Japanese Interior Design Styles

Minimalism

• Japanese decorating and design embraces minimalism. The furniture looks beautiful, but also serves multiple functions; a futon, which can be both a couch and a bed, offers a good example of this. As far as the whole house is concerned, the fewer pieces, the better. Japanese design styles stand in stark contrast to the European styles that so many people gravitate toward, which feature plenty of trim and adornment. Instead, look for just a few pieces such as an interesting Japanese pottery set, a kimono on a wooden hanger or a scroll painting of bamboo. On a larger scale, avoid decorative elements such as wainscoting or heavy furniture with ornate carvings.

Materials

• Natural materials find favor in Japanese design styles. Natural woods, stone and bamboo abound throughout the architecture of the home. These elements also represent common building blocks for furniture. The architectural features that you see in Japanese design include exposed wooden columns or a stone fireplace in the middle of the floor. In terms of furniture, woven mats protect the floor, wicker baskets keep hobby supplies looking orderly and a low-lying coffee table features an almost bare wood that reveals the grain. These natural elements add texture to the space without overpowering it.

Flow

• Flow plays an important role Japanese-style decorating and design. Japanese-style design embraces open space that you can divide with a shoji screen when you need a bit more privacy, but open up again by rolling away the screen. The walls feature display alcoves with an odd number of objects, which represent better flow in Asian style decorating. It's common in Japanese decorating to rotate the objects in these and other display areas. This suggests that you don't need to show off all your decorative items at once. You can move the pieces around to encourage the energy in the room to move and bring new visual interest to the space on a regular basis.

Colors and Tones

• Vibrant color represent an exception in Japanese design rather than the rule. Most Japanese-style homes have walls of neutral colors such as off-white or beige with accents of vibrant colors. If you're selecting colors for your home and want to add a brighter color to your color palette, choose just one color such as Chinese red or jade green. Then choose some accessories that feature the color. For example, bring the color into the room on a large scale by painting one wall with it to create a focal wall. Add dashes of the color throughout the room by adding throw pillows to the couch or a piece of artwork to the wall in which that color figures in prominently.