Another Five Japandi Home Decor Ideas to Boost Mental Health for the DIY Amateur Designer

Second Segment - Ideas for the rest of the living room and bedroom

By GR on May 6

I learned about Japandi style while researching ideas for my new apartment remodel. Japandi is a blend of Japanese simplicity and Scandinavian functionality, creating a minimalist yet warm space that promotes tranquility and mindfulness. There are a number of good posts that describe the concept in more detail. I like this one from Planner 5d. While I highly recommend using a good interior designer to create and execute your vision if you have the budget, for this occasion I took the DIY approach. That’s when tools and online courses from Planner 5d become even more critical for the amateur designer.

On my first diy blog post on Japandi I covered how I transformed my 1.5 bathrooms to this style. Continuing on this style, I am finally ready to share what I’ve done with the living room and bedroom. While I still need to add some touches to finish the entire apartment, I’ve made sufficient progress with my initial budget and I’m very happy with the results.

Before getting into it, let me show you what the apartment looked like when I purchased it. Nice, but very bright and bare. A nice blank canvas on which to showcase my creativity.

Now, I’ll take you through the Five ways that I incorporated Japandi into the living and bed rooms:

1. Embrace a Neutral Color Palette

Initially, I selected grey as my neutral color to compliment the industrial concrete ceiling and stone elements in the two main rooms, the living room and the bedroom. As you can see, the ceiling gave me an idea for what color to use in the rest of the apartment as my neutral color.

I then played with lighter and darker tones of grey for various walls. I used darker greys in the larger rooms (living room and bedroom) and lighter greys in the bathrooms and closets.

As you can see, various shades of grey now contrast with the industrial concrete ceiling to support and accentuate the neutral color palette.

2. Incorporate Natural Materials

As in the bathrooms, I incorporated soft wood panels to two main walls to introduce an earthy, grounded feel. The wood theme shows up throughout the apartment in various shades depending on that room’s individual constraints.

I used a combination of Wayfair, Home Depot, and Amazon for most of my purchases. If you’re not sure of the color, sizing, material, or weight I recommend purchasing one unit to see and returning it if you’re not happy with it. I am really happy with this Art3d2 Wood Acoustic Panels.

I also purchased a wooden entertainment cabinet to add more natural materials and conceal cables. On the corner by the window, I put my leather chair and leather magazine rack. These colors and materials complement all others extremely well and I love the feel of nice leather. Plus, my coffee table (that doubles as a dining room table) add a perfect mix of natural elements, contrasting colors while sticking to the common themes.

3. Play with Subtle Contrasts

Create visual interest through the careful balance of contrasting textures and colors. Pair light wooden elements with darker tiles or accessories to introduce depth and complexity into the space, while maintaining a cohesive and tranquil environment.

Whereas initially the apartment was very bright with white tiles, walls and light red bricks. I added constrasts throughout the apartment. As mentioned earlier, I used various shades of my neutral color grey on the walls depending on the size, shape and concept of the particular room. Smaller rooms like the guest bathroom and closet have lighter shades of grey. While the larger living room and bedroom have darker grey on the main walls and columns.

I also used darker and lighter woods, and leather, to contrast between the floor, ceiling and walls in the living room and bedroom. I also picked a light sofa color to contrast the darker grey wall behind it and lighter floor tiles. What’s missing now is an area rug that works as a bridge from light to dark and from greys to browns with hints of green or blue.  I’ll update this blog when I find the perfect rug.

4. Add Greenery and Zen Elements

Personally, I’ve never had so many plants in my life. For the living room I bought a bamboo like plant (called Dracaena) as bamboo trees grow to over 10feet high, which would definitely violate my building’s rules and cause havoc in my apartment. I also placed a couple of other plants

Plus, to help me sleep and calm in stressful situations, I purchased an electric fountain. By plugging it into a smart outlet from Eve Energy, I’m able to program the fountain to shut off a few hours after I go to sleep and turn on with Alexa.

5. Choose Streamlined Fixtures

Opt for sleek and functional fixtures that boast clean lines and minimal detailing. The use of simple, high-quality materials in fixtures and furniture.

In the kitchen, I bought some basic stone pads for the soaps, a sleek new faucet, and a wooden cable box to hide cables. Cables not only clutter your home, but they also kill the clean aesthetics we’re trying to achieve. Hence, i try to hide cables behind the walls of my TV and along the walls and seems everywhere I can.

These should give you a good idea for what you can do with a low-mid budget and some creativity. I’m very happy with how the apartment turned out. Hopefully, you will be too.

The Result: