more organic than lush curling vines.

Japandi Style Layout

What a great coincidence that the trendy open layout feature is beloved by Japandi. With more desire to let the natural light freely flood the space, Japandi operates with such features as open-floor plans, full-length windows, reflective surfaces, and the decluttered effect. Successfully mixing more functional zones and erasing the border by preserving the style’s consistency, Japandi proves one more time its love for harmony.

Japandi Style Personalization: Artisanal Pieces

The Japanese style combines natural wood texture with craftsmanship, while Scandi pairs it with extra comfort and utmost functionality. When the two styles meet, a beautiful celebration of natural texture, handcraft, and comfort delights the eye. Handmade furniture pieces of wood with the comfiest construction will meet the standards of those who think of Scandi as the most convenient style ever and those who cannot imagine their interior without a handcrafted wood masterpiece.

Designer-Mark Japandi Style: Contrasts

Redecorate your interior this season with a tasteful and personalized Japandi style when everything is well thought-out as if a professional designer had worked on the design. The two styles clearly differ from each other, and using this feature can come in handy when exposing the contrast, say, a Scandi sofa and a Japanese coffee table, Nordic-inspired light wood accents and slightly warm neutral colors on the walls, an exceptionally cozy accent chair of vegan leather and a handcrafted wood end table. The interesting part is that everything will look with taste due to the common feature of both styles to follow clean lines and minimalist decisions.

Japandi: Who Is It for? – Conclusion + Photo Gallery

Even exploring photos of the interiors in a similar style makes it impossible not to feel harmony, tranquility, and orderliness. It may seem that in rooms where everything is subject to visual and tactile balance and unconditional functionality, the feeling of discomfort does not arise in principle. However, it should be clearly determined whether Japandi is right for you – your ideas of comfort, habits, and lifestyle.

If you strive for a vibrant and colorful atmosphere and you can’t abstain from surrounding yourself with cute little things, charming trinkets, and cozy textures, then the restrained atmosphere of Japandi will become unnecessarily chilling and monotonous for you. However, for those who appreciate minimalism and conciseness, love it when everything is in its place, and need a full rest due to daily psychological and physical stress, Japandi will be a real salvation. An apartment decorated in a similar style will become a source of serenity and new strength!