Get their look: Japandi Style

 

 
 
 
 
 
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There’s a new-ish interiors trend in town – it’s called Japandi and, as the name suggests, it’s a blend of Japanese and Scandinavian styles.

Both cultures are known for unfussy, pared-back product and interior design. It’s no surprise that the likes of Muji and IKEA have both taken the rest of the world by storm.

We came across this setting above and thought that it illustrates the Japandi style very well.

Kris Manalo, senior upholstery buyer at Heal’s, sums up the Japandi trend perfectly:

Aspects of the Scandi notion of ‘hygge’ and Japanese ‘wabi-sabi’ harmonise to create a stress-free atmosphere… these pieces allow people to create a clean, calm environment in which they can truly unwind

If you’d like to explore this blended trend further, a new book, Japandi Style: When Japanese and Scandinavian Designs Blend, is being published in early October 2022.

Get their look

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Olive jar
Olive jar
Needham coffee table
Needham coffee table
Armada floor light
Armada floor light
Beam coffee table
Beam coffee table
Sheepskin armchair
Sheepskin armchair
Armada pendant light
Armada pendant light
Olive jar
Olive jar
Needham coffee table
Needham coffee table
Armada floor light
Armada floor light
Beam coffee table
Beam coffee table
Sheepskin armchair
Sheepskin armchair
Armada pendant light
Armada pendant light
Olive jar
Olive jar
Needham coffee table
Needham coffee table
Armada floor light
Armada floor light
Beam coffee table
Beam coffee table
Sheepskin armchair
Sheepskin armchair
Armada pendant light
Armada pendant light

Designer Desire: Sadao Watanabe

Montage of Sadao Watanabe prints

Sadao Watanabe (1913-1996) was a Japanese printmaker. He specialised in biblical scenes produced in the mingei (民芸) aesthetic.

Watanabe was baptised into the Christian faith (on Christmas Day) at the age of seventeen. He presents Christian narratives in a Japanese setting. For example, his Last Supper artwork shows Jesus and his disciples wearing kimono and dining on sushi and sake.

I would most like to see them [his prints] hanging where people ordinarily gather, because Jesus brought the gospel for the people

He often used the traditional stencilling method known as Katazome to produce his prints which he learned during his time as an apprentice in a dyers’ workshop.

At first I used mainly black and white pigments, but I was deeply moved by the encouragement of my teachers and colleagues. However, try as I might, I was not able to use other colors successfully until suddenly one day yellow and red pigments took the Japanese paper. I felt as though a new door had opened.

His works have been exhibited all over the world; from the British Museum to MOMA in New York and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo to the Vatican Museum. There’s a travelling exhibition of his work (in the USA) that is due to be shown in Austin, Texas and Hilton Head, South Carolina in 2021.

Prints can be found on eBay and Etsy.

There are a few books and exhibition catalogues available given over to the works of Watanabe including Beauty Given by Grace: The Biblical Prints of Sadao Watanabe, Heeding the Voice of Heaven: Sadao Watanabe Biblical Stencil Prints and PRINTING THE WORD The Art of Watanabe Sadao, an Exhibition of Prints from the Collection of Anne H. H. Pyle. Search for them on Abe Books and Amazon.

Portrait of Sadao Watanabecredit

Additional image credits:
Bowden Collections | Lambs Quay Gallery

Designer Desire: Kiyoshi Saito

Montage of Kiyoshi Saito prints

Kiyoshi Saito (1907-1997) was a largely self-taught Japanese artist. He started out as a sign maker then painter, but found his true calling in woodblock printing.

His blocks were often created out of a single piece of wood, and I love how you can clearly see the pattern of the grain in many of his prints – adding an extra dimension to the of the composition.

He is credited with being one of the founders of the early 20th century Sōsaku-hanga movement where the maker was artist, carver, printer and publisher rather than stages of the creative process being divided up between different craftsmen. In 1967, his woodcut print of Prime Minister Eisaku Sato was the cover image on Time Magazine.

Works by Kiyoshi Saitō are sometimes available on 1stDibs, eBay and Etsy. However, they appear for sale more regularly at auction.

There are two monographs of his work, Wood Cut Prints and Masterful Images: the Art of Kiyoshi Saito.

Saitō’s Atelier-Kan (private studio) in Yanaizu is open to the public; his work tables for woodcutting, engraving knives and other items are displayed and kept just as they were during his own lifetime. A 5-minute walk away is the Kiyoshi Saito Museum of Art whose collection includes around 1,000 artworks and related material.

Portrait of Kiyoshi Saito
credit

Additional image credits:
Mutual Art

Price Points: Kotatsu sets

Kotatsu sets

The most famous piece of Japanese furniture is probably the futon, that stalwart of bedsits and student accommodation. However, have you ever heard of a kotatsu? No, we hadn’t either.

Kotatsu sets consist of three parts; a table fitted with an adjustable electric heater, a mat and a blanket similar to a duvet. They look so comfy & cosy, we can’t believe they’re not more popular here in the UK. Just imagine hunkering down under there, on a winter’s evening, watching a box set and enjoying a mug of hot chocolate with a plate of cookies.

  1. Kotatsu low table futon set: £142.87
  2. Reversible kotatsu quilt: £145.92 + Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm: £219.02
  3. Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm: £556.11

shop kotatsu sets

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm
Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm
£556.11
Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm
Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm
£219.02
Reversible kotatsu quilt
Reversible kotatsu quilt
£145.92
Kotatsu low table futon set
Kotatsu low table futon set
£142.87
Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm
Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm
£556.11
Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm
Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm
£219.02
Reversible kotatsu quilt
Reversible kotatsu quilt
£145.92
Kotatsu low table futon set
Kotatsu low table futon set
£142.87
Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm
Kotatsu futon, mat & table 3-piece set 185x185cm 70x70cm
£556.11
Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm
Kotatsu heated table, 75x75cm
£219.02
Reversible kotatsu quilt
Reversible kotatsu quilt
£145.92
Kotatsu low table futon set
Kotatsu low table futon set
£142.87