Japanese are known for their traditional ways and this reflects clearly in their washitsu. These are rooms that are decorated in traditional Japanese style. They have all the common elements of Japanese homes.
Common elements in Japanese homes
Rooms decorated the Japanese way have typical designs which consists of Tatami mats for the floor, use Fusuma or sliding doors which are used as partitions,Ranma or wooden transom above these fusuma. Then there is shoji or the translucent sliding doors. These are made up of wooden lattices and translucent paper.
In some cases, a sheet of glass may also be used to cover one side of the door. Tokonoma is an important part of Chinese décor. This is the place in front of which an important guest is seated. Tokonoma is mainly decorated with flowers and typical hanging scroll. In typical Japanese traditional homes, important rooms have beautiful ceilings or tenjo which are decorated with lovely paintings.
The Japanese furniture is also very distinctive. Japanese style furniture mainly consists of low tables, cushions or zabuton and traditional Japanese mattresses known as Futon which are kept on the Tatami floors.
Traditional Japanese style home ideas for decorating your homes
- Genkan for the entranceJapanese entrances have the Genkan which is the place where people can remove their shoes when they come from outside. The flooring of the Japanese home is slightly higher than the outdoors. This helps people to remove their slippers with ease.
- Light up your home the Japanese way Typical Japanese lanterns in different shapes like round, rectangle etc are the best way to light up your home. In traditional Japanese lanterns, candles are used but you can make use of bulbs.
- Use Ofuru for your bathroomOfuru is a small deep Japanese bath tub which is made up of bamboo or wood. This bathtub has a kind of seat inside. In addition, you can add an earthy and wooden touch to the flooring and the walls. Your Japanese style bathroom will give you a SPA like experience.
- Make use of bamboo and woodYou can have floors of bamboo. The walls, doors, frames etc need to be of wood. Normally maple, cypress, hemlock, red pine wood is used.
- Meditation place: Have a place or room in your home where you can meditate or do yoga and basically unwind yourself the peaceful way. This place can also be an ideal spot to have tea.
Basic principles to remember
If you have decided to decorate your home the Japanese way then remember these basic principles:
- Make maximum use of natural elements You can make use of bonsai or bamboo. Let nature peek inside your homes by making use of large sliding windows. Remember that Japanese homes are always close to nature.
- Simple and as less as possibleThere is no place for clutter in a typical Japanese home. Keep the home clean. There is no room for too much furniture in a Japanese home. A Japanese style home has to be minimalist.
- Lots of space and natural light Lots of open space and plenty of natural light is a must. Therefore make sure that natural light is not blocked and maximum space is kept free.
- Colours for your Japanese homes Japanese like simple things and nature. This reflects in their choice of colours as well. Normally they opt for colours which are close to nature like green from the trees, brown colour of wood, grey colour of stones etc. These natural colours are incorporated in their homes as well.
Simple and natural is the key to having a Japanese style home decor. Incorporate the typical Japanese elements in your home decor and make it look perfect and elegant.
