17 Aug Exploring Balance of Functionality and Simplicity in Japanese-Inspired Design
Japanese interior design is known for its clean lines and uncluttered look – but there are sophisticated aesthetics behind this minimalist appearance. For Japanese designers, function and craftsmanship are equally valued in the planning and creation of any interior space and every little corner of the living quarters is used for maximum functionality. Sliding doors, for example, are regularly custom-panelled with translucent hand-spun paper or silk fabrics for maximum lighting ambiance – AND they are also easy to tuck away to beautifully maximize the uninterrupted natural angles of the room! Seamlessly enhanced with modern conveniences like minimal tracking, and power operating systems, this classic Japanese design staple is making its way into homes and offices across the world.
Designer roller shades add texture and rhythm to an otherwise simple setting.
Source: Hunter Douglas
Here are our editor’s top picks from Japan’s current interior design scene – one designer, who has found a natural harmony between Ancient Japanese design principles and Modern Northern aesthetics, and an interior design powerhouse that has reimagined 19th-Century French Japonisme and Chinoiserie art movements perfectly for the modern home…
Featured Textile Designer: Akira Minagawa
Akira Minagawa is a Japanese clothes and textile designer. In Japan and across the world, he is best known for his highly sought-after ‘Minä Perhonen’ fashion brand, which is characterised by a distinctive feminine and romantic style. His highly detailed and timeless designs combine Scandinavian and Japanese influences to unique effect. Minagawa is able to combine his fascination of the Northern countries with his own cultural roots and create an absolutely unique, personal style that has made his designs so popular in the recent decade. The Minä Perhonen universe reflects a new outlook on life for many Japanese who seek to get away from the humdrum tempo and everyday stress, to a low-key lifestyle. Minagawa designs his own patterns and prints them into one-of-a-kind fabrics. The designs are youthful, romantic and beautiful and are available in his clothing line as well as interior and upholstery fabrics.
Source: Kvadrat
Featured Interior Design Powerhouse: Beacon Hill
Modern motifs merge with historical concepts in Floating World and Silk Jacquard and Embroideries, two new print collections from Beacon Hill inspired by the late 19th-century French artistic movement that encompassed both Japonisme and Chinoiserie. Floating World updates vintage documents to the 21st Century by enlarging patterns to a grand, highly stylized scale, making them both opulent and relevant to today’s interiors. Silk Jacquard and Embroideries executes smaller motifs that can be used in supporting roles to Floating World’s bold focal fabrics. Both collections are made exclusively for Beacon Hill by the world’s finest silk mills and can be custom-tailored across many upholstered and panelled décor element.
Source: Robert Allen
Source: Beacon Hill
Come into our showroom and explore the world of interior design at your doorstep. Our designers and stylists at National Drapery are here to help you bring the best of the worlds’ design and craftsmanship to your home.
