Styles of the World: Japan

Through hundreds of years of interior design tradition, Japan has developed a wholly unique style which is beautiful in its simplicity. Modern interior design has become awash with clean, minimalist features which greatly reflect and inherit from Japanese design.

There are many ways that you can take inspiration from this amazing Asian culture – but here are a few that are sure to create a Zen space.

Serene Simplicity

The principle of Japanese design is clean and minimalist, which has continued to be a popular trend in twenty-first century design. A Japanese-styled home, crafted from generations of tradition, is perhaps the pinnacle of modern design ideals.

In an authentic Japanese home there may not even be much furniture. But how does this work in a modern home full of home comforts and various technological devices? You can achieve this by keeping the design uncluttered, with furniture that should be made of natural wood with clean lines to reflect Japanese styling. The tiling that you implement should be as simple as the room it is in; greys, beiges and other natural colours are perfect for this. Everything needs to have a purpose and a place – nothing should be out of order or without a function.

Capturing Nature

Japanese interior design is one with nature; it incorporates the Japanese love and respect for nature in almost all aspects of the home. They primarily maintain their strong connection with the outdoors by bringing it indoors.

A small touch of Japanese culture can be brought into your home in the form of the bonsai tree; translated, bonsai means “plantings in tray” and has transformed from a simple home decoration into an art form. It is a tradition that dates back over a thousand years. Bonsai are primarily, in the true Japanese tradition, for the purpose of contemplation and the pleasant feeling of effort and ingenuity in caring for the tree.

You can reflect this connection in the rest of your home by choosing a natural colour palette of soft browns and vibrant greens, natural stone tiling and utilising open windows that let the beauty of nature into your home.

Open Space

A key component of the minimalist design is open space. Due to the high cost of living, many Japanese homes are quite small so they endeavour to save space wherever they can. One way in which they do this is by using a traditional sliding door, known as a Shoji, to save the space a swinging door would take up.

Natural light is also important in a room inspired by Japanese interior design – it helps to create the appearance of more space. For a truly authentic look, the lighting should mimic the lantern style that is prevalent in much of this style. Large, expansive windows and skylights are the perfect way to shine natural light into your own home.

The appearance of more space is also possible to achieve via a slight optical illusion – lighter walls and darker floors will give the appearance of a taller and wider space. Furniture that is a similar colour to your room will also appear smaller to save even more space.

Finding the Zen in your own home is much simpler than you might expect. If you would like any further information on the products we provide, then get in touch with our friendly team here at Tile Mart – we are always happy to help you achieve the style of your dreams.