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In our Japandi Handbook, Steph and Gian founders of Japandi Estate, share their expertise and experience in bringing the Japandi style to life. The design is a celebration of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese minimalism.

As part of our Design Handbook series for 2024, we’ve collaborated with founders of Japandi Estate, Steph and Gian, to show you how to create the Japandi look, inside and out.

Japandi brings together the best elements of Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism in a hybrid architectural style, resulting in a simple and elegant home.

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Zen, minimalist & ambient

04 Japandi

Hardie™ exterior cladding is perfectly suited to the modern architectural lines of the Japandi home. The distinct minimalist and natural-look exterior can be achieved with a range of Hardie™ exterior cladding solutions that emphasise craftmanship, simplicity and the harmony of Japandi living.

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Complementary Products

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Perfect for creating a Japandi twist on the board and batten look, the embedded sand-like texture provides a fine matte finish against smooth Hardie™ Axent™ Trim battens. The 1200mm panel length makes it easy to adopt consistent yet unique spacings to apply the battens, typically at 300mm or 400mm.

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The gentle flowing lines evoke a simple yet dynamic look, perfect for Japandi homes. Also available in 1200mm panel lengths, it can be used for a more tactile board and batten look with Hardie™ Axent™ Trim battens.

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The sleek vertical lines evoke the fine detail of vertical joint timber, providing a distinct Japandi look.

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Cladding Solutions

Dulux® Linseed
Wattyl® Harlow
Taubmans® South Wind

Dulux® White Duck Half
Wattyl® Scar Tissue
Taubmans® Presidential Suite

Dulux® Grand Piano Quarter
Wattyl® Silkmoth
Taubmans® Cradle White

Scheme Two

Dulux® White Exchange Half
Wattyl® Just
Taubmans® Struan Grey

Dulux® Beige Intent
Wattyl® Landslide
Taubmans® Grey Goose

Dulux® Ancient Ruin
Wattyl® Toned Taupe
Taubmans® Slate Pebble

Scheme One

Colours in the Japandi home combine warm and cool tones inspired by natural materials.

The elegant and refined colour palette extends from light beiges through to charcoal blacks.

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Japandi

Colours are typically neutral and within the same tonal scheme to add warmth to the simple interior and exterior forms.

Colour Palette

Japandi architecture emphasises simple spaces that can provide a sense of calm against the busyness of life.

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Japandi-style homes allow for cocooning and a sense of retreat and respite.

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Rustic textures, organic shapes and a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors.

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Simple structures with clean, sleek lines. Roofs can be flat, gabled, hipped or square pyramidal with deep overhangs to protect windows from rain.

Minimalist architecture

Prevalence for natural-look materials across the facade. Japanese influence leans towards darker tones and Scandi towards lighter tones.

Natural-look exterior

The neutral colours of both influences bring balance to your home, with Japanese inspired earthy tones adding warmth to the crisp, clean palette of Scandinavian design.

Neutral colour palette

Japanese design features such as as shoji (moveable screens), fusuma (sliding doors) a tokonoma (recess or alcove), genken (entryway), engawa (covered outdoor corridor), and courtyards, among other elements to blur inside and outside.

Indoor-outdoor connection

Interior style is minimal without being cold, utilising natural materials, neutral colours and simple layouts with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor connectivity.

Interiors

Design Features

Stone Pavers, Bluestone Stepping Stones— the minimalist design of these bluestone stepping stones complement both modern and traditional home designs.

Milkcan, Monza Letterbox — a stylish, functional and modern letterbox for your home.

Coopers, Harlow Door — combining minimalist elegance with natural elements, the Harlow Door brings a simple yet inviting touch to your space.

Knotwood, 50mm Battens — a combination of strong lines and rhythm bringing warmth and connection to the space.

Beacon Lighting, LEDlux Tread Steplightm — a minimalist step light.

Ikea, Stackholmen — this outdoor stool is made of hard wood and has soft,
harmonious shapes with a comfortable braided seat.

Exterior

Japandi Estate, Sash II — crafted from Rough Sawn Hardwood and takes influence from the traditional ‘Sashimono’ timber joint.

Hay, Rice Paper Shade Ellipse — featuring a classic circular lantern design in lightweight paper and ribbed bamboo frame.

Linea Standard, Archive Handle — simple shapes in a natural timber.

Object Utility, Frame Bed — a simple ‘floating’ bed base with a thin and minimal frame that keeps bed linen neat and tidy.

Japandi Estate, Looped Rug — natural tones make it an ideal choice for neutral homes, adding an elegant touch to your decor.

Omvivo, Venice 450 Basin — a classic sculptural piece with smooth, flowing lines which will give your bathroom a contemporary luxurious feel.

Interior

In the Japandi home, every fixture, furnishing and material can add to the design story, expressing a love and appreciation for functionality and contemporary minimalism in the everyday.

Complete the Look

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Hardie Home™ Guides Bright Section where you can discover various ideas and build your dream home. Get inspired from tips and tricks described and build your project.

Explore Hardie™ Home Guide's Bright Ideas Section

Japandi style is achievable on the most dated of brick homes. Here’s how to bring this emerging trend to your own facade.

Japandi style 101: key elements to get the look

What is Japandi style?

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Japandi style is trending now. Here's how to embrace this emerging home design trend that merges minimalist Japanese with Scandinavian warmth.

Japandi style made simple: why we love it

Introducing Japandi style, trending now in contemporary home design

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Learn about the minimalist blend of Scandinavian and Japanese house designs, and why so many Australians are embracing the Japandi trend.

Bring minimalism to the forefront with a Japandi design

Bringing Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism to Australian homes

More Japandi inspiration:

‘The Japandi home celebrates a love for earthy and natural colour palettes and materials.’ – Steph and Gian, Japandi Estate

Natural-look materials and textures bring an easy going and sophisticated aesthetic to the Japandi interior.

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Elements of Scandinavian minimalism and craftmanship, and a reverence for natural light are key, as seen here on board and batten cladding.

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Japandi garden style is an expression of the beauty of natural elements and organic forms including zenshiki gravel.

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The soft veins and earthy tones of Taj Mahal quartzite to complement the organic textures of the Japandi design style.

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Opportunities for Zen tranquillity are enhanced through the use of light and medium-toned timbers, used inside and out.

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Organic Japandi terrazzo tiling features a mix of stone fragments in neutral tones.

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A balance of warm and cool tones in the Japandi colour palette are designed to evoke a sense of tranquillity.

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It’s all in the ‘wabi-sabi’ detail that celebrates the imperfect, incomplete and impermanent beauty of the natural world as found here in this natural woven mat.

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Materials & Textures

JAM2465 Design Handbook Japandi

Download a copy of the Handbook

Order a sample from the Hardie™ Architectural Collection.

Order your free sample.

Login to myHardies™ to find out more about how to build the Japandi look.

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Japandi | Modern Homes Forecast 2024

1. Traditional finishes such as Axon™ Cladding mixed with natural timber decking bring a sense of calm to this courtyard.

2. Colours remain neutral and within the same tonal scheme to add warmth to the simple form of the Japandi style.

3. Simple structures with clean, sleek lines are used to create the minimalist Japandi look.

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Japandi is a hybrid architectural style combining Scandinavian functionality with Japanese rustic minimalism to simple and elegant effect.

Style Overview

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A modern architectural concept informs this Japandi adaptation, creating a highly sensorial experience. With a subdued colour palette, it can feature a Japanese-inspired raised lounge, zen garden, swimming pool, lawn sanctuary or moon gate.

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An “engawa” is an area facing a garden that also serves as a passageway or sitting space. In Queensland, the verandah serves a similar role and the crossover between these two cultural similarities enabled some interesting architectural exploration in thresholds and filtration of privacy.