Flower Love
Planning the design of your bedroom can be a little tricky, especially if you are basing your decoration on a theme. In fact, you are already being asked to choose a suitable topic! Popular trends suggest that people follow themes inspired by different world cultures, similar to their architecture and tradition. Looking for the trendiest? We would say: a Japanese bedroom!
Japanese bedroom design ideas are supposed to resemble the Japanese lifestyle and are therefore rich in specific patterns and unusual objects. First of all, the Japanese are trying to bring nature into their home, which means you need natural materials, matte color schemes, and simplified layouts.
The Japanese secret is functionality; and what appears to be their luxurious touch in design is actually a clean flow of energy.
How to get a Japanese bedroom? Here are some simple Zen tricks that can get you there:
Neutral walls
Image source: Laidlaw Schultz Architects
If nothing else, think about the Japanese films you’ve seen. Weren’t earth tones absolutely dominant? This is exactly what you should do with your bedroom walls: limit the palette to cream, beige, brown, and black.
As mentioned earlier, Japanese design worships simplicity. It means that you shouldn’t use loud wallpapers or catchy pictures. A tiny sticker with a floral motif (ideally cherry blossoms or bonsai) is enough to break the monotony.
Specific furniture
Image source: International custom-made products
If you have opted for the “Japanese bedroom” option, forget about all the furnishing rules that you have previously followed. Japanese culture prefers furniture that is close to the floor. ideally positioned in the middle of the room. That means you need a low bed; or even a futon mattress lay right on the floor.
Next to the bed, you will need the mandatory bamboo dresser. When setting up, it is important to note that the boundaries are respected: any piece other than the absolutely necessary piece will mess up the perfectly executed theme.
In addition, go big! Do not save and choose only high quality items. In the Japanese furniture market, the difference between expensive and cheap is really obvious; and you certainly don’t need a “used” bring-and-drop-it bedroom.
contrast
Image source: Built-in
Do you remember yin and yang? This is how Japanese coloring works! You need strong and obvious contrast to get the right feel. For example, light walls look perfect with darker furniture; or at least contrasting bed linen. Remember that the use of color is limited to two objects / groups of objects. and everything else must remain neutral. As mentioned earlier, the preferred tones are beige, cream, brown, and black.
Carefully calculated layouts
Image source: IMI Design, LLC
While Europeans choose a corner for their beds, the Japanese tend to position their furniture in the middle. Nothing in Japanese style is random – they calculate even the smallest detail!
Natural light
Image source: Narita Architects
A bedroom cannot be called Japanese if it is not completely bathed in natural light. Zen-style houses love sunlight, which is why their windows are large. and their curtains are wide open (or missing). The reason to support sunlight is the need to make the space as friendly and welcoming as possible.
If you cannot comply with this rule, we recommend that you use artificial lighting sources (bedside lamps, pendant lights, candles, etc.). and arrange them so that every corner is properly lit.
While minimalist western trends teach us to avoid unnecessary items, Zen encourages us to install lighting fixtures even when we don’t really need them. The most typical choices we could suggest are paper lanterns and wood-based lamps.
Tatami floors
One of the basic design rules in Japanese culture is to cover the floors. For a truly Japanese bedroom, choose one Tatami mat.
For those who have never heard of tatami, it is a traditional material that is obtained by processing rice straw. The reason it’s so popular is because it’s soft and comfortable even for bare feet. You can either buy a larger wall-to-wall piece; or cute mats for the bed or the seating area.
Organic fabrics
Image source: Arch-Interiors Design Group, Inc.
A Japanese bedroom shouldn’t just look Japanese – it should feel Japanese too! To achieve this, choose organic materials like silk, linen, and cotton. Also, choose light colors (or even unbleached fabrics). or the accent dark blue typical of Zen style Bedroom.
The bedding should also remain neutral, ideally with modest and natural decorations (a branch, a grass, or a single flower). Your thirst for color can easily be quenched with a decorative pillow (we recommend Japanese embroidery).
Minimum accessories
Image source: Balodemas Architects
Your new Japanese-style bedroom is not the place to expose stacks of figurines or expensive artwork, even if they come straight from Japan. Your style requires that you keep accessories to a minimum; and to select and arrange accent items with particular care. Therefore, choose the best pieces from your rich collections. or a single high quality product purchased from a craftsman.
Shoji screens
Shoji screens Go as Japanese as possible. We are talking about the famous bamboo panels that are used to cover and hide parts of the room. The Japanese also use them in front of their windows so that there is more privacy or less light in their room. Yet the real purpose remains to limit the space; and divide the rooms into areas that have different purposes (storage, wardrobe, etc.).
A black word in a black frame
Ring a bell, right? The Japanese like to make their most important things obvious (even in the case of the bedroom). What is really typical is to choose a meaningful word; write it by hand on a piece of paper / silk; to frame it in a black frame; and hang it on the wall.
The end result (a classic black and white picture) is not expected to impress people – it is important and beneficial only to the person who sleeps in that room.
Sliding doors
Image source: Moscow Linn Architects
There is almost no Japanese house without sliding doors. The reason is their tendency towards airiness and spaciousness, which is why your room would not be complete without these doors. The ideal choice would be a pair of wooden frames with panes of glass or transparent paper inside.
Balanced textures
Image source: Webb & Brown-Neaves
As you have seen for yourself, Asian interior design is all about balance. There the designers carefully select the materials. and they only mix textures if they are compatible. Thanks to their amazing skills, they manage to make textures visible again and again. either thorough specific colors or appropriate lighting.
Achieving a true Japanese atmosphere will be a great achievement. First, because it makes the bedrooms look peaceful and relaxed. and second, because it’s an extremely rare choice that keeps people amusing.
The functionality of this style attracts more and more people to include it in their interior planning. It is perfectly understandable: there is no substitute for the ideal Japanese environment that combines traditional peace and contemporary excitement!