Embracing Japan’s Minimalist Design

Japan is fascinating in every way, from its people to its culture. Its power and influence as a nation has captured the hearts of many, including architects and designers. Japan is famous for minimalism or the stripping of an art form down to its most fundamental or basic features.

Minimalism in design and architecture that became popular throughout the world in the 1990s is a trend, which was spearheaded by the Japanese through their love for simple elements. A typical Japanese home almost always offers a good balance between objects and space. Its interiors are measured according to the standard size of a Japanese tatami mat, such that the doorway should be two mats high and one mat wide. That mat, of course, is used primarily for seating, flooring, and sleeping. The rooms are divided by removable screens that slide on wooden tracks.

The Japanese style is highly distinguishable, as evidenced in popular Zen practices. It promotes for flexible boundaries such as moving screens and sliding panels. It uses low furniture from tables to seats, and uses natural, organic materials like cane, bamboo, paper, and wood. It makes use of indirect lighting and neutral colours accented with red, black, and gold. Table settings have bowls not plates, with a long runner on the centre of the table.

It is quite easy to adopt the Japanese minimalist look in your own home. The above-mentioned ideas will serve as your guide.