One of our favorite new design trends here at TLF is Japandi - the fusion of Scandinavian cozy (“hygge”) with Japanese “shibui”: simple beauty that comes from details and a love of natural materials. It’s a style we’ve embraced here for a long time, and we’re so happy to see it finding a great name. Take a look at Apartment Therapy to get an idea of what Japandi looks like in practice or view our hand-wrapped jute cords as an example - each strand of jute is different, each has its own subtleties and beauty as a result of its origins, and the combination with glass bubbles is a use of beautiful natural materials that share space in a dialogue between found and made.
Amy Vroom, founder of the Residency Bureau is a designer we work with that brings a lot of these influences together. She recently had one of her Seattle projects written up in Rue Daily, and will be featured in Portrait Magazine. Check out “When a Starter House Becomes a Forever Home” to see Amy’s dining room design that uses beautiful natural materials to make the room both cozy and beautiful.
(Photo courtesy of Amy Vroom and Miranda Estes, via Ruemag.com)
To incorporate Japandi into your own home or office look for pieces that are sculptural in addition to being functional. This article from The Nordics discusses how Scandinavian design focuses on light colorways to allow for the interplay of natural light, and Japanese design uses more dark wood tones to create drama and focus. Use baskets like boho, but with the intention of giving clutter a place to live instead of celebrating it. By using sustainable materials like leather, rattan, linens, and stone you can add texture and patina and life to your space. Think of mid-century lines with artisanal materials. There’s always beauty in irregularity, and Japandi celebrates it.
(Photo courtesy of designer Danielle Lawless via cleorosa.com)
