Interior design is not just about separate elements in a space but it is a fusion of various unique and aesthetically appealing elements, designs, and styles that all work together to create a pleasant living space. Japandi interior design is a fusion of two distinct interior design styles: Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian simplicity.
This blog discusses everything you need to know about Japandi interior design style and how you can enhance your HDB’s appearance by adopting this design style while taking inspiration from the award-winning Swiss Interior’s design portfolio.
What is Japandi Style?
Japandi style is a beautiful mashup of Japanese and Scandinavian (Hygge) styles, taking in the main features of both these styles. It combines the subtle functionality, brightness, and simplicity of the Nordic interior with the warmth and natural elements of Japanese interiors to create a purely aesthetic and organic space. In this beautiful fusion of the East and West, we see a fusion of traditional and artistic Japanese elements with the comfortable and sophisticated Hygge features. Both these styles feature natural elements, so the Japandi style exudes minimalistic, simple, and organic vibes.
History of the Japandi Style
The history of Japandi style dates back hundreds of years ago when Japan changed their closed-border policy in 1850 and opened its borders to foreigners for the first time in 200 years. Architects and designers from Nordic countries visited Japan and immediately were mesmerised by Japan’s culture, design styles, and their distinctive handicrafts. All these elements served as inspiration for those designers who brought back elements of Japanese culture and fused them with their own design styles. Since both these design styles are quite similar when it comes to the use of natural and organic materials, minimalism, and skilled craftsmanship, it further aided this marriage of styles and started a movement that took the world by storm.
Why is Japandi Style Trending in Singapore?
The dawn of the century saw an interior design movement where different styles and themes were fused together to create unique and interesting spaces. Among these different styles, Japandi has evolved in recent years as a beautiful fusion of East-meets-West. As people all over the world become more and more conscious of their activities, they want to move towards a sustainable lifestyle and their choice of interior design and other elements clearly depict this philosophy. The Japandi style allows such people to embrace the imperfections of natural and organic materials while aiming to create calm and comfortable spaces. A space that is designed around sleek pieces, natural materials, and a calm ambience holds great visual interest for everybody and this is what homeowners want for their HDBs in Singapore too. The warmth and natural beauty of such interiors make them a must have and many people now wish to create a Japandi HDB home in Singapore.
Key Elements of Japandi Interior Design Style
To better understand how the Japandi interior design style can be incorporated into your HDB home, let’s discuss some of its key elements that define this style.
Minimalism
Japandi style embraces minimalism focussing mainly on simplicity and decluttered spaces. The idea is to create a calm and serene environment by reducing visual noise and unnecessary decorations. All elements in the space serve a purpose to eliminate any unnecessary object and ornamentation. There are lots of negative spaces that help to further accentuate the simple decor.
Neutral Colour Palette
Japandi design style is characterised by neutral, muted hues like white, grey, beige, and light, pastel colours. Such a neutral colour palette is depicted in Japanese and Scandinavian interiors and the Japandi style takes this element directly from these styles to create a serene and calm visual space using light, soothing colours.
Natural materials
A distinctive feature of the Japandi style is the use of natural and organic materials throughout the interior. These materials could include wood, bamboo, leather, and stone. Plants in ceramic and terracotta pots also add the perfect touch of nature to the space. All these natural elements help bring warmth and a closer to nature ambience.
Functional and Low-Lying Furniture
Since the Japandi style emphasises minimalism, whatever furniture is used in the space is mainly for functional purposes while still having a unique aesthetic appearance to it. The furniture pieces have clear lines and simple shapes with a focus on comfort and functionality. The Japandi style includes the distinctive concept of low-lying furniture of Japanese interiors and blends them beautifully with the other elements to create a sophisticated yet humble abode.
Wabi-Sabi
Japandi design incorporates the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which celebrates the beauty of imperfections, authenticity, and the passage of time. This means that not everything has to be spick and span in the interior; aged materials, handcrafted items, and imperfect elements can be included in the space to embrace imperfections.
Minimal Decor
Japandi style is also characterised by minimal decor that just adds a touch of character to the space without creating a visual mess. In such a style, you may see carefully chosen artwork that depicts Japanese culture, natural traditional decorative elements like pottery, or textiles that show a deep connection with the cultural and traditional roots of Japanese and Scandinavian countries.
Comfort and Cosiness
One of the main characteristics of a Scandinavian interior is the comfortable and cosy space that is created using various elements and furniture. The Japandi style also includes this characteristic and uses elements such as soft textiles, cushions, rugs, and comfortable furniture to create a warm and welcoming environment.
Open and Spacious Layout
Japandi style is famous for its distinctive open and airy layout that promotes a sense of openness and freedom. The minimalist configuration also helps create a spacious ambience. There are large windows in a Japandi interior that bring in lots of natural light to brighten up the space while helping create a connection of the indoors with the outdoors.
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Materials
Both the Japanese and Scandinavian styles promote sustainability and an eco-friendly approach and their fusion also embraces this concept. Japandi style features sustainable and eco-friendly elements like energy-efficient appliances and gadgets, eco-friendly materials, and sustainable elements.
Harmony and Balance
Probably the most important characteristic of a Japandi interior is the harmony and balance that it creates with all its elements so that the interior exudes calming and relaxing vibes. When each element and feature in an interior is balanced and complemented by the other elements, it creates a warm and inviting atmosphere that can be a breath of fresh air in the fast and exhausting routines of daily life.
Inspiration for Japandi Style From Swiss Interior Portfolio
To learn more about the harmonious cohesiveness and the serene ambience of a Japandi interior design style, let us go through an amazing award-winning portfolio by Swiss Interior at 181 Bedok North, 4 Room Resale HDB. This portfolio can serve as an inspiration of how you can incorporate Japandi style into your HDB home in Singapore and create a welcoming and harmonious space.
Living Room
The living room of this HDB is the epitome of beauty and serenity as it embraces all the characteristics of the Japandi style. Light muted tones of beige and white create the perfect calming atmosphere which is further accentuated through minimally decorated space. Functional and comfortable furniture boasts simplicity and convenience. The large windows with the absence of any curtains offer a clear view of the outside while allowing for an unrestricted flow of light inside. Other forms of artificial lighting like spotlights and accent lighting further adds to the sophistication and elegance of the space. Finally, the low profile sofa and other furniture pieces help create an open and spacious environment that is the true definition of a Japandi space.
Dining Room
The dining room of this HDB is the pure definition of elegance and warmth. The carefully selected usage of laminates with wooden accents throughout this space creates a seamless and unified ambience. The abundance of the light wood colour adds a touch of tranquillity where one feels relaxed and comfortable. The dining room is basically an extension of the living room in an open-concept layout that helps create a spacious expansion. The wooden storage structures provide ample flexibility to the homeowners to stow away their clutter to keep their home clean and organised. The dining table and chairs are carefully selected to match the closer-to-nature theme and this helps create a beautiful harmony with the other elegance design elements. On one side of the dining space, we can see a study room that has a glass partition. This glass partition offers the required barrier from any noise disturbances while creating an open and spacious feel in the living room and dining area.
Kitchen
The Japandi kitchen is as simple and functional as can be. Characterised by a neutral colour palette that is contrasted by wooden countertops and a wooden backsplash, this kitchen exudes elegant vibes. The white cabinets and shelves contrast beautifully with the hardwood floors while the strategic placement of cove lighting in the backsplash adds such an allure and charm to the kitchen that is unmatched. Notice there is no clutter in the kitchen; everything is stored strategically in their right places. Moreover, the kitchen design is functional with all the required appliances and kitchenware in easy access to the homeowners.
Study Room
The Japandi study room is also simple yet elegant. Housed in a small room, this study helps create a conducive environment for study and work. A simple, sleek table creates the perfect workspace along with a comfortable, ergonomic chair. The wood top study table blends beautifully with the hardwood floor while creating a balancing contrast with the light-beige comfortable sofa. Again, a large window with simple blinds helps bring lots of natural light into the room to create a bright and lively atmosphere. No other decoration or ornamentation is visible in the study room to avoid creating a visual mess. Instead, a simple and conducive work environment helps improve productivity and efficiency in this Japandi study room.
Bedroom
A Japandi bedroom is characterised by comfortable furniture and elegant decor so that the ambience is not only charming but serene as well. As we can see in the picture below, the master bedroom is designed in a very simple and organic manner. The bed is chosen in line with Japanese furniture that is low-lying and simple. The tufted headboard ensures a comfortable posture while plain bed linen gives out a very calm ambience. The bedside tables are simple with just a floating shelf serving the purpose. The windows are full-length with two sets of curtains. The sheer, white curtains allow unrestricted flow of light inside while the thick, plush second layer of curtains ensure privacy when required. Trendy, artistic hanging lamps create a stylish vibe along with the cove lighting behind the bed. No other ornamentation is seen in the room which is perfect in itself.
On one side of the bedroom is a set of full-length glass doors that add a stylish and unique touch to the room. The glass doors’ borders are wooden that help create the perfect Japandi ambience. Overall, the bedroom is the true picture of serenity, comfort, warmth, and elegance.
Bathroom
A Japandi bathroom ideally should also follow the same design principles as the rest of the rooms. This means that the bathroom should be simple, elegant, functional, and decluttered with a touch of nature in it. The following HDB bathroom interior design shows just how to achieve that. A cool neutral colour palette sets the tone for this elegant bathroom with white and light beige hues throughout. The toilet and other bathroom fixtures are modern and functional. The floating vanity and the overhead cabinet behind the mirror offer plenty of storage space that allows the bathroom to remain uncluttered. A simple glass partition separates the shower area to help create a seamless and airy atmosphere. Finally, the appearance is further enhanced through the use of indirect lighting, spotlights, and cove lighting. You can even add fresh or artificial plants in the bathroom to add a touch of colour and to give it a natural look.
How to Bring Japandi Style Into Your HDB
Japandi style is all about creating a harmonious and balanced living space. The process of interior design will involve choosing the right pieces and designing your space thoughtfully so that all the distinctive characteristics of this style are manifested in the space. The following tips can help you bring Japandi style into your HDB in Singapore.
● To start off, choose a neutral colour palette that includes soft pastels and muted shades like white, beige, and grey. The furniture, walls, and other decorative elements should depict this colour palette to create a calm and inviting ambience.
● Next, choose natural materials for as many elements as you can. This means opting for materials such as natural wood and leather. Choose those wooden elements that are light coloured like oak and ash. Similarly, choose natural materials found in Japanese interiors like bamboo and cane.
● When it comes to selecting furniture, choose simple and sleek furniture that is functional, yet comfortable. Avoid choosing bulky furniture pieces so that the space does not look cluttered. Sofas, tables, and other elements should be simple with clean lines and comfortable upholstery.
● Opt for comfortable and cosy textiles like fluffy cushions, throws, and rugs. Avoid using textiles with patterns and prints, instead stick to plain and solid textiles.
● Choose elements that are hand-crafted and that have a history to them to bring about a wabi-sabi vibe into the space. Vintage decorative elements and weathered objects help create an imperfect look that contrasts beautifully with the elegance of the interior.
● Keep decoration and ornamentation to a minimum. Whatever decorative element you do choose for your HDB should find its roots somehow in the Japanese or Scandinavian cultures. You can add vintage items or objects with a history that evoke nostalgia in this interior.
● Use functional lighting that provides ambient and task lighting. Pendant lights, paper lamps, and sleek lamps are popular in Japandi interiors.
● Keep an open and airy layout by opting for an open-concept plan.
● Incorporate large windows and keep the drapes open to let in lots of natural light. Add in lots of indoor plants to create a connection of the indoors and outdoors and add in a touch of nature to the space.
● Keep the space decluttered by organising all elements and furniture pieces in some kind of symmetry. Incorporate storage areas so that all extra items can be stowed away and the interior could remain organised and decluttered.
● Finally, add in your personal touch to the space and infuse elements of your personality in the interior. This way, your HDB Japandi interior design would be unique and elegantly yours.
These are some of the ways in which you can bring in Japandi style into your Singapore HDB. Swiss Interior excels in creating unique and strikingly beautiful interiors according to client’s requirements and preferences. For more inspiration about Japandi interiors in Singapore and other HDB interior design styles, contact Swiss Interior today.
