16 Japanese Interior Design Ideas for your Homes

Japanese ideology revolves around the concepts of Zen design and Minimalism. Both of these are quite intertwined. Let us start with a basics; both Zen and Minimalism adhere to the five basic principles of design, which are:

  • Color: Japanese Interiors incorporate earthy, grounded color schemes like browns, golds and tans with a light dash of red or orange to imbue a bit of dramatics.
  • Symmetry: They very essence of a Japanese interior is defined by its almost perfect symmetry. It is usually carried out in squares, but curves can work in outdoor designs.
  • Rhythm: A basic rhythm in all design components is what makes Japanese interiors so fascinating. There is nothing flashy in this theme, but it still carries a lot of visual rhythm.
  • Proportion: Having exact proportions amongst all its interior elements is one of the basic frameworks of Japanese interior design.
  • Harmony: with the help of all above principles, Japanese interiors showcase a very pleasant visual harmony that is much appreciated in this genre.

A combination of the above five is considered a true Japanese interior. However, a few strokes of minimalism are not out of the contrary. These may include a simple, earnest furniture style, heirlooms and artworks as decoration pieces and some distinct bonsai plants to emulate the mainstream Japanese culture in their homes. Following are some distinct Japanese interior design ideas for your homes.

Tea Rooms

Tea is an inherent part of the Japanese’s culture, so it is only right to incorporate a tea room in a Japanese style interior. Mostly, these tea rooms are known as washitsu, and consist of a small kotatsu (a low height table) in the middle of the room, and some floor cushions for seating. The color scheme is earthy, and the ambiance is serene. The lighting comes from traditional hanging latens with contemporary touches and the room is enclosed by rice papered sliding doors better known as shouji.

Japanese Interior Design

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Dining Room in Japanese Interior Design

The Japanese carry out all dining activities on low height tables that are very minimalistic in design. The dining chairs do not have feet, and can sometimes be replaced with floor cushions if the situation calls for it. Decoration might include some bonsai plants and lighting dramatics.

Japanese Interior Design

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Tokonoma Alcoves in Japanese Interior Design

A tokonoma alcove is a must-have for any Japanese style interior. It consists of a small elevated plane in the living room o washitsu, and is used to display family heirlooms, calligraphy and art as decorative pieces – a shrine of sorts.

Japanese Interior Design

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Contemporary Japanese Interior for Bedrooms

While traditional Japanese style interior designing is all well and good, adding a small contemporary flair to the mix is only the cherry on top. A contemporary Japanese bedroom will have sleek modern touches in the lines of its low height, minimal furniture, and the shouji screens can be designed to seem modern in all their traditional trappings.

Japanese Decor

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Zen Gardens in Japanese Interior Design

Perhaps one of the best innovations of the Japanese interior style, the Zen garden is a small patio that may or may not be a central focus point of the interior. It consist of gravel terrain, ornamental grasses, small water bodies and bonsai plants arranged in neat, compact formations.

Japanese Decor

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Bathroom Design a la Japanese Interior

A bathroom designed in the image of Japanese interior design emulates serenity and organic naturalness to the ambiance. The interior must use a lot of natural brown accents, some stones highlights and a soaking tub to invoke a contemporary feel to the entire mix.

Japanese Interior Design

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Appliqués in Japanese Interior Design

Cherry blossoms may not be sacred, but they are certainly the pride of the Japanese culture. Using the cherry tree branch as a motif, the Japanese interior design can accrue an applique to any feature wall in order to celebrate this idea.

Japanese Interior Design

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Wind Chimes for Japanese Décor

Wind chimes are an important part of the Japanese household. They are said to ward off the evil eye and keep out the bad luck from one’s home. Their chimes fall into the Zen ideology and create a serene, tinkling effect.

Japanese Decor

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Beautiful Japanese Garden Placed Under An Outdoor Stair Case

The purpose of such a garden is to invoke a sense of calmness in those visiting your homes; so that when they descend from the stairs they can view the appealing and engaging little garden and have the desire to inspect it closely. This adds a touch of genuine Japanese décor, while creating harmony and synchronization in this small but useful place. The plants used under this stair case garden are few in number and yet create a look of complete balance and equilibrium when paired with the little rock garden and gravel work.

Japanese Interior Design

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Exquisite Japanese Interior Decoration For Your Dining Room

One look at this lovely dining room and you feel you are in love. The clean minimalist look of this room will certainly appeal to those who want their meal times to be devoid of noise and confusion. Anyone can imagine enjoying a piping hot lunch or dinner in this tranquil dining room. The single orb shaped chouchin lamp is the only source of artificial light. The soft gauze like material on the window also softens the sun’s glare. The traditional shoji screens which act like sliding doors add a touch of old world Japanese glamor to this modern dining room. The plants placed on each end also add a genuine look, a truly inspiring design for those who are a firm believer in the minimalist look favored by most Japanese designers.

Japanese Interior Design

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Stunning Japanese Kitchen And Dining Room

Since the Japanese incorporate natural materials in their homes, notice how the light colored wood accents have been used on the floors and the cabinets to create a sense of harmony. The ikebana placed on the dining table adds a true Japanese touch to this modern and clean cut room. The diffused lightening in the room is also a typical Japanese feature and the muted colors create a sense of scenic splendor.

Japanese Decor

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Clean and Open Japanese Décor

This classic and minimalist dining room is all about clean open spaces and clear cut lines. The textured stone wall is a true symbolism of Japanese architecture, because Japanese believe in using completely natural materials in their home and décor. The sliding shoji screens diffuse the light and dapple the room in an air of mystery. It evokes images of oriental times when all things were hushed and tranquil and when peacefulness was preferred above all other things. The simple bonsai arrangement on the dining table also adds a lovely finishing touch to this classic room!

Japanese Decor

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Elegant Japanese Tea Room Cum Living Room

This classy and elegant Japanese décor is a perfect example of how space has been utilized in a clever way and the tea room lies adjacent to the living room. The tea room is characterized by the ground cushions and a low lying table. The dark wooden flooring and the white sofas add a bit of modern luxury to this lovely room and drama is created by the vivid splash of red. The frame with Japanese characters on the stoned wall adds an authentic touch. The sliding door covered with transparent gauzy curtains diffuses the lights and adds an ethereal touch to this otherwise contemporary Japanese décor.

Japanese Decor

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Traditional Tatami Mats

Tatami mats are made from natural materials and are meant to be walked upon barefoot. See how this tea room is devoid of any furniture except the Tokonoma Alcove, in which are artfully displayed a wall mat with Japanese characters and Japanese ikebana vase and just one decoration piece. The sliding shoji screens diffuse the sunlight and immerse the room in a shroud of mystery. A small cabinet in a corner with a Japanese motif designed on it adds the finishing touch to this lovely and serene room.

Japanese Decor

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Bonsai Plants

Bonsai plants are a great way of adding genuine Japanese decor to your homes. In fact there are hardly any Japanese homes without these traditional bonsai. Bonsai is an ancient Japanese art form which prunes trees which are meant to be big and majestic in to small miniatures. It takes years of practice to develop an art like this and the result is a charming miniature tree. Add a few Bonsai plants to your home for that bona fide Japanese touch!

Japanese Decor

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A Japanese style interior can be tricky to unfold into a regular home, and we hope that this article helps you understand some of the basic principle for this style of design.

Uma P
I’m a amarteur flute player who gets more notes wrong than right. When I’m not performing for my nieces, I love making the fam’s house look spic n’ span.