Japandi Style: A Complete Guide to the Look
Japandi blends Japanese calm with Scandinavian comfort: pale wood, linen, a soft earthy palette and very little on show. The art follows the same rule. Choose one or two quiet prints in ink, stone, sage or oatmeal tones, give them plenty of empty wall, and let the materials do the rest.
Below: the key rules of japandi style, how to choose and hang art for it, ideas for the living room and bedroom, and the mistakes to avoid.
Prints for this look
The colour palette
What japandi style is
Japandi grew out of the overlap between Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian design, two traditions that share a love of craft, natural materials and uncluttered rooms. These are the seven rules most people work to:
- Less, but better. Fewer things, each one chosen with care.
- Natural materials. Oak, ash, bamboo, linen, wool, stone and paper lamps.
- A muted, earthy palette. Warm white, oatmeal, greige, soft sage and charcoal.
- Low, simple furniture with clean lines and visible joinery.
- Handmade and imperfect pieces, such as ceramics with an uneven glaze.
- Clear surfaces. Closed storage keeps everyday clutter out of sight.
- Light and greenery. Soft daylight, one or two sculptural plants.
Japandi vs wabi sabi: they are related but not the same. Wabi sabi is a Japanese way of seeing beauty in imperfection and age. Japandi is a decorating style that borrows from it, then adds Scandinavian warmth and practicality. A wabi sabi room feels rougher and more raw; a japandi room is neater and lighter.
How to choose art for a japandi room
Japandi art is calm, simple and quietly handmade. Good choices include:
- Ink brush strokes and single circles
- Soft abstract shapes in stone, sand and sage
- Fine line drawings and botanical studies
- Misty mountain and landscape scenes in muted colour
Pick colours already in the room, plus one darker note such as charcoal or black to give the wall definition. Thin oak or black frames with a white mount suit the look best.
Avoid busy gallery walls, bright saturated colours, glossy finishes and slogan prints. One larger print with space around it will always look more japandi than six small ones.
Start with our japandi wall art, then widen the search to Japanese wall art and wabi sabi prints, which share the same quiet palette.
Japandi living room and bedroom ideas
Japandi living room. Warm white walls, an oatmeal or stone sofa, an oak coffee table and one wool rug. Japandi sofas sit low, so keep the art close to the furniture: leave 15 to 25 cm between the sofa back and the bottom of the frame. One A1 or a pair of A2 prints is usually enough. Add a paper lamp and one large plant, and stop there.
Japandi bedroom. A low platform bed in pale wood, linen bedding in sand or clay, and bare bedside tables apart from a lamp. Above the bed, choose one A1 above a double, or a pair of A2 prints above a king size. A single ink or line print keeps the room restful.
Hallway and dining. One A3 print on a side wall, or an A4 leaned on a shelf beside a ceramic vase, is all a small japandi space needs.
Sizes at a glance
| Size | Centimetres | Inches | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | 21 x 29.7 | 8.3 x 11.7 | Shelves, desks, small gaps, sets of 3 |
| A3 | 29.7 x 42 | 11.7 x 16.5 | Hallways, side walls, pairs |
| A2 | 42 x 59.4 | 16.5 x 23.4 | Above a sideboard or small sofa, the anchor of a gallery wall |
| A1 | 59.4 x 84.1 | 23.4 x 33.1 | Above a standard sofa or bed |
| A0 | 84.1 x 118.9 | 33.1 x 46.8 | Large walls, open-plan rooms, statement pieces |
All our A sizes fit standard off-the-shelf frames, and every print is made to order on museum-grade matte paper.
Common japandi mistakes
- Too cold. All grey and white with no wood looks clinical. Bring in oak, linen and a warm neutral.
- Too empty. Minimal does not mean bare. Texture from wool, clay and paper keeps the room alive.
- Too much black. Use charcoal and black as small accents, not the main colour.
- Art that is too small. A lone A4 on a large wall looks lost. Size up instead of adding more pieces.
Not sure which prints suit your room? Try the Art Match quiz.
