Japandi or modern: which style suits your interior?

From a distance Japandi and modern look alike: both calm, both without frills. Up close they are two different choices, and they do not simply mix.

Japandi: warm, natural, soft

Japandi combines Japanese simplicity with Scandinavian warmth. You recognise it by wood, linen, paper and rice-paper-like materials, by rounded shapes and by colours that stay close to nature: sand, beige, warm grey.

A Japandi lamp is also beautiful when it is off. That is no side issue: during the day it hangs there as an object, and the texture of linen or wood does the work.

This style suits oak floors, rattan or wooden furniture, and interiors where you are looking for calm.

Modern: sleek, graphic, high-contrast

Modern lighting works with straight lines, matt black, chrome and glass. More contrast, clearer shapes, often a visible construction instead of a concealing shade.

A modern lamp is an accent. It demands attention, even during the day, and works best in an interior that otherwise stays calm.

This style suits poured floors, sleek kitchens, lots of white or, on the contrary, dark walls.

How to choose

Do not look at the lamp but at what is already there. If you have a lot of wood and textiles, a chrome fitting stands out like a sore thumb. If you have a sleek, graphic interior, a linen shade gets lost.

If you are torn between the two, that usually means your interior itself is mixed. Then choose by material: match the lamp to what is most present in the room, such as the floor or the largest pieces of furniture.

Unity per room, not per house

You do not have to keep the same style throughout the house. But within one line of sight you do: what you see at a glance from the sofa should belong together.

See Japandi or Modern, or come to Arnhem and put them side by side.

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