Hi all and happy Friday! Today I thought I would do some dreaming here on the blog by sharing some amazing spaces in Japan. This little dream blog will hopefully accomplish two things. First, it introduces interior design ideas from a country known for being super funky yet very minimalist. An intriguing combination. The second goal of this post is to provide inspiration and motivation for Eric and me to hang in there as we squirrel pennies away for our vacation to Japan. Looking at pictures upon pictures of this beautiful country with its innovative ideas will definitely accomplish these two items. Here we go!
Let’s start with some of the crazy architecture. It seems that as a small country with a large population, they have really learned how to use every nook and cranny. These buildings show the ingenuity in using every last square inch (well, I guess it’s not inches there), even in places where you didn’t think you could add something, like this nook carport.
This house is embracing small living and bringing the outdoors in to utilize living space.
Holy porch Japan! It’s awesome and kind of scary. Definitely not a home for kids!
Now, moving inside. I love the bright colors in the accessories with the natural wood and clean lines that mixes a traditional color palette with some unexpected elements.
Polka dots, careful art placement, and wooden furniture that gives a playful ode to Japanese traditional architecture with its winged edges. Perfection. I’ll move in tomorrow.
A power pop of blue with modern lines gives an unexpected wow factor.
I mean, come on, who doesn’t want a pond in their house. Also, I like how the glass allows separation but still lets in light. That would be an interesting design choice for a small space with limited windows.
It seems minimalism is a definite design choice you see a lot in Japan, and I am loving it here in this kitchen. Check out that organized and incredibly usable although small kitchen. I think it would just be heavenly to cook there.
You don’t see a lot of colored walls in Japan (based on my picture research) but I love how the light wood plays so nicely with this sky blue color. It just really pops and adds a twist to a more traditional room.
I just love the reflection that these mesh-like walls provide. Although I don’t know if I would make it a whole wall, it provides inspiration for some future DIY projects. Perhaps a piece of that in a frame with rope light hidden behind it or if you need to make a room separator it provides a divide but still allows light.
Oooh I love how moody this room is where the lighting really makes this room pop since it is furnished with pretty simple items.
Rice paper, bamboo, and lanterns in a modern way. Well done.
Mood lighting and texture with some great DIY ideas. I see using a pallet for that headboard, hanging fabric from the ceiling and getting your freestyle on with a brush for tree silhouettes on the wall.
Sigh. Every culture knows how to do my dream room – wall to ceiling bookshelves. I love how this one is so light and airy, so unlike many of the dark libraries you see.
Last but not least, I couldn’t help but throw in some Japanese fashion. To me, Japanese fashion is so iconic and risk taking, which I adore. They also love bright colors, which I can’t seem to get enough of. You can see this modern girl on the street bringing some bold pops of color and playful patterns…
…then you can see this all out pattern war and color craze. I love them both.
There ends my little blogosphere dreaming about our future vacation to Japan. I am both inspired by minimalist yet still homey and warm designs, with a few DIY ideas to boot, and am even more motivated to save, save, save so that trip lets me get a first hand look soon! I can’t wait to share my own pictures with you. You should probably already start preparing yourself, because there literally may be a million.
