How To Create A Japandi Style Bedroom

Step aside mid-century modern, there is a new design style in town taking over Instagram and YouTube. The Japandi interior design style is a new take on the minimalist interior design trends that have been so popular for the last several years.

We are going to share with you two Japandi style bedroom designs. One where we spare no expenses, and another where we create a Japandi style bedroom on a budget. Keep reading for both designs along with our top tips on how to save money when designing your bedroom.

Learn more about how to make your bedroom feel Zen in our post: Zen Bedroom on a Budget

What Is Japandi?

Before jumping into how to create a Japandi Bedroom it is best that you understand what it is exactly. Though the name gives it away a little, this design is a combination of two cultures. By taking elements of Japanese inspiration and melding it with Scandinavian influence it creates a combination to create a natural feel that is clean yet cozy.

Japandi uses clean lines and a relatively neutral color palette. It takes several notes of minimalistic design, but from two very different areas of the world to create a hybrid. Though it might feel like two completely different cultures, elements of each create a perfect pairing for a harmonious blend of styles. It is almost reminiscent of  mid-century modern with a natural twist.

Japandi Style Elements

Japandi Style Embraces Wabi-sabi

There is beauty in imperfection, finding and appreciating that beauty is an ideal in Japan called Wabi-sabi. Which is all about the imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. This is often seen in the beauty of nature, which is ever changing and beauty even when imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.

In the world of Japanese aesthetics, the idea of Wabi-sabi is widely embraced. Things that carry these three characteristics are often seen as beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.

Bringing in bits of nature from either houseplants, or fresh flowers is a way to inject some wabi-sabi into your home. Also handmade imperfect ceramics add this same feeling.

Scandinavian Aesthetic & Hygge

Hygge is more than just an aesthetic or interior design style for the Danish, it is a feeling that you can create with your surroundings, people, and activities. Hygge is often roughly translated to a cozy feeling.

Often things like snuggling up by a fireplace with someone you love may be considered to be hygge. Candles, warm blankets, a reading corner all of these things can add a sense of hygge into your home.

The idea of Hygge and Wabi-sabi are both more than simply an aesthetic, these are ideals that are ingrained in these different cultures. Which is something to explore and respect when designing your Japandi style bedroom, and the rest of your home.

Learn more about Hygge in our post: Create A Hygge Feel

How To Create A Japandi Bedroom

Layer Natural Materials:

To really design your bedroom in the Japandi style, you are going to want to layer in natural materials. From oak wood floors, concrete floors, wooden furniture, textured linens, rattan furniture, cane furniture, ceramics.

These kinds of raw natural feeling materials add a lot of depth into your space. The Japandi style really embraces these textures and with such neutral color palettes, these textures help to add a lot of interest and keep your space feeling warm and full of visual interest.

One of the most utilized natural materials in the Japandi style is wood. It is used in both Scandinavian and Japanese Zen interior design quite a bit. Typically in more natural finishes that are not too dark.

Neutral Colors & Earth Tones:

Overall both the Scandinavian and Japanese Zen styles tend to lean toward using layers of neutral color palette for the most part. While Scandinavian style uses predominantly neutral colors in lighter colors, Japanese Zen also utilizes darker colors, and earthy colors. Most of these colors are rather muted and not overly saturated. Think rusty reds, terracotta, olive green, dusty greys and so on.

When combining these two interior design aesthetics into the Japandi style, you can combine these two color palettes rather seamlessly. Give yourself a base of neutral light colors and then layer in darker neutrals and muted earthy colors into the mix. These all blend very well together to create a cohesive look. Which is one of the many reasons why Japandi has developed in the first place, so many of their attributes suite each other.

Combining Styling, Function & Comfort:

With the Japandi style, the combination of style, function, and comfort together. While the style of Japandi interior design is very beautiful, it is more than just an aesthetic. The Scandinavian side embraces a sense of hygge, making a house feel more like a home. The little comforts brought in by this side, really add a level of comfort that keeps a house from feeling too modern or cold.

Next is function. Both the Scandinavian and Japanese Zen interior design styles are big on creating spaces that are highly functional along with looking beautiful. Which naturally means that the Japandi combination of these two styles really combines all of this well together. Giving you a space that will work functionally, while also feeling homey and looking beautiful all at the same time. This is the goal of most of the design choices in this style, which is perfect for a bedroom as it is a very functional space that we want to look nice and most importantly, feel great.

Hand Crafted Details:

When it comes to the Japandi style, as we mentioned earlier wabi-sabi is all about embracing and seeing the beauty in imperfect things. This goes for your bedroom space and décor as well. When you are choosing art pieces, pottery, furniture and so on. If you can find imperfect hand crafted pieces, this will add a lot of depth and character to your bedroom. This is because hand made items tend to have a lot of soul to them, especially due to their imperfections.

Furniture that is made by hand tends to be rather expensive. To save some money while embracing this side of the Japandi style, choose smaller made by hand pieces. There are many places where you can find woven baskets, and local ceramists that make their own pots and so on. Going to craft fairs are a great place to find locally made pieces. This also embraces the feeling of Hygge as you are supporting a local maker.

What To Avoid in a Japandi Style Bedroom:

Try to avoid harsh, cold materials like plastic, lucite, or metallic. These materials tend to clash with the warm natural textures of the Japandi style. Instead of shiny, polished metal on furniture legs, drawer pulls, or light fixtures, choose raw metal or brushed/matte metals for these pieces. This will suite the style a bit better.

Also try to avoid overly vibrant or pigmented colors. These are very energizing and too dominating in a Japandi style bedroom. Instead stick with soft muted colors that are calming and not too stimulating. Even stark white can be too harsh in this style. Look for creams or ivory if you typically prefer to have white sheets.

Choosing Japandi Style Furniture:

When you are picking out furniture for your Japandi style bedroom, try to choose lower profile furniture with simple clean lines. Japanese Zen tends to keep their furniture much lower to the ground than most American style furniture.

However, low profile furniture has become more popular in the states and is more easily found. Scandinavian style furniture has become increasingly popular in the last decade. Which means it has become easier to find less expensive versions of this furniture style. You may even be able to find pieces for resale. This can save you a lot of money.

Minimal Higher Quality > Cluttered Lower Quality

One way to save money while creating a Japandi style bedroom is to focus on quality over quantity. If you have to choose between having an abundance of lower quality items or just a few high quality items, always go with quality over quantity.

Not only does this suite the Japandi style as it is a rather minimalist aesthetic anyway, it will also help to save you money in the long run. Investing in quality pieces over time is always better than filling up your home with lower quality furniture and décor.

Japandi Designer Bedroom:

1. Rove Concepts – Mikkel Queen Bed – $1886 
2. Article – Denman Canyon Tan Chair – $899
3. Restoration Hardware – Sonora Table Lamp – $845 
4. Asher Single Drawer Nightstand – $449 
5. Palmera Fan Urban Outfitters – $99 
6. Chinese Elm Bonsai Tree – $59

Japandi Bedroom On A Budget:

1. Tuft & Needle Queen Bed – $995 – Click to Shop
2. Carson Carrington Turi Tan Lounge Chair – $293 – Click to Shop
3. Porch & Den Legendtrail Cylinder Concrete Table Lamp – $145 – Click to Shop
4. Nightstand – $99 – Click to Shop
5. Decorative Handmade Wall Fan – $40 – Click to Shop
6. Artificial Bonsai Tree – $29 – Click to Shop

Japandi Style Bedroom On A Budget – Final Thoughts:

If you simply love the look and feel of a Japandi inspired bedroom, and you are shopping on a budget. We hope that you find this article to be inspiring and informative. You can design your very own gorgeous Japandi style bedroom without breaking the bank.

If there was only one tip we would hope you take away with you from this blog it is that you pick up quality pieces you love over time when you find a great deal instead of trying to buy it all at once. Not only will this create a more visually appealing and good feeling room, it will also save you money.

If you have any questions feel free to send us a message. We would love to answer any questions you may have.