The affinities between Japanese and Danish design are many. Both nations share a fondness for clean lines, natural materials and elegant simplicity. Today, Japandi interiors have become a firmly entrenched decorating style, creating minimalist spaces with a special sense of calm harmony. But why are the two design traditions so closely in synch? Part of the explanation dates back to the 1850s.
While Japan had engaged in a certain amount of trade via first the Portuguese and then the Dutch in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the country had long remained deliberately isolated from the outside world when international trade was resumed in the 1850s. Japanese art and crafts could now be imported to Europe and the USA in great quantities. Here was an entirely new aesthetic, unconnected to Western tradition, and the effect on Western audiences was electrifying.
People clamoured to buy the Japanese prints, ceramics and lacquerware presented at sales exhibitions, the major department stores set up separate departments devoted to Japanese art and design, and all things Japanese became the height of fashion. The trend was dubbed Japonisme in France, where it greatly influenced the emergence of the Art Nouveau movement.
People clamoured to buy the Japanese prints,
ceramics and lacquerware presented at sales exhibitions,
the major department stores set up separate departments
devoted to Japanese art and design
In Denmark, Japanese design elicited the same rapturous response as elsewhere. Here, the pared-back lines of Japanese ceramics, lacquerware and furniture would embed themselves deeply in in the collective consciousness of designers and architects, greatly influencing the Skønvirke style – a Danish version of the Art Nouveau/Arts and Crafts style which combined simple, stylised lines with direct inspiration from nature. Notably, the latter now focused on humbler flora and fauna than before, seeing the beauty in previously overlooked natural elements such as insects and weeds. A turn towards native species would be the beginning of a greater focus on native, light-coloured woods such as beech and oak in furniture making. Modernism has its roots here.
Japonisme greatly influenced the Art Nouveau movement, here at Casa Battló, Barcelona.
The impulses received from Japan were mixed with inspiration from the Bauhaus school.
Danish designers and architects continued to digest and process the impulses received from Japan, combining them with the experimentation of, for example, the Bauhaus school. As leading Danish designers increasingly removed all ornamentation from their furniture and buildings, the beauty of good craftsmanship in itself grew ever more important.
In the absence of embellishments, skilful joinery became the main decorative element in the new, simple furniture designs. Beauty was now tied directly to function.
As leading Danish designers increasingly removed all ornamentation from their furniture and buildings, the beauty of good craftsmanship in itself grew ever more important
Towards the middle of the twentieth century, Danish architects would visit Japan for inspiration. As a result, Japanese aesthetics came to reach beyond furniture and home accessories, influencing the actual architecture. The effect can be seen in details such as the introduction of sliding doors, but also in wider trends such as open plan living and L-shaped houses with large window areas that directly connect inside and outside. Danish Modernist houses also often feature elements that echo Japanese architecture in other ways, such as very subtle entrances and wooden verandas extending across the entire façade. An overall stringency of line and a firm refusal of all things superfluous pervade the Eastern and Western sensibilities alike during this period.
Throughout the years of Japanese influence on Danish design, impulses from the Modernist movement in the West were also absorbed in Japan. This is one reason why the two nations share aesthetics that blend so well. The ‘Japandi’ style perfectly encapsulates this. Now a well-established part of designers’ palette worldwide, the Japandi approach blends Japanese and Scandinavian designs. Described by many as ‘wabi-sabi meets hygge’, combining two very distinctive worldviews, the Japandi style unites elements such as stone (typically Japanese) and light wood (typically Scandinavian).
In our own little neck of the woods, many proponents of the Japandi style love how our Highline Custom drains can hide the drain beneath natural stone. To Danish eyes, the Japandi style has more elements of drama than a straight-up Danish interior – for example, it uses darker colours than the ubiquitous whites and creams found in Denmark. Decorative accessories also veer more towards the sculptural side and often marry function with visual impact: think huge trays in dark oak and bowls of dark soapstone, preferably antique.
Unidrain Highline Custom drains, at The Audo Copenhagen, hidden beneath natural stone, perfectly embody the Japandi style. Simple, subtle, and sophisticated.
Unsurprisingly, the natural affinities between Danish and Japanese design have given rise to many collaborations. One example is Norm Architects, who have designed countless projects in a stylishly minimalist, yet always comfortable idiom. We have previously reported on The Audo’s headquarters-cum-boutique hotel, to which we at Unidrain were happy to contribute.
The Copenhagen-based studio also has many collaborations with Japanese designers and architects. For example, the studio designed a collection of furniture for Karimoku, Japan’s leading manufacturer of wooden furniture. In fact, Norm Architects created the very first of the acclaimed Karimoku Case collections. Named ‘Kinuta’ after the residence for which the series was first created, the collection boasts twelve pieces that very clearly marry the Danish Modernist heritage with Japanese flair.
In addition, Norm Architects has recently released a new publication, Stillness, that juxtaposes images from Japan with the studio’s own work. The book highlights the centuries-old connections between these distinct design cultures, emphasising their mutual respect and shared philosophies. You can learn more and purchase Stillness at https://gestalten.com/products/stillness-norm-architects-exploration-japanese-aesthetics-architecture-design
The Copenhagen-based studio Norm Architects created the very first of the acclaimed Karimoku Case collections, here e.g. the N-CC01 Club Chair at the BELLUSTAR TOKYO, A Pan Pacific Hotel at the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower.
The connections between Danish and Japanese design run deep. Rooted in a history of mutual inspiration from the 1850s onwards, each culture has pursued an aesthetic of simplicity, serenity and natural materials. That is why today, Japanese antiques, mid-century Danish furniture classics and all-new designs from both nations can seamlessly integrate in interiors worldwide.
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