Japandi has been written about as if it were a new interior design trend, but the truth is that the style rests on two traditions that are more than a hundred years old. That's why it feels so natural when you walk into a Japandi-designed room – the style wasn't invented, but discovered. Two cultures that each value simplicity, craftsmanship, and natural materials, and that happen to work beautifully together.
This article explores where Japandi actually comes from, what defines the style at its core, and how the newer Japandi retro substyle brings in the warmth and curves of the '70s without losing its sense of calm.
Where Japandi actually comes from
The term Japandi was coined around 2010 in the Western interior design press, but the aesthetic is much older. To understand why the style endures, you need to know which two philosophical traditions come together in it.
Japanese design traditions have roots in the Edo period (1603–1868), but were refined through the aesthetic principles of Shintoism and Zen Buddhism long before that. Three concepts are central. Wabi-sabi celebrates simplicity, age, and imperfection as carriers of authenticity. Ma is the art of deliberately using empty space as a design element – the breathing room between objects is just as important as the objects themselves. Kanso is the principle of simplicity without decoration: remove everything unnecessary and let what remains speak with full voice.
Old woodblock prints from the ukiyo-e tradition make these principles visible. Artists such as Hokusai and, later, Ohara Koson composed their work with generous empty spaces, nature motifs at the center, and a restrained palette that gives the eye just enough – never too much. An Ohara Koson poster on a Japandi wall isn't a nostalgic detail; it's an authentic link back to the style's origins.
The Nordic design tradition took shape in the first half of the 20th century, with Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Bruno Mathsson as leading figures. Functionalism rejected excessive decoration and instead celebrated pure form, quality materials, and everyday use. The Scandinavian concept of hygge is fundamentally about the same thing as Japanese zen: creating spaces for peace and well-being, not to impress.
When globalization took off and Nordic designers traveled to Tokyo while Japanese architects studied in Copenhagen, both sides realized they shared an aesthetic backbone. Japandi emerged as a contemporary expression of a much older shared understanding: form follows function, natural materials are valued over synthetics, and empty space is just as important as decoration.
Quick facts: Wabi-sabi - the beauty of simplicity and imperfection, not perfection and polish. Ma - empty space is part of the design, not a flaw. Kanso - simplicity as an active and deliberate choice: every object has a place, nothing is there out of habit. These three principles are what distinguish Japandi from minimalism in general - Japandi is never cold or sterile; it’s warm and intentional. Note that the principles are about an approach, not rules - you can apply them in a modern apartment kitchen just as well as in a Japanese temple.
What characterizes the Japandi style?
There are specific characteristics that distinguish Japandi from both purely Scandinavian and purely Japanese interiors. Once you learn to recognize them, the style becomes much easier to create - and shop for.
Natural materials carry the entire style. Oak, walnut, bamboo, linen, wool, stone, paper, and ceramics. Plastic and high-gloss surfaces are absent not because they’re ugly, but because they go against the style’s core principle of authenticity. The texture of the materials is often visible and allowed to speak for itself: the oval shape of a handmade ceramic bowl, the growth rings in an untreated wooden shelf, the fiber pattern in a linen curtain.
The color palette works in two layers. A base layer of off-white, sand, warm gray, and linen tones creates Scandinavian light. Then an accent layer of dark brown, moss green, terracotta, and black is added. This creates depth and weight without compromising the airy feel. A poster in a muted palette of these tones can set the mood for an entire room without buying a single piece of furniture.
Empty space is an active design choice, not an unfinished area. It’s the single hardest thing to learn and what most distinguishes Japandi from other interior styles. In Japandi, one large poster does more than an entire gallery wall - because the surrounding wall space is part of the artwork. Our Japandi collection brings together prints based on this very principle: airy compositions, nature motifs, and an aesthetic that lets the walls breathe.
"In the Japandi aesthetic, what you leave out is just as important as what you choose. It’s a principle that applies as much to furniture as to posters: a room with too many elements is a room without focus."
Which posters work best in Japandi interiors?
Not all posters work in a Japandi room, and it has nothing to do with quality - it’s about composition and feel. Japandi prints share a number of characteristics you can use as a filter when choosing.
Generous negative space is the most important thing. A bird alone on a branch against a white background. A simple botanical branch in ink lines. An abstract composition where empty space makes up half the artwork. Motifs that fill the entire surface with details go against the principle of ma and are better suited to other interior styles.
Nature motifs with a restrained interpretation are the style’s strongest suit. Japanese woodblock prints, botanical illustrations in simple lines, abstracted landscapes in earthy tones - anything inspired by nature without becoming literally photographic. Hand-drawn details and visible brushstrokes convey the human presence Japandi always seeks.
The color palette should be muted but rich. Not the cool whites and grays associated with pure minimalism, but warm neutrals with brown, green, and dark blue accents. A poster in beige, sandy yellow, and olive green is Japandi. A poster in pure white and cobalt blue is not. Find out more about choosing the right poster for your Japandi gallery wall in the practical Japandi guide.
Japandi retro - when the warmth of the 1970s meets Japanese calm
Japandi retro is the newer substyle, and it emerged in response to the perception that classic Japandi could sometimes feel too bare or cool. Many people liked the principles but wanted more warmth, more character, more personality. Japandi retro delivers this without compromising the underlying calm.
The solution came from the design language of the 1970s. That decade - with its love of organic curves, earthy orange tones, mustard yellow, and caramel brown - shares surprisingly much with Japandi’s basic palette. Both traditions value natural materials. Both avoid the sterile modern look. And when they come together, they create something warmer and softer than classic Japandi without becoming cluttered or nostalgic.
Color-wise, Japandi retro brings caramel brown, oxblood red, moss green, and mustard yellow into more prominent roles. The off-white base layer is complemented by warm sand tones and muted apricot. It feels cozy without becoming heavy. The visual language becomes softer: strict geometry gives way to organic curves, rounded shapes, and curved lines that preserve balance while adding movement. Our Japandi retro collection and retro and vintage collection bring together designs that explore this middle ground.
In terms of motifs, japandi retro opens the door to graphic sunsets in earthy tones, stylized landscapes with 70s colors, and illustrations that draw as much from Saul Bass as from Japanese woodblock prints. The style is more eclectic but no more random – every choice is still intentional, every motif has a purpose.
Quick test – japandi or japandi retro? Look at the colors: muted, cool neutrals with dark accents = classic japandi. Warm earth tones with a 70s feel = japandi retro. Then look at the composition: lots of negative space and a central nature motif = classic japandi. More fullness, softer shapes, and graphic elements = japandi retro. Both work side by side if you pair them with a shared palette.
How do you mix japandi and japandi retro in the same room?
It is actually the strongest combination. Purely classic japandi can become too austere; purely japandi retro can lose the stillness that is at the heart of the style. The mix offers the best of both worlds.
The rule of thumb is 70/30. Let 70 percent of the wall and decor be classic japandi – light palette, clean lines, natural materials, negative space. Let 30 percent be japandi retro – a warm anchor motif in earthy tones, a poster with 70s-inspired shapes, a caramel-brown textile element. The fourth piece in a gallery wall of four posters can be the retro touch that gives the whole arrangement personality without disrupting the calm.
The frame choice ties the mix together. Slim frames in natural matte oak, dark walnut, or matte black work for both styles and help posters in different styles still look cohesive. A canvas wooden frame gives the poster a floating gallery look that suits japandi's focus on airiness and negative space, whether the motif is classic or retro-inspired.
Frequently asked questions about japandi and japandi retro
Is japandi a passing trend or here to stay?
Japandi is not a trend in the traditional sense. The style is built on two traditions that have each endured for over a century. What is trend-sensitive are specific colors or motifs within japandi – the fundamental principles of natural materials, negative space, and intentional choices will continue to stay relevant.
What distinguishes Japandi from ordinary minimalism?
The warmth and materials. Minimalism can feel cold and sterile – a white wall with nothing on it. Japandi actively seeks warmth: the tactile quality of natural textures, earthy colors with depth, designs that suggest rather than define. Japandi should never feel empty, only calm.
How is Japandi different from wabi-sabi?
Yes, significantly. Wabi-sabi celebrates the imperfect, aged, and organic in its rawest form. Japandi seeks the orderly, balanced, and clean. Both value simplicity, but Japandi has a disciplined form, while wabi-sabi allows and even seeks out asymmetry and wear.
What frame works best with Japandi posters?
Slim frames in natural matte oak, dark walnut, or matte black. Avoid thick, ornate frames and glossy lacquered profiles – they go against the style's core principles of naturalness and restraint. Canvas frames without glass create a floating look that suits the style's sense of airiness and empty space.
Where should I start if I'm new to Japandi style?
Start with one large poster. A single thoughtfully chosen, calming poster in the right color palette does more for the style than twenty small decorations. Choose a design with generous empty space and natural tones, hang it centered above the bed or sofa, and let it set the tone. Then build on it with natural materials and remove plastic items that no longer fit. In Japandi, it's always easier to take away than to add.
How many posters work in a Japandi room?
Fewer than you think. Japandi's ma principle – empty space as a design choice – means that a single large poster is often more impactful than five smaller ones. If you want several pieces: choose an anchor piece in 70×100 cm and add one or at most two smaller ones in 30×40 cm. A total of three pieces, generously spaced apart, is optimal for most rooms. A gallery wall with seven tightly packed prints is Scandinavian living room style – not Japandi.
Can I create a Japandi look in a small room?
Yes – and the fact is, Japandi often works better in a small room than a large one. The principle of empty space and pared-back design prevents a small room from feeling cramped. A single thoughtfully chosen poster, a wooden shelf with three objects, and a natural-fiber textile do more for a small room than fifteen decorations scattered across the same space. Japandi is the interior design style that scales down best – and actually becomes stronger when you limit the space.