On a recent trip to Japan I noticed that the Japanese love to pay homage to different cultures, their foods and aesthetics. This is really great and impressive because they have such a rich culture of their own. And yet they love to get excited about Italian pizza, French cakes, Australian wine, Scandi metal, American Jazz…basically everything.
There’s a real sense that Japanese people are like sponges absorbing lots of other cultures and then selling this within Japan.
In Asakusa (the old Edo district of Tokyo), there is a Nordic cafe called Fuglen which featured austere and beautiful design, and yummy Norwegian waffles.
This cafe’s design in Asakusa features both Japanese minimalism and the delicate austerity of Nordic design. The result is a super cosy and atmospheric place. While I was in this cafe, I was dreaming of replicating something similar in my (as yet theoretical) dream house of the future.
Japandi is a thing
The fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian is actually a thing on the internet and is called Japandi.
The two styles represent traditional elegance. The fusion of Zen-like minimalism of Japanese design combined with the warm and rustic vibe of Nordic design seems like a logical synergy.
So how to adopt Nordic and Japanese Fusion in your home?
I’m no interior designer, but this look is really fascinating and beautiful. Here’s how to do Japandi.
- Look for low-lying mid-century furniture in warm woods.
- Clear the clutter from your living space. The style is minimalistic. Invest in good storage options to assist with this.
- Use natural and simple design elements
- Use darker accents for a Japonica twist
- Combine pale and dark timbers
- Use the pallette of rich colours from Japanese design for warmth and combine with this with the cool undertones and raw edges of Nordic design.
- Use lush leafy house plants to draw the look together.
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