12 November 28, 2021The Sunday Times
Home
KATRINA
BURROUGHS
@Kat_BurroughsA blend of Japanese and Scandi
style, this interiors trend is
simple, cosy and minimalist
Yuttari (“comfortable and relaxing” in Japanese) collection of seats from DFS. Four-seater sofa in Plain Oatmeal,
£999, large plain top footstool in Plain Oatmeal, £299, and velvet accent chair in blue, £649;
dfs.co.ukJOY OF JA
I
t’s the portmanteau
word for a mash-up of
Japanese and
Scandinavian style, a
mix of neutral tones
and natural materials,
combining the comfort of
Danish hygge with the serenity
of Japanese wabi-sabi
(beauty in imperfection).
Characterised by a focus on
simple forms such as the
lantern light and the platform
bed, Japandi is the perfect
palate cleanser if you are
maxed out on maximalism —
or already tired of tinsel.
Japandi is far from a recent
trend, though its popularity is
spiking this autumn, with a
7,900 per cent increase in
searches on social media for
“Japandi bedroom”, according
to research by the
housebuilder Miller Homes.
The Nordic fascination for
Japanese craft was established
soon after the mid-19th
century, when Japan opened
its borders to the west. In the
mid-20th century
Scandinavian designers,
including Finn Juhl, Josef
Frank and Kaj Franck, were
creating furniture, fabrics and
tableware informed by
Japanese aesthetics.
“The two cultures are
deeply rooted in their
respective crafts and share a
deep love for wood, which
connects the home with
nature and demonstrates the
human relationship to good
design,” says Nathan
Beckwith, president of the
furniture company Carl
Hansen & Son. His brand has
rediscovered and put into
production a Japandi light
designed by the Danish
architect and cabinet-makerEsben Klint in 1961 (EK61,
available in December, from
£300; carlhansen.com).
Thommy Bindefeld,
creative director of the
interior design company
Svenskt Tenn, says: “There
is a clear connection
aesthetically between
Japanese and Scandinavian
design. The simplicity, the
caring for details and the
focus on function rather
than over-decorating.”
Since it’s the time of year
when we traditionally make
wish lists, here’s the Japandi
I’d like to find underneath my
tree. Top of my list would be
Marimekko’s Oiva teapot (£65;
amara.com), some Teema
tableware from Iittala,
originally created by Kaj
Franck in 1952 (from £12;
iittala.com), and a brass tea
caddy designed by OEO
studios and made by the
craftsmen of Kaikado in Kyoto
(£125; postcardteas.com).
The good news is that you
don’t need to visit specialist
stores to buy into this fusion
style. The high street has gone
wild for Japandi in recent
seasons, and promises more in
the spring collections.
Good sources include John
Lewis, which offers tactile
ceramic vases and indigo
prints, such as Inky Blue II
(£30; johnlewis.com). Habitat
has an £8 paper lampshade
(habitat.co.uk) and Dunelm a
simple curved cane clothes
rail (£225; dunelm.com). It’s
understated and easy to live
with, and there’s no need to
fear your Japandi interior will
soon look dated. The trend has
survived for more than 150
years, so it’s unlikely to go out
of fashion this century.JEPPE SORENSEN