July 14, 2025, 3:26 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
The Japandi style combines Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian coziness, making it particularly well-suited for living room decor.
The Japandi style has established itself as a furnishing style for several years now–and for good reason! The stylish blend of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian coziness combines the best of both worlds: clean lines, natural minerals, and a calm, harmonious atmosphere. This makes the Japandi style ideal for decorating the living room. myHOMEBOOK reveals three tips to give your living room the typical Japandi character.
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Why the Living Room Is Suitable for Japandi Decor
In most households, daily life takes place in the living room. It serves as a retreat from everyday stress and invites relaxation and lingering, while also being a place of communication and the center of social life. In many homes, the living room is the heart of the apartment, where most time is spent.
Therefore, the living room is perfect for Japandi-style decor: As a central place in the home, it can ideally harmonize with the calm, minimalist aesthetic of the style. The living room benefits from the combination of clarity and coziness, making the space appear open, inviting, and yet structured. The decor style ensures balance and harmony, making it perfect for relaxing, reading, or social evenings.
1. Choose a Calm Color Palette
Japandi relies on soft, earthy tones. Instead of bright colors, beige, sand, stone gray, black, muted greens, and warm wood tones dominate. Light Scandinavian colors are complemented by darker Japanese accents, creating an exciting yet calm contrast.
Tip: Choose a main color (such as warm gray or cream) and combine it with two to three accent colors in natural shades.
2. Emphasize Naturalness
The Japandi style thrives on a connection to nature. Wood plays a central role. Furniture in light (such as ash or birch) and darker woods (such as walnut or oak) exudes warmth and naturalness. They are ideally complemented by the use of linen, ceramics, and stone.
Curtains and cushions made of linen or cotton paired with decorative elements made of stone, ceramics, or clay create a calm and earthy atmosphere. The surfaces of objects are often matte or slightly textured–high gloss is out of place here.
3. Selected and Reduced Decoration
Unlike Western furnishing styles, not every corner is decorated in Japandi. Instead, it’s about balance and the effect of the room as a whole. Use spaces strategically to give your living room air and lightness. A few, but strategically placed decorative elements like a bonsai, a handmade wall picture, or a floor vase made of clay are more than enough.
Art on the walls should also be kept simple. Wall pictures in monochrome tones or with Japanese calligraphy are often used. Avoid mass-produced items and instead opt for handpicked unique pieces.
Tip: Choose accessories that exude calm and match the room’s color scheme. Pay attention to natural textures–for example, matte ceramics, textured wood, or woven baskets.
4. Order and Functionality
A tidy home is essential for the decor style. In many households, the living room is the center of life, which can quickly become untidy or chaotic. To maintain the Japandi style in your living room, it’s best to work with hidden storage, closed shelves, and multifunctional furniture. This helps keep things organized and creates a relaxed atmosphere.
Also, in the Japandi style, every item has its place and function. Opt for fewer but high-quality pieces of furniture with clear, simple shapes. Quality matters more than quantity, so less is often more here. This applies not only to decoration but also to furniture selection. Typical for the Japandi style are flat sofas, low coffee tables, and sideboards with closed fronts.
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Calm Meets Warmth
A living room in the Japandi style appears decelerating, harmonious, and stylish at the same time. It is a place to breathe–away from hustle and sensory overload. By focusing on natural materials, reduced forms, and deliberately placed accents, you create an oasis of calm in the midst of everyday life.
One last tip: If you want to design your living room in the Japandi style, start with small steps–swap a few decorative elements, adjust the color palette, or replace a piece of furniture. The Japandi style thrives on conscious development, not quick remodeling.