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    Seven “Japandi” interiors that blend Japanese and Scandinavian design

    This Dezeen Lookbook presents seven interiors that combine design influences from Japan and Scandinavia in a style that has become known as “Japandi”.A hybrid of east and west, the style is increasingly popular as a way to create interiors that are minimal without being cold. Japandi makes clever use of craftsmanship and tactile materials, such as textured wood and handmade ceramics, to add comfort and warmth.
    It features pared-back styling, precise craft and natural materials – qualities that have long been central to the design traditions of Japan, and the Nordic countries, particularly Denmark and Sweden.
    This is the latest lookbook in a series providing visual inspiration for interior designers and design lovers. Previous lookbooks in the series have showcased bathrooms with views, calm living rooms and peaceful bedrooms.

    Archipelago House, Sweden, by Norm Architects
    Norm Architects’ Archipelago House is a pine-clad holiday home that was designed to embody Swedish and Japanese aesthetics, a theme that comes through most clearly in the double-height living room.
    Here, the owners can lounge on furniture that Norm Architects designed together with Karimoku Case Study – the sister brand of Japanese manufacturer Karimoku.
    Creamy white and pale grey hues complement the light wood furniture in the room, where the main light source is a bespoke cone-shaped lantern. This was designed in washi paper by Japan’s Kojima Shouten, which has been making lanterns for over 230 years.
    Find out more about Archipelago House ›

    A Quiet Reflection show, Sweden, by Ariake
    An exhibition by Japanese furniture producer Ariake at Stockholm Design Week showcased the label’s wooden furniture, which was designed in collaboration with a number of designers from all over the world (above and top).
    Set in the dilapidated former Mexican embassy in Stockholm, the clean lines of the furniture stood out against the crumbling walls and stuccoed ceilings, creating a mix of texture and colour and an appreciation for older craftsmanship that perfectly embodies Japandi.
    Find out more about A Quiet Reflection ›

    Pantechnicon, UK, by Farrells
    Pantechnicon, located in a 19th-century building in London’s Belgravia neighbourhood, is home to both shops and restaurants that focus on Japanese and Nordic culture. Tenants include a cafe by French-Japanese cult record label Kitsuné and a Nordic restaurant called Eldr.
    While Pantechnicon’s interiors are pared-down, plenty of wood detailing gives the space an inviting feel, and lantern-like lights and green plants have been added to soften the minimalist aesthetic.
    Find out more about Pantechnicon ›

    Upstate New York Home, US, by Magdalena Keck
    A family with Japanese and American heritage live in this home in the Catskill Mountains, which has an interior that draws on both their backgrounds and adds plenty of Scandinavian style.
    In the open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen, a table and chairs by Danish designer Finn Juhl share the spotlight with Japanese pottery and woven mats sourced from Tokyo. Mid-century design and American crafts also feature in the house, balancing out the Japanese minimalism.
    Find out more about Upstate New York Home ›

    Izumi, Denmark, by Pan-Projects and Mok Architects
    A Japanese restaurant in Copenhagen is the perfect setting for an interior style that mixes the two cultures.
    Izumi, in the city’s Charlottenlund suburb, draws on both Japanese restaurant interiors, with translucent screens that reference traditional paper sliding doors, and Scandinavian design. This can be seen in the curving oak panels that surround the open kitchen.
    “Japan and the Nordic countries have a rich history of cultural interactions,” explained Pan-Projects’ founders Yurioko Yaga and Kazumasa Takada. “Especially in the field of design, there are many examples that are rooted originally in Japanese culture yet developed uniquely in the land of the Nordic region.”
    Find out more about Izumi ›

    K5 Tokyo Hotel, Japan, by Claesson Koivisto Rune
    A converted bank building in Tokyo, bombed during world war two, was turned into a boutique hotel by Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The studio created a warmer interior style than is usually associated with Japandi, using tactile details and saturated hues.
    Thin blue ombre curtains evoke the traditional craft of Japanese indigo-dyeing, or aizome, while sturdy wooden room dividers nod to Scandinavian mid-century modern design. The studio based K5’s interior around the Japanese notion of “aimai”, which is used to describe things that are ambiguous or unclear.
    Find out more about K5 Tokyo Hotel ›

    Powerscroft Road townhouse, UK, by Daytrip
    As part of the renovation and expansion of this London townhouse, London-based Daytrip loosely lime-washed the walls and added polished concrete floors to create a “calm and serene home”.
    The Scandinavian influence can be seen in the warm wood details used throughout the flat – as in this dining room, where a dark-wood chair complements a dainty table underneath the window – while elegant lighting fixtures add an East Asian feel.
    A Japanese paper lamp from designer Isamu Noguchi’s Akari range stands on a wood-burning stove stacked with logs, Scandinavian-style.
    Find out more about Powerscroft Road townhouse ›
    This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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    New Dezeen Lookbooks section presents curated picks of home interiors from Dezeen's archive

    Dezeen has launched Dezeen Lookbooks, a new section featuring roundups of home interiors and decor trends to help designers and design lovers plan their projects.

    Published each Saturday, the visually driven Dezeen Lookbooks present roundups of images of contemporary interiors selected from our vast archive of over 750,000 images.
    Each roundup is curated by the Dezeen editorial team and addresses a different room and theme.

    Top: an image from our cosy living rooms lookbook. Above: a project from the peaceful bedrooms lookbook

    Lookbooks published so far feature living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms.
    Dezeen Lookbooks is a response to the surge of interest in home design since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen people spending much more time at home.
    As a result, web traffic to Dezeen posts about home interiors has soared.

    This Barcelona apartment features in our colourful kitchens lookbook
    Popular Lookbook stories we’ve published over the last few months include our showcases of living rooms with calm interiors, bold bathroom designs and thirty kitchens designed by architects.
    We’ll be adding more image-led roundups over the coming weeks and plan to expand the section to include other types of interiors plus trend reports in future.
    Interior design fans can also check out our sections on residential interiors, apartments and houses.

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    Ten contemporary living rooms with calm interiors

    In our latest Dezeen Lookbook, we’ve rounded up 10 living rooms with calm, relaxing interiors, including rooms with soothing colours and natural materials that create a peaceful environment. This is the latest roundup in a series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series showcased peaceful bedrooms, dining rooms in American homes, and kitchens and domestic bathrooms designed by architects.

    Budge Over Dover house, Australia, by YSG
    Interior design studio YSG opened up the kitchen and living room into one large, open-plan space that connects to the garden to create a “fluid” sense of space in the Budge Over Dover House in Sydney.
    The studio used warm, deep colours to create a sense of calm, including dark wood detailing and aubergine hues. Marble surfaces add a luxury touch and look intriguing next to the simple brick floor.
    Find out more about Budge Over Dover house ›

    Esperinos Guesthouse, Greece, by Michael Stamos
    Greek designer Michael Stamos used a moss-green colour for the living room walls in the Esperinos guesthouse in Greece. The colour gives the room a relaxing feel and picks up the green from the plants that are dotted around the space.
    A nearby staircase has been painted black as a contrast, creating a moody atmosphere that’s contrasted by the colourful cushions on the large sofa.
    Find out more about Esperinos Guesthouse ›

    Whidbey Island Farm, USA, by MW Works
    MW Works wisely designed Whidbey Island Farm to make the most of the surrounding nature, with large windows and a pared-back interior design that lets the view speak for itself.
    Simple wooden furniture sits both inside the living room and on the connected terrace, while woven blankets and a furry throw adding a cosy touch. The open fire means the owners can enjoy the view of the surrounding forest in comfort even in the depths of winter.
    Find out more about Whidbey Island Farm ›

    VS House, India, by Sãrãnsh
    Architecture studio Sārānsh used local Kota tiles in the living room of the VS House in Ahmedabad to create a sense of tactility. The interior was kept minimalist, but the studio created interest by combining a range of different natural materials.
    The discrete grey hues of the plush furniture cushions work well against the rattan armrests and wooden furniture bases, while a decorative wall in dark wood adds a refined touch.
    Find out more about VS House ›

    Nithurst Farm, UK, by Adam Richards
    Nithurst Farm might have been inspired by both Roman architecture and Soviet-era science fiction, but its living room has a more traditional look.
    Architect Adam Richards, who designed Nithurst Farm as his own home, took advantage of the high, concrete ceilings as a calm background onto which he’s projected bright splashes of colour in the form of paintings and curtains. A baroque-style chair and a fabric-clad footstool help soften the space.
    Find out more about Nithurst Farm ›

    Williamsburg schoolhouse, US, by White Arrow
    The living room of this schoolhouse in Brooklyn, which studio White Arrow’s founders designed for their own home, has plenty of patterned textiles, but their creamy pastel hues means the space still doesn’t feel busy.
    A large palm tree is a fun detail and picks up the dark wood of a small sideboard and a floating TV-bench. Clean, white walls and a selection of modernist white lamps, as well as glass sofa table, create a restful atmosphere.
    Find out more about Williamsburg schoolhouse ›

    Bismarck House, Australia, by Andrew Burges Architects
    With its floor-to-ceiling glass walls that open out onto a garden in Bondi, Sydney, the living room of Bismarck House has the feel of a terrace. Andrew Burges Architects kept the details simple, adding galvanised steel columns and a concrete floor to “reinforce a robust outdoor character.”
    Furniture is in the same laid-back style with wooden chairs and a daybed creating comfortable resting spots. A terracotta-coloured wall lends the space more privacy and adds to the comfortable holiday-vibe of this inviting living room.
    Find out more about Bismarck House ›

    Riverside Apartment, US, by Format Architecture Office
    The living room of Riverside Apartment, set within a 1920s building on New York’s Upper West Side, owes much of its quiet charm to the beautiful wooden floorboards. The theme was taken up in both furniture in various types of wood and a woodclad doorway.
    Crisp white walls are decorated with graphic art that perfectly matches the mid-century modern furniture to create a soothing environment.
    Find out more about Riverside Apartment ›

    Casa Meco, Portugal, by Atelier Rua
    The enormous sitting room in Casa Meco, a holiday home south of Lisbon, Portugal, has three different vistas surrounding it and plenty of space for socialising and relaxing.
    Earthy colours were used for the interiors, which work well with the exposed-concrete ceiling and floor and make for a laid-back space. Glazed panels can be slid open for easy outdoor access.
    Find out more about Casa Meco ›

    Residence for Two Collectors, US, by Wheeler Kearns Architects
    The living room of this Chicago penthouse is filled with art, collected by its owners, and features a striking view of the city skyline.
    In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, a sofa group in pale colours is combined with a matching rug in calm grey and white hues, while a seagreen glass coffee table picks up the light from the windows.
    A Georg Nakashima bench from the owners’ collection adds an organic touch to the elegant space.
    Find out more about Residence for Two Collectors ›
    This roundup is part of our interior inspirations series that aims to provide ideas for people renovating or decorating their homes. For more inspiration read our pieces focused on bathrooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and home offices.

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