Japanese

5 Ways Wabi-Sabi Promotes Mental Wellbeing at Home

Your environment and mental and mental health are intrinsically linked. There’s no denying that your home and its décor can either elevate or diminish your mood. Looking to the Japanese philosophy and interior design style of wabi-sabi, there’s much to learn about creating a space that fulfils your being and creates refuge for the mind

Colour Psychology: Shades For A Happier Home

Can colours make a happier home? Psychologists seem to think so. Here we explore how you can use different colours within your home to help you feel more grounded, more inspired, more energetic, and create a sense of satisfaction.

9 Ways To Achieve A Mid-Japandi Home

Meet the new hybrid trend which is taking hold in 2022. Mid-Japandi takes the best of both worlds, including the graphical style and vibrate shades of mid century modern, marrying it with the minimal and paired down tenets of Japandi. Not only does this interior design style deliver an aura of peace in a practical manner, it is easy to achieve!

7 Home Trends We’re Seeing In 2022

Cracking & Checking In Natural Wood Furniture

Cracking, crazing and checking of wood is a natural reaction to fluctuations in temperature, humidity, ageing and exposure to new environments. As living creations, much like human skin, all wood furniture acquires wrinkles and marks as time passes. These unintentional inclusions only add to its character.

Chinese Zodiac 2022: Feng Shui Home Guide For The Year Of The Tiger

Find the fortunes that await you in the Year of the Tiger and embrace these feng shui interior design tips to get the best of out 2022.

The Beauty of Ageing Wood

An article that expresses wabi-sabi principles in the true beauty of the wood ageing process.

The Best Retro Home Trends That Deserve A Comeback

This Elephant Haven Rekindles The Bond Between Man, Nature and Beast.

This open-air museum aims to bring about a way of life between the Kui tribe, their land and elephants once more through architecture.

The Beauty of Copper’s Shifting Pattern by Daishi Luo

Gallery All showcases the exquisite details behind Daishi Lou’s bio-design programme. We also explore the founders of ManMan Studios, Daishi and Zhipeng Tan, who share a mutual love for creating astonishing pieces formed from copper.

10 Iconic Sofa’s Throughout History

A selection of sofa designs that have a shared love in history throughout the world.

Marusho Kimono Shop: Honouring Tradition with Japandi Sensibilities

How Yokohama's Marusho Kimono Shop embraces wood panelling to create an interior of subtle grace.

Housewarming Customs & Gifts To Remember

From simple beginnings in medieval times to the modern-day, the traditions of a housewarming differ from coast to coast.

Creating Sustainable Homeware with Up-cycled Ceramics

BENTU product design revitalizes old ceramic materials to create sustainable modern furniture. This kind of up-cycled furniture not only directly reduces man-made environmental impact, but it also creates homeware with much greater purpose and meaning. This allows you to feel more gratitude for your home and the things within it, building a greener life is said to bring a stronger feelings of contentment.

Sleep Better With These 7 Interior Design Improvements

7 easy tips to help improve your sleep today

A Flawless Zen Yoga Interior That Inspires Tranquility

Yanyu Designer demonstrates how materials can set the tone for a captivating session of yoga and meditation.

Chinese Painting & The Four Gentlemen

Also known as the 'Four Noble Ones', within Chinese ink painting, the four gentlemen represent highly prized virtues in Chines culture.

The Benefits of Indoor-Outdoor Living

If you love nature, you will love this zen indoor-outdoor home concept. Worldwide, architects are creating innovative houses to escape into the natural world. Today we share with you one of the most striking houses for your inspiration, a special place where you come together with friends and family to celebrate life and get acquainted with nature.

The Art of Kaiseki

You may have heard the term kaiseki floating around the world of cuisine, or you’ve even had the chance to indulge in a fine kaiseki meal or three. But have you actually digested the environment which enriches the aesthetic of kaiseki cuisine at its core? Explore how the entire facade cultivates a prestigious dining experience.

Material Study: Paper An Icon of Chinese Culture

A brief history of paper and how it shaped Chinese culture. To this day it is the centre of many traditional celebrations.

The Princess of Polka Dots: Yayoi Kusama

Famed for her instagrammable artworks and almost instantly recognisable from her bright-red wig, we take a closer look at the captivating life and career of the astonishing Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

A Conversation with 8 Hour's Sherry Xu

Introducing 8 Hour's Sherry Xu, the latest artisan to join our collective of outstanding homeware artisans. She founded the 8 Hour design studio in 2015, embracing modern silhouettes in unexpected ways. Her designs don't take life too seriously but are also rooted in the nostalgia for her home city, Shanghai. To better understand her creative mindset, we sat with her to explore her views on life, family and frustrations.

The Subtleties Of Single Person's Cave-Inspired Space

This cave-inspired gallery embraces subtle design to be closer to nature.

The Chairs That Tell Tales

Chairs are a symbol of relaxation, but they are also the seats of authority, a space for gathering, and purposeful exchanges. With so many exceptional chairs, armchairs and stools in our collection, we asked our founders to share their favourite piece, and why it captivated them.

Design Trends That Will Stand The Test Of Time

The world of design can be transient and evolving, a revolving door of trends that coincide with culture, fashion and the landscape of living demands. But some designs are just evergreen. We spoke to the Co-founders of Living in Design to ask them what modern-day trends will stand the test of time.

Living Sustainably: The Loop Village

MAap Design aims to deliver a balance of green and a sustainable operation in The Loop Village, China.

Open Plan Living By PUJU Design

PUJU Design showcases its version of an artistic lifestyle with no gaps in between.

A Restaurant Designed For Social Distancing

The first covid-19 design response by Renesa Architecture Design Interiors Studio, showcasing their latest architectural design through this Wabi-Sabi style restaurant and bar situated in Asia.

How Virtual Reality Will Shape Interior Design

How virtual and augmented reality with change the landscape of interior design for the better. For both designers, stores and shoppers, this tool can resolve pain points in all stages of the furniture process, including designing and purchasing.

Porcelain: Home Decor Guide

Here we explore the history of Porcelain and its properties, and how it is infused into the modern-day application.

Chinoiserie In A Minimal Age

The enthusiastically decorative style of Chinoiserie is rich in history. The intricate and ornamental aspects had piqued the interest of many designers. Uncover how the oriental motifs and characteristics meet the modern-day home.

Japandi Home Office Checklist

With work from home and remote offices becoming more and more popular due to the pandemic, here’s everything to note about this rising design approach and what to consider when creating a workspace of your own.‍

Modern Christmas: A Festive Twist Combined with Asian Artistry

Discover new ways to approach the holiday spirit, deck the halls in Eastern elements, garnish your tableware in inky blues or keep to classic infused with cultured traditions.

A Guide To Illuminating Dark Spaces

A poorly lit space can leave you feeling gloomy and lethargic. Sink into the benefits of maximising lighting in your space and explore implementing colour tones that convey a variety of moods. Dive into our proposed designs and crafts which help reduce dark spaces.

5 Must-See Tales of Zen & Minimal Living

Our creative team has shared their favourite pieces works surrounding the world of minimalism and the art of zen.

How Covid-19 Will Reshape Interior Design

It’s safe to say that 2020 has been defined by the coronavirus. The pandemic has driven us indoors, and now more than ever, we find our homes to be the centre of daily life. Once a respite from the outside world, it has become our entirety.

How To Make Your Home More Japandi

A blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design philosophies. Japandi delivers the best of both worlds to create a visual narrative of humble items paired with impeccable craftsmanship.

Understanding Feng Shui in 4 Minutes

To this day, feng shui is used to orient buildings, homes, offices and other dwellings in an auspicious manner. To live in harmony requires us to understand the energy and environments that we reside in, which can manifest in both good and bad forms.

Founders’ Letter | The Voice of Asian Designer Furniture

Without these craftsmen, the world we are ‘living in’ would be just a bit more lacklustre. Words from the Living in Design Founders.

Ikebana: 5 Things To Know When Flower Arranging

Flower arranging has been around for many years. It symbolises a many great deals of things like love, a heartfelt thank you or deep condolences. There’s a truly global appreciation for the ability to arrange flowers just so. In recent years, Ikebana has gained more widespread popularity from the rise of Japandi style, the fusion between Japanese and Scandinavian design styles which are ideal for minimalist interiors.

The Fundamentals of Slow Living

We tend to be unconscious to how time dictates the pace of our lives. We have the solution through slow living which encapsulates a connected, balanced and mindful lifestyle approach. A sense of peace cultivated by simple pleasures, values and using resources judiciously.

Achieving Wellness: Feng Shui & Kanso Interiors

Feng shui is one of the most well-known formulas out there for a happy home built upon good energy. Look to Japan, and there is kanso, often dubbed the ‘Japanese feng shui’, which is rooted in simplicity and zen. When creating your ideal space, it’s essential to understand what you want from it and what both feng shui and kanso can provide.

Sustainability In The Home: Bamboo

Bamboo is inherently beautiful, versatile and robust. In various design sectors around the world, it is favoured for its natural applications and sustainability. A durable material, it also has a softer side and can be transformed into fabrics or textiles.