Tips & Tricks: Japandi Kitchen

Japandi is a mix of Japanese and Scandinavian styles and is a hot topic in the interior design world – but what exactly is it? In essence, Japandi is the combination of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese minimalism, blending art, nature, and simplicity. Japandi is heavily influenced by the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi: simplicity and contentment and mixed with Scandinavian practise of hygge: comfort and wellbeing. They work together in a hybrid fashion. The result is a focus on clean lines, bright spaces and light colours. Japandi design is not about being sparse, but about being intentional instead, selecting items that are handmade and demonstrate craftsmanship.

Choose from a calming colour palette with natural furniture and accessories. In our Japandi kitchen, we have used ash and birch plywood for the cabinetry. A neutral base works well but when you do introduce colour, do so in a meaningful, subtle way. In our kitchen, black and ochre yellow are the accent colours. Paired with the naturally light wood, light walls, the effect is subtle but striking. We also added plenty of natural materials like our rice paper lampshades, clay pots, plants and pampas grass, rounded off by displaying some of our favourite ingredients that also make great decorative items: artichokes and onions.

As a basic rule, choose designs that make you feel calm and focus on quality over trends. It is also about being selective about what you display. Choose items that make you feel good, are beautifully made, or have special memories attached to them.

Our Slide&Hide® oven for example, has been designed to fully disappear when opened; making sure you can get closer to your cooking. Combining functionality with good looks is what we do at NEFF but we also like to add an element of fun, to make sure being in the kitchen is always a pleasure, not a chore.

Additionally, Japandi styles often emphasise sustainability. The prevalence of natural materials and simple designs makes it a great green decor style. With more and more consumers looking toward eco-friendly aesthetics, Japandi's popularity is no surprise.