While most people tend to think of “Asian Design” as an all encompassing term, in fact the styles of Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese interior design are unique and independent of one another. Japanese design is uncomplicated, appealing to modernists and minimalists alike. You don’t need to follow extensive and restrictive principles of Zen to achieve a balanced and peaceful home, simply opting for a few Japanese inspired elements can work wonders for your homes energy.

Unclutter Your Space

Japanese design follows a less is more theory of decorating, and clutter in this case goes far beyond what westerners traditionally think of as clutter. While banishing the junk mail on the table is a good start, take a look at what is visually cluttering your space. From a Japanese design standpoint, westerners tend to over decorate their homes. While the 50 photograph collage frame overflowing with family vacation moments certainly gives a personal touch to your home, it is visually confusing and utterly unrelaxing to our brains. Most people are after the peaceful feel of Japanese design when they decide to implement it in their homes, so take a long hard look at what exists in your space and take steps to reduce visual clutter.

Pick Your Palette

If the final design you picture is filled with glossy black lacquer with splashes of red, you need to look towards Chinese design. Japanese design focuses on neutrals with an emphasis on tones derived from nature. The major color in a Japanese style room should be a light neutral, and while greys and very light browns are traditional, pick a color that pleases you. The idea is to achieve a Japanese Inspired design; if you attempt to literally translate tradition you may find yourself restricted to colors that simply aren’t pleasing to you. Look over color samples carefully and opt for one that is soothing to you and conforms to the basic idea of a very light neutral that you would likely find in nature. A good guideline for selecting a base color is to choose the second lightest color on a paint card, as more saturated hues simply don’t conform to Japanese design.

Furniture Choices

The furniture you select for you Japanese inspired room should conform to several basic principles. The tradition of Japanese design puts an emphasis on the scale of the furniture in a space, and a long standing lack of living space in Japan means tiny rooms furnished with low lying, functional furniture. Beds and sofas are generally set atop a low wood platform rather than an upholstered frame with springs, and tables should be low lying as well. Japanese furniture is almost always crafted from natural wood and lightly stained in a color similar to the shade of the walls to encourage color harmony, or what westerners would tend to view as monochromatic design. Clean lines are emphasized in Japanese design and the resulting furniture has straight legs and square or rectangular profiles. Most furniture in Japan serves dual purposes to accommodate the small living spaces of the region. Tables and beds are frequently constructed with hidden storage to aid in eliminating any sense of clutter.

Lighting

Natural light is emphasized in the nature driven style of Japanese design, and as a result windows are expansive and covered in simple almost sheer light diffusing shades. These shades are constructed of rice paper stretched over wood frames and are crafted in repeating geometric rectangles to add some uncomplicated visual interest to your space. A less literal translation of Japanese window coverings can be achieved in your home through the use of very plain roman shades in fabrics that gently diffuse outdoor light rather than eliminating it. Traditional Japanese floor lamps and sconces mimic the look of window coverings by repeating the geometric design and wood with rice paper construction. Similar panels, called Shoji screens, are used to define spaces in Japanese design and function as a flexible means of creating dynamic spaces.

Accessories

Accessorizing in Japan is entirely opposite the trends found in western décor. While westerners tend to fill every flat surface with an accessory and group similar objects together for mass appeal, Japanese design requires extreme restraint when accessorizing. Wood floors are traditionally topped with simple woven tatami mats, which have black or dark green cloth borders. The placement of several tatami mats together is used to define a room or living space and again repeats the geometric principle. The limited number of accessories utilized in a Japanese inspired space should be very purposefully chosen for simple beauty. A beautiful, artisan created piece of calligraphy in a simple frame is all that is necessary for wall décor. A decades old bonsai tree speaks wonders in an otherwise sparse and precise space with its gnarled form and splash of natural green. Successful accessorizing in a Japanese inspired space demands a less is more attitude; two or three stunningly beautiful items inspired by nature is by far better than 20 unremarkable pieces.

Japanese inspired home décor means operating with restraint, repeating simple geometric forms and paying ode to nature. When executed properly the result is simple but stunning and gives residents and visitors alike an instant sense of tranquility upon entering the room, which is what Japanese design is all about.