For a long time, Japan remained an unknown country for the entire civilized world. It was discovered by mariners only in the 15th century. And since that time, many nations have become interested in the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun, its history and culture. At the end of the 19th century laconic Japanese style has also become fashionable. For Europeans accustomed to luxury, it turned out to be a real exotic. The name of this style sounds like “sabi-wabi”. It combines very important concepts for the inhabitants of Japan. So, the word “wabi” means simplicity, and “sabi” means perfect time. Japanese-style furniture also matches this trend. She is perfect and unusual.
Unity with nature
The main life credo of any Japanese is considered to be his desire for excellence. A large role in this is assigned to nature. That is why in the interior of the people of this country only natural materials are used. Almost all Japanese-style furniture is made of wood. Moreover, it is rarely stained, trying to preserve and emphasize the natural texture of the material. Sometimes on the furniture in the Japanese style you can notice swirls and bumps. Their masters are left specially to give the products the most natural appearance.
Often, Japanese-style furniture is made from light wood. Chests, chests of drawers or cabinets are varnished, decorated with cords, silk and gilded fittings.
Japanese-style furniture made of solid wood is distinguished by the lack of symmetry in the arrangement of drawers and shelves. However, in this, the people of the Land of the Rising Sun have their own meaning. After all, such a piece of furniture looks very concise.
An interesting fact is that in earlier times, the higher the position of the owner of the house was, the more expensive and valuable the species of wood used to make interior products was.
Dressers, wardrobes and travel chests could be from inexpensive needles or from a durable and durable teak. Expensive Japanese furniture was necessarily varnished and decorated with forged details. But at the same time, furnishings had a simple form, and there was no artsy decor on them. All these principles were adopted by modern furniture in the Japanese style (see photo below). It is distinguished by naturalness, interesting shapes and squat design.
By the way, today it can be argued that the style of the interior, which came to us from Japan, is in fashion. After all, its creation in his home represents one of the paths to harmony and perfection. Moreover, this task is quite doable. It is enough to remove all the old things from the room, paint the walls in pleasant natural colors and furnish the room with original and laconic wooden furniture.
Interestingly, at one time, Japan had a direct impact on the development of the Art Nouveau era. At the end of the 19th century, emerging from isolation, she filled Europe with her wonderful little things, the forms of which had a direct impact on the development of many areas of art.
Traditions of Japanese Interior
What are the main features of the home of the people of the Land of the Rising Sun? The interior design, characteristic of Japan, is perfect for a person who sits, meditates, relaxes, philosophizes and is distracted from the bustle of the outside world, contemplating his inner world. That is why furniture in the Japanese style in the interior (photos are presented below) can immediately be recognized by its "earthiness".
It seems that in ordinary furnishings, legs were simply cut off and placed on the floor. At the same time, the interior is minimalist. The fewer pieces of furniture in it, the better. In the room, made in the Japanese style, there is nothing superfluous.
Traditionally, in the homes of the Land of the Rising Sun there are:
- mats made of gunny or straw;
- a low table designed for food or tea drinking, surrounded by small pillows intended for sitting;
- a mattress or tatami lying directly on the floor that replaces a traditional bed;
- cabinets with closed shelves in the kitchen, in which the dishes are;
- washbasins, usually in the shape of a bowl, as well as a wooden ofuro bathtub.
Consider items of Japanese furniture in more detail.
Tables and chairs
Japanese furniture is very unusual for Europeans. This applies to the tables of the Land of the Rising Sun. In our understanding, this piece of furniture is something reliable and solid, standing in the middle of the kitchen or living room surrounded by chairs. There is a lot of space under it.
As for the Japanese traditional tables, they are versatile, performing at the same time the function of decorative and dining. Some of them even have a transformation mechanism. Such tables can be freely removed or laid out to the height necessary for the owner. This function is very convenient in small apartments. Japanese tables are very low. If we consider their traditional options, then the distance between them and the floor is so small that it is hardly possible to put even a regular handkerchief there.
And of course, sitting around them is most convenient on pillows, which are a separate piece of furniture. In the Japanese interior, you can also find chairs without legs, in which there are only backs and seats.
Kotatsu
Japanese furniture at all times was not only distinguished by its aesthetics, but also was very practical. A vivid proof of this is the kotatsu table. What is he like? This is a low table made of wood that has a removable worktop. In summer, this piece of furniture is used by the owners for their intended purpose. But with the onset of cold weather, kotatsu turns into a kind of heating device.
The fact is that the bulk of Japanese houses were built without any serious thermal insulation. There is no central heating in them. In this regard, the indoor air temperature is very dependent on environmental conditions. In the territory of the northern prefectures, for example, in Aomori or Akita, in the winter in the house the thermometer can drop below +10 degrees. Of course, to create comfort, you can put on as many clothes as possible, but this, you see, is very inconvenient.
How do the Japanese prepare for winter? A similar procedure is quite simple. First of all, on the floor there is an electric carpet or thin futon. This allows you to heat the room from the bottom. Next, the kotatsu frame is installed on the floor. In the event that such a table is equipped with a heater, it is built in simultaneously with the skeleton of this piece of furniture. Above the frame is covered with a warm thick futon. To give the necessary color gamut, such a structure can be completed with a thin blanket. Next, the countertop returns to the place. It turns out such a peculiar hut in which it is very warm, since its inner space is isolated from the cold. In it, people gathered at the table warm their feet. On long cold evenings, kotatsu is the main point in the Japanese house. The whole family gathers behind him, drinks tea, talks and watches TV.
In earlier times, an open hearth was the heating element of kotatsu. It was located in the floor of the room and was heated by coal. Somewhat later, the Japanese began to use gas and kerosene appliances. Currently, kotatsu has become electric, which increased its safety and eliminated unpleasant odors.
Futon
Under this name is bedding, characteristic of the Land of the Rising Sun. This is a cotton mattress stuffed with wool and cotton. Initially, this item served as the main berth in Japan. He allowed to save space. The mattress was laid out on the floor for the night, in the morning putting it in the closet. Futon was very convenient and allowed to save the useful area of the home.
Today, few people use such mattresses for sleeping on the floor. Most often they are placed on a sofa or on a cot, which increases comfort and makes relaxation more complete.
However, in the West today are called futons folding sofas that are equipped with a mattress. Moreover, the frames of such pieces of furniture can be of three types:
- double, folding in half and looking like a couch;
- triple, consisting of three parts and having a large length;
- a double sofa in which the frame is divided into a ottoman and a couch.
Tansu
This name has Japanese chests, which are the basis of the furniture of the Land of the Rising Sun. The first tansu appeared in the 18th century. They were portable chests or cabinets with drawers. In tansu, Japanese families kept their valuables. During the fire, people grabbed such chests and carried them out of the house. Sometimes tansu was made on wheels.
Today, there are various types of this piece of furniture. Its appearance depends on what is supposed to be stored in it. For example, tansu is part of the Japanese-style kitchen furniture in the form of cabinets and sideboards. You can meet such chests in the most unexpected places. For example, often they are lockers in the bathroom.
Japanese style corridor
Often the interiors of modern apartments tend to create concise and strict. This allows you to achieve the Japanese style. Making the entrance hall in this way, it is important to follow the basic rules of the home of the Land of the Rising Sun. The room should not be cluttered. It is necessary to use natural materials.
The color scheme of the hallway
As already mentioned, the main philosophy of Japanese stylistics is the knowledge of a person in the process of contemplation of nature and unity with it. This dictates the need to use natural shades of light brown, yellow, grass green, pearl white, cream pink and black in the interior palette. In this case, the use of flashy tones is considered unacceptable.
Japanese-style hallway furniture should be made of precious wood. Most often, a tree such as a chestnut is used for her. The Japanese style is also characterized by standard contrasts of black with white or red. They can be found in furniture or in decoration. However, it should be borne in mind that such a solution will be effective only for large halls. Standard rooms are recommended to be decorated using brown and green shades, to which several bright accents have been added. An interesting option is a black sliding wardrobe, which is complemented by a traditional Japanese pattern.
Hallway Furniture
The most popular solution, indicating the presence of a Japanese-style corridor, is the installation of a variety of modular designs. They allow you to divide the hallway into certain zones or increase free space.
When decorating the interior in the Japanese style, the arrangement of functional and concise furniture with clear shapes is necessary. However, it should not be very high. Preference should be given to low cabinets and stools, tables, cabinets and poufs. Very harmoniously fit into the interior is a Japanese-style closet built into the wall. Its front side should be smooth, without thread or decoration. Instead of a wardrobe, a specialized chest or a non-standard chest of drawers with wheels can be selected. The main decoration of such a hallway may be an original bench made of bamboo.
Japanese-style bedroom
The basic design principle of such a room is the absence of extra items. All Japanese-style furniture for the bedroom (see photo below) should be necessary for life. None of the items standing in such a room should stand out for its bulkiness and large size. This, according to the Japanese, allows not to delay positive energy.
In addition, Japanese-style bedroom furniture should be functional. This is directly related to its necessity. Each of the objects must carry a semantic load and be necessary. For example, a bedside table, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and other similar furniture for a bedroom in the Japanese style are placed in the room only for storage. In this case, all interior items should be environmentally friendly. This will enable the unity of man with nature.
Characteristics of bedroom furniture
The furnishings in the recreation area, as well as in other rooms, should be geometrically clear, simple and concise. For the bedroom, which is created in the Japanese style, it is necessary to purchase furniture without any ornate decorations, which has a smooth surface. For someone who wants to become a real samurai, it is recommended to use a mattress laid directly on the floor as a sleeping place. But you can put a low bed. If you need to use bedside tables, they should also be low.
The real Japanese bedroom does not have cupboards, or they are most invisible in it. How to achieve this? Order a built-in wardrobe, the sliding doors of which are made in the form of screens in the same style as the walls. The low table, at which tea ceremonies are held, will also be appropriate in the bedroom.
Furniture for kitchen
It is unlikely that any of our compatriots would wish to dine at home at a low table, sitting on pillows laid out on the floor. But if there is a desire to create a Japanese-style kitchen, then this option can be found a worthy replacement. The basic principle in this case is the compactness of the placement of furniture and its unobtrusiveness. All kitchen items should be light. Massive furniture visually clutters the space, taking up a lot of free space.
Japanese-style furniture for the kitchen in the photo below suggests the use of modular transformable elements made of beige or light brown wood.
The main thing is that the interior evokes a feeling of stability and solidity.