Architect's Minimalist Japandi Apartment Tour

Introduction

The video introduces a new 630 square foot two-bedroom apartment and explains how it was transformed from an empty shell.

Apartment Transformation

• The apartment was initially an empty shell with only a fitted kitchen, bathroom, and some lights.

• It is a corner unit with two decently sized bedrooms, an open plan living area, and kitchen taking up the rest of the space.

• As there was no furniture in the apartment when they moved in, it provided them with a blank canvas to work with.

Entryway and Coat Rack

This section describes the entryway of the apartment and how they created a coat rack using shelving and clothes rail.

Closet Space

• There is a small entryway at the apartment's entrance that leads to an enormous closet with double mirrored sliding doors.

• The closet has enough space for storing items such as strollers, vacuums, mops, shoes etc.

• Up top there's shelving and a clothes rail where they use s-hooks to turn this into their coat rack.

Mirrored Doors

• The mirrored doors make this narrow space feel much bigger by reflecting light into this dark windowless area.

• They also provide you with an initial glimpse into their favorite area of the home.

Japandi Style

This section explains what Japandi style is and how it combines Japanese and Scandinavian interior design styles.

Wabi-Sabi Ethos

• Japandi style combines two unique ways of thinking on the Japanese side: wabi-sabi ethos of imperfection impermanence and incompletion which can be implemented using hard-wearing natural materials that improve with age and use.

• On the Scandinavian side: hygge which describes feelings of warmth safety and friendliness that's created by using cozy and inviting items.

Soft Yet Hard Wearing

• By mixing these two styles together, you should end up with a space that's soft yet hard-wearing and cozy yet minimal.

• They chose furniture that is mid-century modern scandi styled furniture to achieve this look.

Living Room

This section describes the living room of the apartment and how they achieved a balance between soft textures and hard-wearing natural materials.

Furniture Choices

• They chose a Barrage Loveseat from Article which is really comfortable for being so compact.

• They paired it with a Denman Oak Lounge Chair which has quickly become their favorite spot to enjoy morning coffee.

• To achieve the feeling of hygge, they combined richer textures together with mid-century modern scandi styled furniture.

Soft Textures

• They added in a high pile speckled rug, a soft knitted poof, and a chunky throw for the lounge chair.

• A soft rug was essential as it not only provides a super fluffy surface for their daughter to play on but also visually grounds the seating together by partially placing it under the furniture's feet.

Hard-Wearing Natural Materials

• To contrast these softer textures, they opted to pair these items with Article's oak Cena sideboard and terrazzo Selena stall which are hard-wearing natural materials.

• These items will last a lifetime but can handle inevitable abuse from their family.

Kitchen

This section describes the kitchen of the apartment and how they transformed its questionable industrial aesthetic into something more appealing.

Industrial Aesthetic

• The kitchen had an exposed chrome legs design with short wall cabinets that were pretty much good for nothing except trapping dust.

Counteracting Sterility

• To counteract this, they needed to add warmth and character to the space.

• They added sculptural and more visually delicate elements such as Article's contemporary Jira floor lamp and vases with dried flowers.

• They also added an essential oil diffuser that adds a little bit of movement to the space.

Conclusion

The video showcases how a blank canvas apartment can be transformed into a cozy, minimalistic, yet hard-wearing living space by combining Japanese and Scandinavian interior design styles. The use of natural materials, soft textures, and contrast helped achieve this look.

Designing a Japandi-Inspired Apartment

In this video, the speaker shares how they designed their small apartment with a Japandi aesthetic. They discuss how they utilized space and overlapping functionality to create a beautiful and clutter-free home.

Kitchen Design

• Above the brushed metal fridge, two wicker baskets were added for additional texture and storage.

• An unkillable golden pothos plant was placed on top of the cabinets to add color and life to the area.

• The countertops and shelves only have items that are regularly used or add character or warmth.

Spare Bedroom/Office Space

• The spare bedroom doubles as an office space with minimal zero cable setup.

• Natural and hard-wearing materials were used in this room.

• The whole setup is on casters, allowing it to be used for multiple purposes.

• This room also serves as a bedroom for their daughter who sleeps in a cot that can be moved to wherever's the quietest area.

Bathroom and Bedroom Design

• Almost all of their toiletries fit in two drawers underneath the sink in the bathroom.

• The bedroom has a bright white and beige material palette with contrasting textures of linen sheets, high pile rug, canvas headboard.

• Only essential items are kept on each side of the bed.

Conclusion

• By cleverly utilizing space and implementing overlapping functionality, it is achievable to have a beautiful and clutter-free home even as parents.

• A soft yet hard-wearing Japanese aesthetic strikes this balance perfectly.

• Article made this whole process incredibly easy with super-fast delivery and mostly pre-assembled furniture.