Ideas
16 Ideas for a Japandi Style Home Office
Japandi style combines Japanese style and Scandinavian minimalism to create a minimal, yet cosy and warm atmosphere. In a Japandi home office, you’ll see clean lines, natural materials, and neutral colours. The space is typically uncluttered and organized, with a focus on functionality. Lighting is soft and ambient, while plants or natural elements such as wood or stone are incorporated to bring a sense of nature into the space. The overall effect is one of balance and serenity, making it a great style for a home office where focus and productivity are important.
If a Japandi style home office sounds like heaven for you, then here are some tips to help inspire you to create your own.
Image Credit: AMA Studio Interiors
1. Minimalist Furniture
When creating your Japandi office, opt for clean lines and simple, uncluttered designs in your furniture choices. Pieces made of natural materials like wood, bamboo, or rattan will add warmth and texture to the space.
Discover our entire range of office furniture in our product library.
Image credit: Sarah Ellison
2. Bamboo Furniture
Bamboo furniture has a unique aesthetic, often featuring clean lines, simple shapes, and a natural finish that highlights the beautiful grain of the wood. It is quintessential Japandi. Bamboo furniture can be used in a variety of ways in a Japandi-style home office, such as a minimalist desk or a bookcase.
Check out the Bamboo Dome Pendant Light for its unique bamboo aesthetic.
3. Wooden Furniture
Wood furniture can come in a variety of woods, such as Oak, Teak, or Walnut, and can be finished in several ways. This variety is perfect for adding subtle texturing into your Japandi office and can be used to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere. Wooden furniture is perfect for mixing clean lines as well as more traditional elements, which is perfect being incorporated into the Japandi-style office space.
Discover the Inspiring Japandi Influenced Home Office of Nat Spada.
4. Clean Lines in Artwork
Choose artwork with clean lines and simple shapes to complement the overall aesthetic of the office space. Modern art comes in handy here. The clean lines and shapes expressed in modern art provide the perfect companion to a Japandi home office.
If you find that your room has too many neutral colours, try using a simple piece of modern art with one or two colours to provide a break from the neutral colours. It is important to keep it simple, as you don’t want the artwork to act as a distraction. Try facing your desk away from the art if it becomes a distraction while working.
Mood board credit by Indah Interior Styling, on Style Sourcebook, view mood board here.
Mood board credit by Royce.Interiors, on Style Sourcebook, view mood board here.
5. Photography
Black and white, or sepia photographs of nature, landscapes or simple forms can be used to complement the Japandi style. Just like with art, keep the photographs simple to avoid drawing too much attention to them. Use them to compliment the simplistic furniture around them.
If your room is missing some colour, a fun trick you can pull with a black and white photo is to colour a small portion of it. This pop of colour can accent the whole room nicely without taking away from the Japandi aesthetic.
6. Prints
Prints of traditional Japanese patterns, like chrysanthemums or cherry blossoms, can be used to add a touch of culture to the space. Also, Japanese calligraphy prints can be used to bring a sense of elegance and simplicity to the space.
Be careful to not go too overboard here as too much could turn the room from Japandi into purely a Japanese themed room (which can look great if you love it). Key to Japandi is its simplicity and restraint.
7. Symmetry
Another way to achieve balance and harmony in a Japandi-style home office is through the use of symmetry and proportion. This can be achieved using clean lines and simple shapes in furniture and décor, as well as plants or other natural elements.
A bookshelf like the Rakk low bookshelf from L3 Home provides the perfect neutral, and symmetrical space to add décor on top of. Try matching plants on the shelf to take advantage of the power of symmetry.
8. Nature-Inspired Décor
Incorporate plants, flowers, or natural elements like wood, stone, or bamboo into your home office to bring a sense of the outdoors inside.
This nature glass vase offers a touch of nature indoors. Its natural shimmer adds interest without being overly complex, making it perfect for a Japandi room. Place some Japanese inspired flowers inside and it will add a gorgeous piece of décor into your home office.
9. Neutral Colour Palette
Japandi style typically features a neutral colour palette with shades of white, beige, grey, and black. These shades ensure the room looks clean and remains distraction free. Pops of colour can be used but should be kept to the absolute minimum.
10. Ambient Lighting
Use soft lighting to create a warm, inviting atmosphere in your home office. Consider adding a dimmer switch to control the level of light in the room, reducing distractions.
Simple desk lamps offer a practical and simple desk lamp to light up your work without the distracting bells and whistles. Keeping your lighting practical and simple allows you to work whenever you need to, while maintaining the clutter free principles of Japandi.
11. Organisation
Keep your home office organised and uncluttered. Use storage solutions like simple shelves, drawers, or filing cabinets to store paperwork and office supplies. The core idea behind Japandi is to be as clutter free as possible. This means having the right storage to keep your clutter in. Japandi interior design loves simple cabinets due to their sleek appearance. Of course, too much storage goes against the principals of Japandi, so be prepared to simplify and reduce clutter by moving it to other rooms or throwing it out.
Image Credit: AMA Studio Interiors
12. Japanese-Inspired Décor
Incorporate Japanese-inspired elements such as a shoji screen or a tatami mat to add a touch of traditional Japanese design to your home office. Alternatively, if you want to go more subtle with the Japanese influence, try adding in Japanese plants. Faux plants are great for those without green thumbs as you don’t need to take care of them, reducing potential distractions.
13. Textures
Add layers of subtle textures through rugs, curtains, or wall hangings to give your home office depth and interest, without taking away from the simplicity. Wool rugs, stone pieces, or boucle cushions all bring subtle textures into the room. This provides layered variation without breaking the simplicity of Japandi.
Check out the Sahara soro natural rug for its neutral colours and abstract patterns, perfect for a Japandi home office.
14. Incense
Japanese-style incense sticks or Japanese incense cones can be used to create a sense of calm and serenity in the office. Some popular Japanese scents include sandalwood, cedarwood, and agarwood.
Mood board credit by Kahli Jayne Designs, on Style Sourcebook, view mood board here.
15. Ergonomic Office Chair and Desk
A comfortable and ergonomic office chair and desk are essential for a Japandi home office. To ensure they fit in with the overall aesthetic of the room, it is best to keep them simple, and neutral. Ergonomic chairs can easily look complicated, which breaks the Japandi aesthetic. Simpler low back ergonomic chairs will fit in well with a Japandi home office.
16. Minimalistic Office Accessories
Keep the office accessories minimalistic, such as a simple vase or clock to avoid clutter in the space. Japandi promotes thoughtfulness in every item you place in the room. All décor should be well thought through and have a purpose in the room. This allows you to reduce clutter and keep your space clean and distraction free.
Feeling inspired? Put together your dream Japandi home office with our mood board tool.
