east meets west

From habitat magazine - issue 36, top trend

Pair Japanese-inspired patterns with Scandinavian simplicity for the ultimate design fusion from the Resene Wallpaper Collection.

There is more than 17,000km between Japan’s fashion capital, Tokyo, and Copenhagen, the style centre of Scandinavia, but when it comes to design, these two different cultures aren’t oceans apart. Japandi – the name given to a blend of Scandi and Japanese design – might be the perfect marriage of style, and this happy coupling is one of the hottest interior trends. Pairing the clean lines and minimal rustic aesthetic of Scandi-style with nature-inspired Japanese simplicity, Japandi blends the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ or cosy contentment with Japanese ‘wabi-sabi’, or acceptance of transience and imperfection in the natural environment.

While peace, comfort and minimalism are key aspects of Japandi, ‘simple’ doesn’t have to mean dull. Wallpapers from the Resene Wallpaper Collection are a way to introduce colour and pattern while maintaining calming cohesion. Team traditional motifs representing Japanese springtime symbols, such as cherry blossoms (Resene Wallpaper Collection HAN100333900), tree peonies (Resene Wallpaper Collection 408355) or chrysanthemums (Resene Wallpaper Collection HAN100359113), with the clean lines of Danish minimal furniture. Blonde flooring finished with Resene Colorwood Whitewash or Resene Colorwood Natural protected with Resene Qristal ClearFloor will deliver the Scandi brightness and lightness while letting the wabi-sabi aspects of the timber grain show through. Windows and doors, which bathe rooms with light while also connecting the natural world outside to an interior, are key aspects of Japandi. Paint architraves and trims with greyedged whites such as Resene Half Sea Fog to fill the room with light or draw the eye to windows that frame nature by contrasting neutral walls with dark trims painted in hues such as Resene Bokara Grey.

Just as Japandi is a balance of two cultures, these designs from the Resene Wallpaper Collection will add balance to your interior space.

Symbols in Japanese culture

• Tanchozuru/red-crowned crane – a symbol of purity, longevity and peace.

• Sakura/cherry blossoms – represent springtime and renewal.

• Seigaiha/waves – commonly seen on kimonos, this pattern of concentric semi-circles can represent power, resilience and surges of good luck.

• Kiku/chrysanthemum – the official flower of Japan; the Japanese monarchy is called the Chrysanthemum Throne and the flower represents nobility and dignity.

• Take/bamboo – due to its resilient root system, bamboo is a symbol of prosperity.

• Botan/tree peonies – peonies represent wealth and beauty but are also often seen outside Buddhist temples to symbolise that nothing lasts forever.

Want to get your own free copy of future issues of habitat magazine?

Printed copies of habitat highlights are available from late March 2024 at Resene ColorShops and resellers, while stocks last. You can view back issues of habitat magazine online.

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