Japanese style in interior design is a type of ethnic style in minimalism, which features impeccable color combinations and laconic forms combined with non-standard solutions in design. This can be easily found in abundance natural materials And flower arrangements(ikebana). This should appeal to those who like simple, well-structured spaces with minimal furniture.
What is different about a Japanese-style apartment?
You can start designing an apartment by selecting a color scheme. Inspired by nature, the Japanese prefer mostly discreet light shades(milk, light beige and cream). These shades predominate when choosing the color of walls, furniture and fabrics. Please note that all surfaces in the apartment must be smooth. In general, this direction does not require special effort. It is enough just to follow the correct color scheme and adhere to minimalism when choosing furniture. Room design in Japanese style assumes:
- Island for relaxation in the center of the room;
- Availability only necessary furniture made of natural wood;
- Vintage materials;
- Sliding doors made of bamboo;
- A combination of wood, glass and metal elements;
- Japanese-style ceilings must be square or rectangular shape;
Japanese style lighting
Lighting in this direction is of particular importance. It can create a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere in the room in the spirit of Zen philosophy. Pay attention to modern ceiling lamps under "Shoji". They are covered with paper, which is a mixture of cellulose and polyester, so they last longer. To create diffuse lighting, you can select desk lamp from bamboo or tatami lamp.
An excellent choice would also be pendant lamps. They are perfect for any space. Initially they were made of copper and consisted of 4-6 sides. Today, such Japanese-style chandeliers and lamps are made from paper, glue and bamboo. They are usually placed in well-lit corridors.
Japanese style house
The houses are usually small and located close to each other. The core features of a traditional living space provide privacy, natural light, protection from the elements, and close contact with nature, regardless of the size of the home or its location. Most city dwellers cannot afford houses for every family. Interestingly, their apartments contain traditional features such as a jacuzzi and a staircase entrance. The interior of the house often involves one room with tatami. Elements traditional design interior designs that have long inspired Western architects can be found all over the world.
Japanese style bedroom
The right way to design a bedroom is to start with the floors and work your way up. Mat-tatami mats are ideal for covering the floor. Traditional tatami mats are made from rice straw and are very comfortable to walk on without shoes. If there is no tatami to cover the entire floor, simply lay a small tatami mat in front of the bed.
Furniture used in Eastern culture has low legs. Therefore, a Japanese-style bed for a themed room should be as low as possible to the floor. Complete the bed with bamboo details and place a basic lacquered chest of drawers next to it. Instead of a bed, you can place the mattress directly on the floor.
When choosing furniture, you should remember that all pieces of furniture in the bedroom should satisfy exclusively functional needs. Therefore, do not clutter the space, leave only the essentials. Japanese-style bedroom interior design does not tolerate excess.
Help to decorate the room decorative elements made from natural materials such as bamboo, rice paper or wood. Emphasize the elegance of the bed and chairs with silk pillows. You can also hang silk curtains in the bedroom. Rice paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling will also add authenticity to the room. Choose one or two paintings of nature or cherry blossoms.
Japanese style kitchen
Japanese-style kitchen interior design cannot be attributed to a specific mood. A kitchen can be warm and cozy, as well as discreet and spacious. You need to create an attractive and comfortable place to spend time with friends and family.
As for the decor, beautiful little things will make the kitchen interior perfect. Please note the following:
- Bamboo in a floor vase;
- Panels with hieroglyphs or images of people;
- Mats as seats or tablecloths;
- Japanese style dishes and porcelain: tea sets, bowls and bowls;
- Curtains for the kitchen made of cotton;
- Rice paper lampshades.
Japanese style furniture
It is worth choosing contrasting furniture, for example, from black lacquered wood. The Japanese prefer elegantly designed furniture with low legs. It might be low Coffee table, and as a place to sit, you can use low ottomans and pillows placed directly on the floor.
Japanese style living room
<Минимализм в деталях декора и простота форм – визитная карточка этого этнического направления. Поэтому из интерьера гостиной стоит исключить лишние детали, такие как фотографии, картины, статуэтки и современные металлические и стеклянные предметы декора. В гостиной стены обязательно должны быть светлые. Можно приобрести белые или кремовые обои для стен в японском стиле на тканевой или растительной основе.
You can soften the severity and add more coziness with the help of traditional plants (bonsai), inscriptions from hieroglyphs, images of sakura branches, as well as authentic accessories (katana sword). Details such as screens, curtains and curtains for a Japanese-style window with contrasting images will be useful.
The interior of the living room includes flooring using bamboo boards or laminate. This floor will last a long time, it is practical to use, easy to clean and is not afraid of hot objects.
Japanese style bathroom
The traditional bathtub for this trend is a deep bowl (ofuro) completely hidden in the floor. It is made from natural wood. Before taking a dip in the bath, you should take a shower, which is located separately. There is also a changing area in the bathroom, separated by a screen or partition. To create an oriental interior in a small bathroom, you can apply stylization using ceramic tiles and panels. Choose light, calm tones. The main wall can be treated to look like wood or straw. A great addition to a relaxed atmosphere would be diffused spot lighting.
We invite you to take a virtual tour of a beautiful modern house made in Japanese style:
See also some of the cozy interiors on our website:
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Since ancient times, Japanese style has been characterized by its simplicity, minimalism, incredible harmony and sophistication. These sleek timber structures feature open floor plans, spacious rooms and lightweight screen doors made from thick paper or bamboo. For the Japanese, the main condition has always been being close to nature, the opportunity to observe natural processes and magical landscapes, which helps them find peace and harmony within themselves.
House in Japanese
A traditional Japanese house is built on a wooden frame and covered with a pitched roof. At the entrance there is a terrace with wooden flooring; it is divided into two parts - one of them is under a canopy, and the other is in the open air.
In modern conditions, such exclusively wooden houses are impractical and short-lived, so the construction of a European home includes decorating individual elements according to the Japanese style. For example, finishing materials are used in a certain oriental style color scheme, a miniature rock garden is set up, or light sliding doors are installed in the house. Small terraces are decorated with dwarf pines, bamboo or other upright plants.
Garden in Japanese
That is why the landscape is considered the main element of a Japanese home. The Japanese are staunch followers of their ancient philosophy and therefore attach great importance to water and stones. Their houses are distinguished by the presence of a small pond, mini-waterfall or fountain on its territory, because according to beliefs, water cleanses the house from evil. There is also a common concept for arranging a garden and park area in the Japanese style - “Rock Garden”. This is the use of large and unprocessed stones of different types, structures and colors in the arrangement of parks and courtyards.
A Japanese garden gate must be made of wood. Light and lattice-like, according to philosophy, it transmits not only sunlight, but also the power of nature, the light energy of plants and air.
To make the garden as similar as possible to Japanese, you can use bamboo as the material from which the fence will be made. This material is not only distinguished by its characteristics of strength and durability, but will also provide style to the entire yard and garden.
To arrange a recreation area, you should pay attention to Japanese gazebos, which allow you to very pleasantly spend time drinking tea or observing nature. A mini-garden with paths and bonsai is usually built around them.
Paths are also an integral part of Japanese landscape design. You can create them in two ways:
- a scattering of fine gravel or other natural stones;
- concrete slabs (more durable and practical), diluted spaces with soil, sand or gravel.
Japanese interior
First of all, it should be remembered that Japanese is about open, bright spaces and minimalism. “Cluttered” rooms scatter the attention of the living person and distract him from focusing on important thoughts.
The most important thing, as mentioned earlier, is light, sliding partition doors made in the appropriate color spectrum. Such doors can lead to a terrace and open up a beautiful view of nature, or they can create different zones indoors, serving as partitions.
It is best to cover the floor with a mat or covering that imitates straw mats. Accents in the interior can be bright pillows, a carpet or a painting.
To give the room a Japanese style, you should choose the right furniture - it should be light and wooden. You can also use small tables or Japanese curtains.
It is important to remember that the Japanese style is aimed at emphasizing the beauty and sophistication of decorative elements; it uses natural finishing materials, predominantly milky, white and beige shades with a contrast of black or dark brown.
Japanese style is not only restraint and simplicity of form, but also an inextricable connection with the surrounding nature.
The fashion for a house or home decorated in an unusual style has always existed. But the case of houses built with claims to the Japanese style is slightly different from the options for imitating Italian, French or Dutch architecture. Western houses have always been the epitome of practicality and adaptation to the local climate.
The traditional Japanese house was the calling card of the family living in it, and in most cases was created not with the goal of achieving maximum living comfort, but as a continuation of the traditions and complex worldviews of a centuries-old culture.
What is Japanese architecture
Even an ordinary person, far from the originality of the Japanese style, once looking at a Japanese temple, pagoda or ancient samurai house, will confirm that it is unusual and beautiful. To create a Japanese-style home, you need a little:
- The project takes into account the basic, understandable to us, canons and rules of the Japanese tradition;
- Give the building classical features and design elements to emphasize that the architecture of the house belongs to the Japanese style;
- Decorate the space around the house in accordance with the requirements of Japanese architectural tradition and style. The territory, vegetation, and landscape are ideally an organic continuation of the Japanese house.
Important! When building a house in the Japanese tradition, it is very important to copy not the elements of the building, but their design style. It is extremely difficult to build a real Japanese house due to the huge number of details and nuances. Moreover, for a Western person such a home is not always convenient and understandable. It is much easier to create Japanese style house designs.
Differences and features of a Japanese-style house
A real traditional Japanese house is a little different from the designs we know from films and photos. Those examples of Japanese architecture and style that we know belong to the family estates and castles of wealthy people, high-ranking dignitaries, military leaders and clergy in ancient Japan.
They became the basis for the creation of modern Japanese-style houses. Classic Japanese houses in different parts of Japan differed in some details, but all were built according to the same laws:
- The territory on which the house or temple was located was always surrounded by a protective fence, had a large number of plantings, planted in strict accordance with established rules, paths and auxiliary facilities;
- The house had an open and closed part, designed in the form of several terraces; directly in front of the house there was always an open area or a pond;
- The walls of the house had a large number of vertical posts that supported the massive roof, and windows that provided normal lighting in most of the interior spaces.
- The main part of the house was installed on wooden stilts with two or three stacked natural stone supports. This is also a Japanese style of providing thermal insulation and protection from dampness and flood water.
For your information! The most recognizable element of a Japanese house is the specific curved shape of the roof. It is this element that has become decisive for any house built in the Japanese style.
Basic elements of a Japanese style home
The first thing that makes a house in a characteristic Japanese style so recognizable and original is the roof of the building. The roof design is in many ways reminiscent of elaborate Chinese roofs, but simpler and more practical.
Of the European roofing structures, the closest to the Japanese style are Danish and Dutch hip roofs, which are also designed for high rainfall and strong winds from the sea.
Therefore, in a house built in the Japanese style, the roof is always built with a negative curvature of the slopes, as in the photo. Traditionally, in the roof of a Japanese-style house, the roof slopes had several tiers, two or three.
With this roof design, snow and moisture did not linger on the roof for a long time, which significantly reduced the load on the very heavy and massive rafter system. The long overhangs of the rafter legs were used as suspension points for lighthouse lanterns, which could be used to navigate the estate at night in conditions of pitch darkness.
The oriental style is characterized by very large and long roof overhangs, especially at the corners and above the entrance to the house. In this way, they tried to divert rain and melt water as far as possible from the foundation and walls of the house.
The second, most recognizable element of the house, characteristic of the Japanese style, was the open terraces and a large number of vertical posts and supports that hold the roof and give rigidity to the walls of the house.
In the past, this technique made it possible to strengthen the walls of a house with a large number of huge window openings and decorative screens that closed the interior space from prying eyes. Now this is only a decorative element inherent in the traditional style of building design, photo.
A house in a classic style was always complemented by a huge canopy over the entrance or side of the building. Traditionally, a place under a canopy or on a large terrace was the main location during daylight hours.
In a modern building, this is a beautiful attribute of a Japanese-style house, photo. Terraces surrounded the perimeter of the house, in some cases at least ¾ of the entire space. This was convenient in the old days, and in the same way they emphasize style in modern buildings.
Traditionally, in the Japanese value system, the home was both a temple and a place for ordinary human activities. Therefore, as in many other Eastern styles, there may be a chapel, figures and religious objects in the courtyard of the house next to ordinary everyday things and objects.
Such a house was always built from wood, stone, paper, and fabrics. Therefore, in modern interiors and design solutions in the Japanese style, even plastic and synthetic materials are most often designed and decorated to resemble wood and stone. But, given the great interest in environmentally friendly projects and decorative materials, the interior and exterior of a building in a traditional style only benefits from this.
The third specific attribute of a house in a traditional design style is the ability to decorate and create a very beautiful landscape in the local area. This could be a series of unusually shaped shrubs or trees, as in the photo, a fancifully laid out garden made of stone and ornamental plants, a small pond with a miniature waterfall. Traditionally, Japanese pine was used - bonsai, which was planted at the entrance to the house and along the paths.
The decorative lawn or rock garden in the house was always complemented by a large platform, on which, in fact, all the main events in the estate took place. Visually, such an addition increased the size of the estate and was a sign of the high position of the owner. In a modern style, the site is traditionally used as a parking place.
Today, the territory of the estate in the classic version is necessarily equipped with gates and a high fence, which is used as thin steel tubular fences covered with dense bushes. But in budget options, the house is simply surrounded by a high stone wall.
Japanese style house interior
The traditional option for arranging the interior space of a house can be called quite minimalistic and strict. Following traditions, the house should have a minimum amount of furniture and objects. It is customary to decorate the interior walls of the house with engravings and drawings in the style of graphics and ink painting on silk.
Japanese style in the interior requires a lot of light and free space, so you can rarely see tall trees or overgrown bushes in front of the windows of the house. At night, due to the large number of lights, the building seems to consist entirely of windows.
The ceiling design was quite unusual. In a classic house, floor and roof beams often served as a frame and pantry, a place to store a large amount of food and various items. Today, only symbolic elements of the frame remain from the old tradition.
The most important element of the interior was the floor and flooring. The floor was always made from the strongest and hardest type of wood, and after assembly it was polished with wax to a shine. In a modern interpretation, natural oak and cedar are used, less often laminate or carpeting that imitates traditional bamboo mats. Light paper and fabric screens were used for partitions and interior walls in the house, which are now being successfully replaced by decorative panels with the texture of silk and bamboo frames.
Conclusion
The beauty of a house built in the Japanese style is very specific and interesting; it is very difficult for European standards to adapt to modern interpretations of the cultural traditions of Japan, so often, even in Europe or Asia, such houses have only a superficial resemblance to the basic architectural solutions of a Japanese estate. The interior design of a home is most often adjusted to the needs, habits and preferences of the owners, which does not prevent them from considering their home to correspond to the classical canons.
