These homes show how the harmony of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian warmth can create everyday spaces of calm and beauty.
2 April 2025
Top image: Project by Plush Interior Design
Text by Aria Tan
Japandi isn’t just a design trend — it’s a lifestyle built on intention, simplicity, and the quiet confidence of well-crafted spaces. Marrying the elegance of Japanese design with the cosiness of Scandinavian living, it has become a go-to aesthetic for those seeking homes that feel both mindful and restorative.
At its heart, Japandi interiors are pared-back but never cold, and are functional yet warm. Think soft, muted palettes, natural materials like wood and linen, and furniture that’s low-slung, clean-lined, and grounded. Every element is chosen with care, creating spaces that invite calm and allow for quiet moments of pause.
In the three homes that follow, we explore how different homeowners and designers have embraced this philosophy in their own way. From light-filled, open-plan layouts to textured corners of stillness, these real-life interiors show just how beautifully Japandi can come to life.
In this 1,100-square-foot HDB flat, Plush Interior Design has created a serene sanctuary that embodies the essence of Japandi style – a combination of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian warmth. Wood-look laminates complement the existing timber-patterned vinyl flooring, while muted tones used for custom-built storage contribute to a calm, clutter-free environment.
Curved architectural elements, such as the sweeping wall at the entrance, soften the linearity of the space and introduce a gentle sense of flow. This curvilinear wall doubles as a privacy screen and cleverly houses built-in storage for shoes and display items. In the open-concept kitchen, a continuous counter defines the cooking and pantry zones, featuring sintered stone and rounded edges for a more inviting, organic feel.
The master bedroom continues the tranquil mood with a soft, neutral palette and understated furnishings, including a subtly detailed bedframe and wardrobe. Through careful material selection and thoughtful detailing, the designers have shaped a calm, restorative home tailored to everyday living.
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In this Punggol condo, Third Avenue Studio brings a refined take on Japandi design, harmonising a couple’s contrasting style preferences. While the husband leaned toward moody tones and the wife preferred light and warm finishes, designer Tee Yiping found balance in a modern Japandi palette, subtly influenced by wabi-sabi principles. The home was reconfigured to open up the kitchen and common areas, allowing better spatial flow – and visibility for parents of a young child.
Soft curves and tactile finishes play a defining role in the space. The curved island and light-toned cabinetry reflect the wife’s sensibilities, while deeper shades appear in details like a graphite-toned fridge and dark matte shelving, bringing in the husband’s preferred contrast. Limewashed feature walls paired with cove lighting create a calming canvas throughout the living and corridor spaces, with matching limewash-finished doors that blend quietly into the architecture.
The common bathroom takes a bold departure with its cave-like mood – clad in dark grey stone-look tiles and coarse textures that offer both drama and durability. Meanwhile, the master suite, formed by merging two bedrooms, returns to a serene rhythm. A timber-slat divider subtly separates the sleeping area from the wardrobe, where soft curves, seamless handles, and a custom vanity continue the home’s language of understated elegance.
Thoughtful contrasts and bespoke details define this home, showing that Japandi isn’t just about minimalism – it’s about balance. By weaving together light and dark, structure and softness, Yiping has created a space that reflects both its inhabitants and the timeless appeal of a well-composed interior.
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In Chennai, India, The Auburn Studio presents a nuanced interpretation of Japandi through a penthouse named Shibui – a term rooted in Japanese aesthetics that refers to an understated, quiet beauty. Designed for a couple expecting their first child, the home reflects a desire for calm and minimalism, led by the wife’s vision for a tranquil retreat. Though the aesthetic leans toward Japandi, the concept of Shibui sets the tone: subtle, refined, and effortlessly composed.
The material palette is tactile and subdued, comprising cement finishes, warm wood, and natural textiles like linen and wool. Soft lighting, layered sheers, and handmade elements such as washi paper-inspired lamps imbue the space with wabi-sabi charm. Against textured walls and situ-cement floors, Scandinavian furniture with crisp, clean lines brings quiet contrast – a hallmark of Japandi sensibilities.
A complete reconfiguration of the penthouse allowed for better flow and openness. Visitors are welcomed by a double-height vestibule where vertical wooden louvres cast shifting shadows and conceal a concrete stairwell leading upstairs. Curved partitions and arched doorways soften transitions between spaces, while functional details – like concealed doors leading to a playroom and guest bedroom – keep the minimalist aesthetic intact without sacrificing usability.
The master suite is a highlight, designed with custom arched openings that frame a serene reading nook and connect to a newly integrated walk-in wardrobe and bathroom. In merging Indian context with Japanese restraint and Scandinavian simplicity, Shibui offers a global expression of Japandi – deeply grounded, elegantly spare, and sensitively tailored to modern family life.
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