Japanese-style kitchen design - original ideas for the interior. Japanese-style kitchen: design features and design examples Japanese-style kitchen furniture

Japanese-style cuisine has become very popular today, since it is easily arranged in small rooms, which are common in Russian cities. The fact is that traditionally kitchens in Japan are relatively small in size, and over the centuries the Japanese have learned to design them in such a way that even a very small room visually becomes much larger due to the correct placement of various elements of furnishings and decor in it.

The Japanese-style kitchen has become very popular today, since it is easily arranged in small rooms, which are common in Russian cities.

At the same time, kitchens made in the Japanese style of interior design must meet certain requirements, otherwise they cannot be called Japanese. The basic rules are as follows:

  1. A high degree of rationality. The fact is that the described style of interior design recognizes the use of only natural materials in the design of a room in the absence of pretentious details and the presence of natural light. At the same time, household appliances and various kitchen utensils are always visible in the kitchen. This approach to its placement is dictated by the convenience of working in the kitchen while cooking, so here you will not see closed cabinets or shelves with knives or pots.
  2. Lots of natural light. In Japanese cuisine, special attention is paid to lighting, the light should be diffused and soft. For each functional area, the light is adjusted separately, while the window in the kitchen should be large so that the lighting is as natural as possible. In the case when there is not enough natural light, additional lamps are installed in the room. The Japanese-style kitchen uses lighting fixtures fitted with mirrors to distribute the light evenly throughout the room.
  3. The use of natural finishing materials. The premises are decorated mainly with natural finishing materials. Among them are jute, clay, wood and bamboo, rice, silk paper and flax. Furniture is installed such that it is made entirely of natural material, while the furniture should be compact, neat and multifunctional.

At the same time, kitchens made in the Japanese style of interior design must meet certain requirements, otherwise they cannot be called Japanese.

In any case, simplicity is the main feature of the Japanese style of interior design, so if you want to emphasize your financial condition or social status, the Japanese style will not suit you. When ergonomics and functionality are of paramount importance to you, this style of interior design will be the best choice for your kitchen design.

The Japanese-style kitchen in the photo looks strict and thoughtful. Moreover, its appearance should correspond to Japanese traditions. For this style, the use of wood of exceptionally light colors is characteristic in the design of the interiors of kitchens; in addition, frosted glass is widely used here, which acts as an alternative to rice paper. Rice paper in Japan is used to tighten windows and other openings.

The Japanese-style kitchen in the photo looks strict and thoughtful. At the same time, its appearance should correspond to Japanese traditions.

It is imperative that a kitchen decorated in a Japanese style of interior design must have a mini-garden. It is usually arranged in a small box installed on a windowsill. It can consist of only one or two plants, while if there is not enough space in the kitchen, such a garden can be replaced with paintings or photographs with flowering trees.

Japanese designs are monochrome, so only two colors are allowed. The best option is when the kitchen is decorated with one color. In this case, there should be a minimum of details. For example, it is worth giving up decorating walls or ceilings, making them plain and in a strict style.

If your kitchen is large enough, it makes sense to divide it into work areas with light wooden partitions with windows covered with rice paper. They must be movable or removable. As a result, it will be possible to separate the cooking area from the eating area.

If your kitchen is large enough, it makes sense to divide it into work areas with light wooden partitions with windows covered with rice paper.

There should always be a lot of light in the kitchen, so the windows are not hung or the curtains are chosen light, transparent. You can make curtains from rice paper or install lightweight bamboo blinds.

Attention! Curtains, like other decorative elements used in the design of the space of the room, must be functional and easy to use.

The requirement for functionality also applies to the kitchen equipment used. It should not be in the kitchen for no reason, but must be used to perform certain operations. Such equipment should not be hidden, but should be kept close at hand. Various niches hidden by light partitions and Japanese-style furniture are perfect for this.

The requirement for functionality applies to the kitchen equipment used.

Japanese-style kitchen interior

Japanese-style kitchens in the photo usually look compact and modest. It is this effect that will need to be achieved in the process of decorating a kitchen room in a given design style or during a renovation. By the way, a Japanese-style kitchen with your own hands is made out quite easily, in the photos posted on the Internet, this can be seen with the naked eye. In this case, it will be necessary to observe some rules for the interior of the room to become completely Japanese.

A Japanese-style kitchen with your own hands is made out quite easily, in the photos posted on the Internet, this can be seen with the naked eye

For example, in Japan, rough stone and natural wood are usually used for flooring and walls. It is possible to decorate a wall or floor with the help of such materials either pointwise or zonal, highlighting the finishing of the functional area of ​​the room space. At the same time, you can make a mosaic from a stone or assemble it on site from a ready-made set.

It is possible to decorate a wall or floor with the help of such materials either pointwise or zonal, highlighting the finishing of the functional area of ​​the room space

The walls are usually finished with wood, but ceramic tiles are also quite suitable for the Japanese style of interior design. If it is necessary to emphasize the national flavor of the kitchen, then it makes sense to decorate the walls with bamboo wallpaper, namely from the upper part of the trunk of this plant.

Advice! The simplest option is to paint the walls with waterproof paint, while on the wall it is quite permissible to make small murals on a Japanese theme.

The simplest option is to paint the walls with waterproof paint.

As for the kitchen apron, it is usually laid out with ceramic tiles, repeating one of the functional zones in style or copying the general color scheme of the walls; if necessary, you can use skinals or glass panels. Japanese curtains will look appropriate (you can see this in the photo) in the interior of the kitchen, you can hang traditional art objects or their high-quality imitation on the wall.

As for the kitchen apron, it is usually laid out with ceramic tiles, repeating one of the functional zones in style or copying the general color scheme of the walls

The kitchen ceiling is best finished with ceiling panels or stretch ceilings. In this case, the ceiling should have the same color as the walls. Ceiling lamps here will need to be installed in the form of frames made of wood and glass. This is required in order for the room to acquire a characteristic Japanese look. In addition, the ceiling in the process of decorating the room can be painted in a color that matches the style requirements.

Ceiling lamps here will need to be installed in the form of frames made of wood and glass.

In any case, it will be necessary to avoid pomp and pretentiousness, since austerity and minimalism are characteristic of Japan. Due to this circumstance, gilding, silver and bronze have no place in Japanese cuisine. This should always be remembered when designing this room in the described style.

Japanese-style kitchen color scheme

The color scheme of the kitchen space should be given special attention. The fact is that the Japanese always strive to live in harmony with nature, therefore, in the design of their kitchens, light shades of wood prevail, similar to such types of wood as pine, linden, ash. At the same time, the Japanese have a great regard for pine, and therefore it should be most often used in the design of kitchen interiors.

The Japanese strive to always live in harmony with nature, therefore, light shades of wood prevail in the design of their kitchens.

If we talk about other shades, then other natural tones, namely stone, moss and honey, will be in demand in the Japanese style. In this case, plum, pink, cherry and brown tones can become a bright accent. At the same time, it is imperative to avoid white, which in Japan is considered the color of mourning. In the event that it is not possible to replace it, it is best to use linen, beige and ivory shades.

It should be noted that the Japanese style of interior design does not accept the presence of bright spots and zones, so it is worth decorating the room in the same key. In Japanese culture, different colors symbolize different natural elements, this should also be taken into account in the design of the kitchen interior. The fact is that if the prevailing zone in the kitchen is "earthy", then it should be decorated in an "earthy" style.

It is worth noting that the Japanese style of interior design does not accept the presence of bright spots and zones, so it is worth decorating the room in the same key.

To do this, it is worth remembering that blue and blue colors symbolize sky and water, sand and gray tones - earth, and terracotta and red - fire. It is for them that it is necessary to "adjust" the color of furniture, floor and curtains. If you do not follow such canons, then the interior of Japanese cuisine will not be complete, and only stylization for it will come out.

It is worth remembering that blue and blue symbolize sky and water, sand and gray tones - earth, and terracotta and red - fire.

If you choose wallpaper as an option for wall decoration, then they can be monochromatic or made with a stylized ornament. At the same time, experienced designers advise taking bamboo coverings, but they are much more expensive than conventional paper ones. It is worth looking in hardware stores for wallpaper with a wood-like texture, as it is it that is most often used in the decoration of Japanese kitchens.

In some cases, you can deviate from the canons and add a touch of “Europeanness” to the Japanese interior.

In some cases, you can deviate from the canons and add a touch of "European" to the Japanese interior. To do this, you can place miniatures or photo prints of miniatures of Japanese and European artists about Japan on the walls.

Idea! It is worth using such a technique as placing photographs on the walls, preferably in black and white. They will perfectly fit into the interior of the room without violating its oriental style.

Selection of furniture and decor elements

Japanese-style kitchen furniture is chosen as simple as other interior design elements. In this case, the working corner must be fully functional and used only for its intended purpose. Otherwise, it is worth getting rid of non-functional furniture elements.

Japanese-style kitchen furniture is chosen as simple as other interior design elements.

If we name the basic principles of the selection of furniture sets, then it should be emphasized that Japanese furniture usually has sliding facades. This solution is non-standard, but it makes it very convenient to place kitchen utensils and dishes inside cabinets. Household appliances are also placed there.

In the event that there is no room for kitchen utensils or dishes, you need to think about whether you really need additional drawers. Do not clutter the kitchen space with them. You can also get rid of the kitchen table by replacing it with a folding bar counter.

It is quite possible to decorate the facade of a furniture set with a typical Japanese painting - hieroglyphs or a sakura branch

It is quite possible to decorate the facade of a furniture set with a typical Japanese painting - hieroglyphs or a sakura branch. It's great if such a pattern is repeated on the wallpaper, you can reflect these motives in the design of the ceiling and floor.

Curtains should also become a full-fledged detail of the Japanese-style kitchen interior. It should be noted that Japanese curtains are a separate category of curtains. They are made in the form of a screen, but for the kitchen it is best to choose the most functional models in the form of rolls or blinds.

Curtains should also become a full-fledged detail of the Japanese-style kitchen interior.

In the event that curtains in the form of blinds are chosen, it is important to consider that they should be made of bamboo, as the most traditional material for Japan. At the same time, both blinds and curtains should be placed on the window in such a way that they do not interfere with indoor plants. They must be presented in a Japanese-style interior design kitchen, at least in the form of bonsai.

As for decor items, it is better not to place a large number of them in a kitchen decorated in this style.

As for decor items, it is better not to place a large number of them in a kitchen decorated in this style. So, for example, a small handicraft metal boiler, a set of Japanese dishes, Japanese knives or a set of chopsticks would be quite appropriate here, you can hang paper lanterns or put netsuke. In any case, it is desirable that each element of the decor works - the knives should cut, and the kitchen utensils should be used for their intended purpose.

The Japanese style has become widespread, since the style and lifestyle of the Japanese have also become fashionable - we eat sushi and rolls in restaurants, try to buy a Japanese car, use Japanese technology, and the kitchen and living room of many families are decorated in Japanese style. Unless we wear traditional clothes on the streets.

Perhaps the design of the kitchen in the Japanese style is justified. In this eastern country, like ours, there are small dwellings, and besides, there are regular earthquakes. Therefore, among its inhabitants, the traditional design of interiors, including kitchens, is widespread. Remarkably, for the same reasons, the Japanese know the secrets of the visual expansion of the room.

Buying Japanese curtains for the kitchen, a lamp with hieroglyphs, wallpaper with sakura twigs, hanging a photo with girls in kimono does not mean fully decorating a kitchen in Japanese style. To make your room look truly Japanese, remember:


Small but important detail

The rice paper zoning screen is an ingenious invention for separating one place from another. For example, it separates the living room from the kitchen. The screen allows:

  • make the most of a small space;
  • change the interior design, refresh it by rearranging the screen;
  • get rid of unnecessary costs for the construction of walls and partitions if you want the living room to be separated from the kitchen;
  • lighten the space;
  • By turning on the lights in the kitchen, the living room will be soaked in a gentle glow through the rice paper, resulting in a soft relaxing partial shade.

If the area of ​​the apartment allows, be sure to use this element of traditional Japanese-style cuisine. Look at the photo of how the people of Japan use the screen.


The screen looks natural and harmonious

Japanese style furniture

Of course, it is unusual for Russian families to buy a low table and dine sitting on the floor - their backs and legs will get tired, their necks will go numb. And there is no need for this.

To make your furniture match the Japanese style, when choosing a headset in a store or from a photo in catalogs, follow the following rules:

  1. It is better to use unpainted wood as a material, better than light shades.
  2. The countertop should contrast with the fronts.
  3. Choose thin, lightweight, non-massive lockers, without monograms and threads. The handles should also be neat and small. It is desirable, of course, that there are no handles, and instead of them there are simple notches along the edges.
  4. Try to choose flat backs (without sacrificing comfort), square seats, rectangular tables.
  5. At the ordering stage, think about which household appliances to choose and where to hide them. Will pull-out shelves be convenient for you (for example, for a steamer or airfryer so that the steam can escape freely) that open upward (for a microwave oven, dishwasher, electric oven) or to the side (refrigerator).
  6. Provide a spacious work area that is not cluttered with cutting boards, knives in a rack, or a dish drainer.

Colors of your kitchen

Japanese-style cuisine involves the use of natural, close to natural, colors. Look at the photos of oriental dwellings: for many Japanese, a living room combined with a kitchen is not only a workplace, but also a recreation area. The gaze should not stumble over contrasting and too bright ones.

  • Black color- special, it must be included in the design in the style of Japanese cuisine. It is used to apply drawings, hieroglyphs to fabric, paper or wood. It can be on a screen, kitchen set, lamps, pillows.
  • Fits good beige and brown palette because it resembles woody shades. Do not overdo it with the bright colors of this range - yellow and orange. They are allowed, but in limited quantities and diluted with calmer companion flowers.
  • Red- the second color of the Japanese flag, the color of the sun. Pick up a few accessories with splashes (only splashes!) Of red, for example, straw napkins for cutlery, lamps.
  • Green. A more natural color is difficult to imagine. Use muted shades of green - olive, pine, green tea, pale lime. Combine with brown, black.
  • Pink and lilac range. Sakura is the main Japanese tree, beloved by the inhabitants of this eastern country and sung in many works. Therefore, delicate shades of pink combined with black are an excellent choice for a Japanese-style kitchen.

Accessories are still allowed.

The Japanese-style kitchen (when looking at a selection of photos of traditional interiors, this will not escape your eyes) basically embodies minimalism. But not asceticism, so the design presupposes the presence of lovely trinkets that make the kitchen alive - figurines, vases, paintings, flowers.

Flowers are quite consistent with the Japanese idea of ​​naturalness, so do not rush to look for your geranium or ficus in a new place. They will sit quite harmoniously on the windowsill, and if you want to adhere to the Japanese style in everything, then buy a bonsai tree.

For a long, slim figurine or delicate Japanese-style vase in your kitchen, try organizing a niche. It is not necessary to hammer the wall for this, you can simply leave one small cabinet without a door or close it with glass.

Mirrors visually expand the space; this is one of the secrets of the Japanese kitchen style. But do not overdo it - it is still not a living room or a bedroom that is being drawn up. The mirror should not be in the working area, as you will either get tired of washing, or accidentally break it.

Elements with water. The water is sacred, its calm murmur soothes the nerves and nourishes the body with energy. For an aquarium with fish, a living room or a children's room is more suitable, but for a kitchen a small sculpture with water, a painting with a seascape or a wavy pattern on Japanese curtains in the kitchen will look more appropriate.

Despite the fact that Japan is a country with a strikingly different mentality, we can easily apply Japanese interior design rules in our kitchen: free space, a minimum of details, zoning, naturalness. This will be beneficial, so feel free to choose Japanese in your kitchen.

The modern Japanese-style kitchen has a minimalist design. At the same time, pronounced ethno-accents are immediately evident in its design. The Internet magazine "Design of the House" tells about what the design of a Japanese-style kitchen should be.

Japanese Style Kitchen Features

Let's make a reservation right away that it was not customary to allocate a special room for the kitchen inside a Japanese house. Usually it was equipped outside the home, as in this way it was possible to reduce the risk of fires.

And today, many Japanese prefer to take out the kitchen to the glazed terrace. However, in this article, we are not interested in traditional, but in a Japanese-style kitchen located in an apartment or in a private house.

Its features are:

  • the use of natural materials in the decoration of the premises;
  • the use of natural colors (colors of bamboo, earth, grass, etc.), as well as red and black;
  • compliance with strict symmetry;
  • the use of clear lines and strict geometric shapes;
  • etc.

Japanese Style Kitchen: Layout

One of the secrets to the popularity of Japanese interior design is open spaces. This feature is absolutely in tune with modern trends in the field of design.

In the Land of the Rising Sun, partitions of various types are actively used for zoning rooms. If your goal is to equip a kitchen in a studio apartment or create a kitchen-living room, then mobile baby screens or partitions made of washi paper and shoji wood are perfect.

They are decorated with ink painting or hieroglyphs, denoting the wishes of health, prosperity, harmony and longevity. They will give a modern apartment the necessary oriental flavor.

In addition, sliding doors should be used to furnish the kitchen. In the modern version, wooden doors with frosted white glass glazing are suitable.

Finishing

A Japanese-style kitchen should be as simple as possible. For this purpose, you can apply:

  • decorative plaster;
  • painting in a neutral color, for example, white, beige, bamboo, etc.;
  • wood or bamboo panels;
  • bamboo or themed wallpaper;
  • glass and wood planks to make the walls look like shoji.

For the kitchen floor, a light wood board is an ideal choice. As a last resort, a laminate of a suitable shade can be used instead.

For finishing the ceiling, you can choose both ordinary plastering and decorative wooden beams, from which traditional lamps are suspended. They can also be replaced with plasterboard imitations.

Furniture

A Japanese-style kitchen cannot do without modern storage systems and built-in household appliances.

They must be made of natural wood. Recently, there are also options with facades made of red or orange plastic or impact-resistant glass.

Typically, Japanese-style kitchens are furnished with sliding doors. If there is no decor on the facades of the kitchen set, then an apron made of ceramic tiles or glass with photo printing will be a good addition to it.

If the Japanese-style kitchen is spacious, then it is worth placing a dining group there.

Japanese style kitchen: decor

A Japanese-style kitchen can be styled with a modern, minimalist design, adding authentic Japanese décor.

For example, you can hang panels with recognizable plots on the walls. These can be various landscapes, images of temples, cherry blossom branches, cranes, etc. You can replace the panels with pieces of silk with calligraphic hieroglyphs applied to them.

Painted large fans are also suitable.

To create a Japanese atmosphere, you can install a bonsai tree in the kitchen. It can be installed on a wide window sill or on a separate low table.

Lighting fixtures are also part of the decor that will make your Japanese-style kitchen even more stylish. They are made of metal and white glass.

As for window decoration, they are the ideal choice. They represent owl vertical blinds with very wide slats that can be moved / extended, but not rotated. The lamellas can be of the same or different colors. The most commonly chosen options are pale brown and beige.

The Japanese style is reminiscent of minimalism in many ways. Everything is thought out in it to the smallest detail, there is a limited number of interior items and kitchen utensils on display, maximum functionality of equipment and furniture. This setting is suitable for owners who like simple solutions, natural colors in the decoration, free space and exquisite Japanese flavor. The nice difference in the design is that it is suitable for rooms of different sizes, from small rooms to spacious studios.

This direction has something in common with minimalism and hi-tech, but it is impossible to confuse them. Entering a room decorated in Japanese style, you immediately see its features:

  • natural motives in decoration, decor with the image of bamboo stems, cherry blossoms, birds;
  • natural materials are the hallmark of the classic Japanese style. It is also dominated by natural, light colors: beige, white, cream, pink;
  • bright and dark colors that are often present in modern interiors: red, brown, green, black;
  • in the original village dwelling of the Japanese, the surfaces are matte, in the industrial, youth styles - glossy;
  • multifunctional furniture and appliances - an integral part of the kitchen;
  • low tables and chairs;
  • minimum of textiles;
  • simplicity and sophistication of the environment.

The design combines the latest technology and people's desire for nature. No room is complete without wooden furniture, natural colors and motives. Bamboo stems are not only depicted in paintings, rugs, screens, wall decoration details are made of them.

Color palette

In the Japanese style, a variety of shades and combinations can be used. The interior is most often dominated by light colors, no more than 2-3 colors are used. The main combinations that can be found:

  • beige, red, black;
  • cream, brown, pink;
  • the color of wood and bamboo combined with pearl;
  • white, gray, red.

Often, shades of green are used in the interior of the kitchen: from natural - in a classic design to a bright catchy - in a modern one. Also, the room may contain natural greenery in the form of 1-2 indoor plants.

Japanese-style kitchen decoration

Natural materials were used in traditional Japanese dwelling, bamboo was especially important. It was used to make flooring, walls and partitions. Various types of wood are also popular materials. In modern kitchen, only some features of Japanese culture remain, this is already a stylized space, and therefore artificial surfaces can also be used.

Floor

Ideal for a Japanese-style kitchen - floorboards or parquet flooring in natural wood color with a glossy finish. Dark shades are often used, which are repeated in the furnishings of the room.

If the budget does not allow the use of wood, then the second most popular material that matches the style is floor tiles. Suitable colors: beige, light green, brown. Such floors are environmentally friendly, have high fire safety, are easy to clean, and serve for a long time. However, if heavy objects are dropped, the tiles may be damaged. Another disadvantage is the cold surface. If this really becomes a problem, the floors should be insulated, and the material should be bought with a margin in case you have to replace 1-2 damaged slabs. This is generally the golden rule when working with ceramics - to have a stock. It happens that during the repair itself, the material beats and breaks, and tiles from another batch may differ in color, so it is better to take more immediately.

Bamboo mats can be placed on the floors if this resonates with the wall decor or furniture facades. It is pleasant to walk on them, they add a feeling of comfort and warmth. In the traditional dwellings of the Japanese, mats were used for sitting during meals and the tea ceremony, and they also slept on them.

Walls

Various materials and finishing methods can be used to decorate the space of a room. Most Popular:

  • painting with waterproof paint;
  • decorative plaster coating;
  • decoration with wood panels;
  • pasting with cleanable and washable wallpaper.

The easiest option is painting. It is economical, convenient and durable. Perfect for the laconic design of a small kitchen. Wooden panels look harmoniously with the interior, decorated in classic colors and traditions, where it is important that all materials are natural. They wash well, and a special protective layer protects the finish from absorbing odors and moisture.

Wallpapering is a more economical approach, but also less environmentally friendly. Regular vinyl flooring is poorly breathable, and fungus deposits can form underneath in the kitchen. Higher quality materials cost more.

The apron area deserves special attention. It is decorated with small or large ceramic tiles, stone and mosaics made from it. There may be bright combinations, pictures of hieroglyphs.

If the kitchen opens into the hallway or living room and the opening can be enlarged, then the usual doors are replaced by sliding wooden shoji. This emphasizes the overall style of the room.

Ceiling

A popular design option for the upper part of the kitchen is multi-level structures. If the area and height of the room allows, then drywall and wooden beams can be used. For more cramped conditions, false ceilings are suitable, they will take only 5-10 cm.

Soffits are built into the covering. In a multi-tiered structure, you can place lamps that create a special illumination on several levels. Themed drawings and photographs are often applied to suspended ceilings.

Textile

The most suitable option for curtains is bamboo roller curtains. There may also be light translucent curtains on the windows. Blinds and roman shades are good for a modern kitchen. Textile color - from white to light brown. The material can be plain or with a thematic pattern that matches the style of the entire interior.

Towels and napkins - plain, plain or discreetly patterned. The design does not provide for other textiles. The dining table is most often covered with bamboo rugs or left as it is, without additional decoration.

Furniture and lighting

Interior items should be combined with the general style of the room. If the design is closer to traditional Japanese culture, then wood predominates in the furnishings. A low table is made of this material, most often square or rectangular. Small chairs are matched to him. Sitting according to Japanese customs is also possible on the floor with a bamboo mat.

Furniture in the kitchen should be unpretentious in appearance, but very thoughtful, roomy and functional. All utensils must be carefully placed on the shelves. A minimum of objects remains in sight.

In modern Japanese style, furniture fronts are covered with glossy film or paint. They can be of bright colors: red, green, yellow. Black tone and dark brown palette are also applied moderately. Apartments and houses of urban residents of Japan are filled with all kinds of technology. The kitchen is no exception. Must be present here:

  • oven;
  • a refrigerator that can be styled as a built-in wardrobe;
  • microwave;
  • powerful hood.

Also, a mixer, a blender, a juicer, an electric meat grinder, and a multi-kitchen can be located in plain sight in the working area.

A tiered ceiling allows for interesting lighting. By adjusting it, you can create an environment from a work environment for cooking to a romantic and mysterious one for dinner. There should be as much natural light as possible. For lighting in the evening, modest diode lamps or strips are inserted into the suspended ceiling. One or more lamps descend above the table to match the entire decor of the room. Additional diode strips and lamps may be present in the work area and furniture.

In general, the lighting in the kitchen should be soft, slightly diffused, but so that the eyes are not strained.

Decor

If one wall of the room is decorated with paintings or photo wallpaper, then all the rest are made monochromatic. The interior should be discreet, laconic and as functional as possible. Small and discreet decorative elements only emphasize this. Kitchen design can be freshened up:

  • watercolor painting in a simple wooden frame;
  • ikebana, which the Japanese regard as art;
  • interesting, but not pretentious lamps made of natural materials or frosted glass;
  • 1-2 green plants in pots;
  • gadgets and small electrical appliances;
  • vases;
  • clay sets for the tea ceremony.

It is advisable to choose Japanese-style dishes and kitchen utensils. Now it is quite simple to do this, since Japanese cuisine does not lose popularity and more and more people cook and eat traditional dishes of this country at home: sushi, sashimi, rolls.

Photos of Japanese-style kitchens in the interior

Conclusion

The main features of a Japanese-style kitchen are minimalism combined with a few but elegant decor, functionality and practicality, and the absence of unnecessary trifles. Everything in the design of the room should be harmonious and thought out. Natural materials are used for decoration and furnishings, mainly wood. Floral motifs prevail in the drawings and decor: bamboo branches, sakura blossoms, orchids.

Japan is a country of traditions. Some of them have not changed for hundreds of years. Japanese interiors are one of such "eternal" traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. Initially dictated by the small size of Japanese houses, the need to save space as much as possible, combined with the Japanese desire for perfection, made it possible to create a unique style of dwelling decoration, which has not lost its relevance to this day. But if in Western countries the decoration of houses in the Japanese style is mostly dictated by fashion or the desire to achieve harmony, then in our small-sized apartments “Japanese simplicity” has a clear practical purpose. What is the smallest room in our apartments? The kitchen, of course! Therefore, it is here that the Japanese style of interior decoration will be most appropriate. And not only because of the small size of our kitchens, but also because the Japanese approach to design allows us to transform the kitchen from a trivial cooking place into a zone of relaxation and harmony. So, we decorate the kitchen in Japanese style.

Style concept

Almost the entire way of life of the Japanese (and the interior in this case is no exception) is built on the basis of two concepts - Wabi and Sabi. Wabi implies wise restraint, simplicity and the absence of unnecessary things, and Sabi commands to be modest, humble and submissive. Thus, the interior in the Japanese style should be as simple, modest and devoid of any pretentiousness.

Simplicity and functionality are the basic principles of Japanese-style interior decoration

In practice, this is achieved through the use of the principle of minimalism, monochrome colors, the use of natural materials and natural lighting. In the Japanese interior, there are extremely necessary things, and most of them are not in plain sight, but are hidden behind opaque cabinet doors or shelves.

The Japanese believe that every thing should have its place, and if there is none, then, consequently, the thing is not particularly needed.

Color spectrum


Japanese cuisine uses only soft natural colors and shades.

As already mentioned, the Japanese style involves the use of monochrome colors. So you can forget about floral wallpaper or ceramic tiles with teapots and plates. The very same color scale is represented by exceptionally soft natural shades, which are given by the picturesque Japanese nature. The white color of Fujiyama snows and cherry blossoms, the blue and green azure of the sea wave, the beige color of the coastal sand and the dark brown shade of sakura trunks are the main colors of the interior in the Japanese style. The use of bright "acid" colors in Japanese interiors is considered unacceptable.

Wall decoration

Walls in Japanese cuisine should be flat, light and solid. Painted drywall or paintable wallpaper is perfect as a finishing material. It will also be appropriate to decorate the walls with natural materials such as bamboo, straw, natural cork.

As a "budget" option, you can propose the use of wallpaper with a pattern that imitates one of these materials.

Speaking of walls in Japanese interiors, it is impossible not to mention light rice paper screens, which in many Japanese dwellings replace one or even several walls. If space permits, then the work area can be separated from the dining area, for example, with a screen.


Smooth light walls, a work apron made of tiles with "Japanese motives" and an imitation of a screen made of rice paper

In extreme cases, one of the walls can be pasted over with white wallpaper with a Japanese pattern, and for a greater resemblance to a real screen, a false frame made of wooden slats or bamboo poles can be fixed on top of them.

One of the best options for decorating walls in Japanese interiors is decorating them with bamboo. Today this task has been greatly simplified with the advent of "bamboo" wallpaper.

Floor finishing

The best materials for flooring in Japanese cuisine are natural wood or stone. If they are absent, you can cover the floor with laminate or porcelain stoneware tiles. Moreover, the laminate should look like a "rough" floorboard, and the tiles should not have patterns or ornaments.


Natural wood or laminate is a great flooring option for Japanese kitchens

When using linoleum, it is advisable to choose a material with a pattern in the form of a parquet board (preferably a little textured) or reed mats.

Carpets and rugs in Japanese cuisine will look out of place. Instead, it is better to use lightweight mats made from natural materials or their imitation.

Ceiling decoration

The principle of maximum simplicity also applies to the decoration of the ceiling. It should be smooth and white. An excellent solution would be a ceiling with a "classic" lime whitewash (the surface of the ceiling will need to be carefully leveled). Plasterboard single-level structures or stretch ceilings are also quite possible for Japanese-style use.

If we talk about stretch ceilings, then their glossy mirror surface will also visually expand the space, and this is one of the key principles of the Japanese-style interior


Dark wood perpendicular beams are another characteristic Japanese-style ceiling design.

Windows and doors

Windows in Japanese cuisine should be as large and open as possible. If there is no opportunity to expand the window, then at least you should not "overload" it with various draperies. The maximum that the Japanese style allows in this regard is light bamboo or fabric blinds or roller shutters made of rice paper.


Rice paper sliding screen door

For additional space savings, it is advisable to make the doors sliding, and to visually increase it - translucent.

Lighting

The main rule of Japanese interior lighting is the maximum natural light. If we talk about domestic kitchens, in which, as a rule, there is only one small window, then natural light should be replaced with soft diffused light.

Ceiling and wall lamps with rice paper shades or hidden fluorescent lighting hidden behind plasterboard structures are perfect for this purpose.


"Classic" Japanese lamp with rice paper lampshade

Appliances

Not just a large, but a huge amount of various household appliances is a feature of every Japanese cuisine. All kinds of devices and robots are used not only for cooking and washing dishes, but also for controlling the indoor climate, the shelf life of food and even the calorie content of food.


The principle of space saving implies the use of built-in household appliances

When choosing home appliances, it is advisable to give preference to products from Japanese manufacturers. Although in truth, even the Japanese themselves gradually allow "enemy" equipment into the kitchens, so if you buy a German hob or an Italian dishwasher, nothing "terrible" will happen.

Furniture

The basic rule of choice is as simple and functional as possible... Unpainted wood is considered a traditional material for making furniture, but today the "taboo" on the use of unnatural materials may not be strictly observed. The main thing is that the materials are harmless and environmentally friendly.

Visitors to Japanese restaurants probably know that quite often the usual tables and chairs are replaced there by low platforms with mats and pillows laid out around them. This is a Japanese classic designed to save space as much as possible. But if you are not ready to eat on the floor, this rule can be disregarded by placing a traditional table and chairs in Japanese cuisine. The only condition is that they should be simple, lightweight and devoid of any kind of carving or ornaments.


Furniture in Japanese cuisine is as simple and functional as possible

Wall cabinets and cabinets should have smooth and always opaque facades. The Japanese style of interior design implies that as many things as possible should be hidden. So those who like to show off their favorite tea set or a set of pots will be disappointed - they won't be able to do this in Japanese cuisine.

Decor and accessories

Since the basic principle of the Japanese interior is the principle of minimalism, there should be few accessories in the Japanese kitchen. Japanese-style wall prints, simple earthenware or ceramic dishes, or Japanese plants in the same clay pots are suitable for decorating the interior.

A miniature Bonsai tree will help create the most Japanese atmosphere in your kitchen.


Bonsai tree is the best decoration of the Japanese interior

Considering that the Japanese style implies the maximum visual expansion of space, mirrors are a must-have accessory in the kitchen, and in any other room. They should be large, with simple rectangular frames or no frames at all.

Decorating a Japanese-style kitchen is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. True, this business cannot be called quite simple either. Certain costs will be required for equipment and natural materials, and all finishing work must be performed at the highest level, with Japanese thoroughness and scrupulousness. But on the other hand, if you master this task, your kitchen will become not just a place for preparing and eating food, but a real “temple” of tranquility and harmony in which you can nourish not only your body, but also your soul. Successful renovation!