Find your zen
From simple designs and geometrics to the bold use of natural colours, Japanese design aesthetics bring a calming influence into our interiors. This Japanese-inspired home office from Resene is a beautiful example of earth-toned minimalism.
Japanese design proudly references thousands of years of traditional arts while also being considered the epitome of what’s contemporary and modern. From nature-inspired motifs, to the use of timber cladding and black lacquer, there are countless ways that Japan has influenced design and architecture in New Zealand, Australia and beyond.
In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a worldview centred on the acceptance of imperfection. It celebrates the beauty and story of imperfections with a simultaneous aim to rid one’s surroundings of all that isn’t useful or aesthetically pleasing. Wabi-sabi has a lot in common with minimalist modernism, but it’s more intuitive, asymmetric, warm and fluid.
Natural timber stains, distressed plaster walls and muted colours are all commonplace and tie into the wabi-sabi aesthetic. All that something might need is a fresh coat of Resene paint or timber stain to make you fall in love with it again.
Japanese culture is also keenly in tune with the environment, and Japanese people celebrate nature and the seasons like no one else. Materials are most cherished in their natural forms, such as wood and stone. There is a prevailing preference towards earth-toned colour palettes. Paint colours reflecting hues that appear in nature like Resene Teak, Resene Quarter Karaka, Resene Triple Merino and Resene Settlement, as well as timber stains like Resene Colorwood Uluru and Resene Colorwood Pickled Bean are ideal choices for creating a Japanese-inspired look at home.
In this home office, high ceilings, a wall clad in tongue-and-groove panelling painted in Resene Quarter Karaka and the shallow grid shelf painted in Resene Settlement all bring that strong verticality and geometry.
As a counterpoint, a few circular décor items have been included, such as the round dishes on the shelf, the curvaceous vase on the desk and the round side table painted in Resene Teak.
The desk painted in Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel harkens back to traditional Japanese lacquerware, while a timber floor stained in Resene Colorwood Uluru, a ply wall stained in Resene Colorwood Pickled Bean, clay pots and dried flowers have been included as reminders of nature. Together, these items create just the right amount of contrast and balance for a space that feels both zen-like and authentically Japanese.
Background in Resene Colorwood Pickled Bean with A4 drawdown paint swatches in (from top to bottom) Resene Quarter Karaka, Resene Triple Merino, Resene Settlement, round dish in Resene Teak.
