For a long time, Japan remained an unknown country for the entire civilized world. It was discovered by navigators 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 people of Japan. So, the word "wabi" means simplicity, and "sabi" - perfect tense. Japanese-style furniture is also in line with this trend. She is perfect and unpretentious.
Unity with nature
The main life credo of any Japanese is his desire for excellence. Nature plays a big role in this. That is why only natural materials are used in the interior of the people of this country. Almost all Japanese-style furniture is made of wood. Moreover, it is rarely dyed, trying to preserve and emphasize the natural texture of the material. Sometimes on furnitureJapanese style can notice knots and bumps. Their craftsmen leave them on purpose to give the products the most natural appearance.
Japanese-style furniture is often made of light wood. Chests, chests of drawers or cabinets are varnished, decorated with cords, silk and gilded fittings.
Japanese-style solid wood furniture is characterized by a lack of symmetry in the arrangement of drawers and shelves. However, even 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 the old days, the higher the position of the owner of the house, the more expensive and valuable was the type of wood used to make interior items.
Chests of drawers, wardrobes and travel chests could be made from inexpensive needles or from durable and strong teak. Expensive Japanese furniture was necessarily varnished and decorated with forged details. But at the same time, the furnishings had a simple form, and there was no artsy decor on them. All these principles have been adopted by modern Japanese-style furniture (see photo below). It is distinguished by naturalness, interesting shapes and squat design.
By the way, today it can be argued that the interior style that came to us from Japan is in fashion. After all, its creation in your home is one of the ways to harmony and perfection. Moreover, this task is quite feasible. It is enough to remove all old things from the room, paint the walls in pleasant natural colors and furnishroom with original and laconic wooden furniture.
It is interesting that at one time Japan had a direct impact on the development of the modern era. At the end of the 19th century, having emerged from isolation, she filled Europe with her wonderful little things, the forms of which had a direct influence on the development of many areas of art.
Japanese interior traditions
What are the main features of the dwelling of the people of the Land of the Rising Sun? The interior design, characteristic of Japan, is great for a person who sits, meditates, relaxes, philosophizes and is distracted from the turmoil of the outside world, contemplating his inner. That is why Japanese-style furniture in the interior (photos below) can be immediately recognized by its "earthiness".
It seems that ordinary pieces of furniture just cut off the legs and put them on the floor. At the same time, the interior is minimalist. The less pieces of furniture in it, the better. There is nothing superfluous in the Japanese-style room.
Traditionally in the houses of the Land of the Rising Sun there are:
- mats made of matting or straw;
- a low table for eating or drinking tea surrounded by small cushions for seating;
- a mattress or tatami lying directly on the floor, which replaces the traditional bed;
- cabinets with closed shelves in the kitchen, in which there are dishes;
- wash basins, usually in the form of a bowl, as well as a wooden bathtub ofuro.
Let's take a closer look at Japanese furniture.
Tables and chairs
Japanese furniture is very unusual for Europeans. This also 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 plenty of space underneath.
As for Japanese traditional tables, they are versatile, serving as decorative and dining tables at the same time. Some of them even provide a transformation mechanism. Such tables can be freely removed or laid out to the desired height for the owner. This feature 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 even an ordinary handkerchief can hardly be placed there.
And of course, it is most convenient to sit around them 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 distinguished not only by its aesthetics, but was also very practical. A vivid proof of this is the kotatsu table. What does he represent? This is a low table made of wood that has a removable top. In summer, this piece of furniture is used by the owners for its intended purpose. But with the onset of cold weather, the kotatsu turns into a kind of heating device.
The point is thatthe bulk of Japanese houses were built without serious thermal insulation. They do not have central heating. In this regard, the indoor air temperature is very dependent on natural conditions. On the territory of the northern prefectures, for example, in Aomori or Akita, in winter the temperature in the house 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? Such a procedure is quite simple. First of all, an electric carpet or a thin futon is spread on the floor. This allows you to heat the room from below. Next, a 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 frame of this piece of furniture. From above, the frame is covered with a warm thick futon. To give the necessary color scheme, such a structure can be completed with a thin coverlet. Next, the countertop returns to its place. It turns out such a kind of 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. During the long cold evenings, the kotatsu is the focal point in the Japanese home. The whole family gathers behind him, drinking tea, talking and watching TV.
In the old days, the heating element of the kotatsu was an open hearth. It was located in the floor of the room and was heated with coal. Somewhat later, the Japanese began to use gas and kerosene appliances. Kotatsu has now becomeelectric, which increased its safety and eliminated unpleasant odors.
Futon
Under this name is hidden bedding, characteristic of the Land of the Rising Sun. It is a cotton mattress stuffed with wool and cotton. Initially, this item served in Japan as the main sleeping place. It allowed to save space. The mattress was laid out on the floor at night, putting it in the closet in the morning. The futon was very comfortable and allowed to save usable living space.
Today, few people use such mattresses to sleep on the floor. Most often they are placed on a sofa or on a cot, which increases comfort and makes the rest more complete.
However, in the West, futons today are called folding sofas, which are equipped with a mattress. At the same time, the frames of such pieces of furniture can be of three types:
- double, fold in half and look like a couch;
- triple, consisting of three parts and having a large length;
- a double sofa in which the frame is divided into an ottoman and a couch.
Tansu
This is the name of the 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 lockers with drawers. In tansu, Japanese families kept their valuables. During a fire, people picked up 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 in it.keep. For example, tansu is a piece of Japanese-style kitchen furniture in the form of cabinets and sideboards. You can meet such chests in the most unexpected places. For example, they are often bathroom cabinets.
Japanese style corridor
Often, the interiors of modern apartments tend to be concise and strict. This allows you to achieve the Japanese style. When decorating the hallway 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. In this case, it is necessary to use natural materials.
Hallway colors
As already mentioned, the main philosophy of Japanese style lies in a person's knowledge of himself in the process of contemplating nature and uniting with it. This dictates the need to use natural shades of light brown, yellow, grass green, pearl white, creamy 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 noble wood. Most often, a tree such as a chestnut-colored walnut is used for it. The Japanese style is also characterized by standard contrasts of black with white or red. They can be found in furniture or decoration. However, it should be borne in mind that such a solution will only be effective for large hallways. Standard rooms are recommended to be decorated using brown and green shades, to which a few bright accents are added. An interesting option would be a black wardrobe,which is complemented by a traditional Japanese pattern.
Entrance hall furniture
The most popular solution indicating the presence of a Japanese-style corridor is the installation of a variety of modular structures. They allow you to divide the hallway into certain zones or increase free space.
When decorating an interior in the Japanese style, it is necessary to arrange functional and concise furniture with clear forms. However, it should not be very high. Preference should be given to low cabinets and stools, tables, cabinets and poufs. A sliding wardrobe built into the wall will fit very harmoniously into the interior, made in the Japanese style. Its front side should be smooth, without carving or decoration. Instead of a closet, a specialized chest or a non-standard chest of drawers with wheels can be chosen. The main decoration of such a hallway can be an original bench made of bamboo.
Japanese style bedroom
The main principle of the design of such a room is the absence of unnecessary items. All Japanese-style bedroom furniture (see photo below) should be essential to life. None of the objects standing in such a room should stand out for their bulkiness and large size. This, according to the Japanese, allows you not to delay positive energy.
Besides this, Japanese-style bedroom furniture should be functional. This is directly related to its need. Each ofobjects must carry a semantic load and be necessary. For example, a nightstand, chest of drawers, wardrobe and other similar Japanese-style bedroom furniture are placed indoors only for storage. At the same time, all interior items must be environmentally friendly. This will enable the unity of man with nature.
Characteristics of bedroom furniture
The furnishings in the recreation area, as, indeed, in other rooms, should be geometrically clear, simple and concise. For a bedroom that is created in the Japanese style, you need 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 bed. But you can put a low bed. If you need to use bedside tables, they should also be low.
A real Japanese bedroom does not have wardrobes, or they are as invisible as possible 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. A low table at which tea ceremonies are held will also be appropriate in the bedroom.
Kitchen furniture
It is unlikely that any of our compatriots would like to dine at home at a low table, sitting on pillows spread out on the floor. But if there is a desire to create a Japanese-style kitchen, then this option can be a worthy replacement. The basic principle in this case lies in the compactness of furniture placement and its unobtrusiveness. All kitchen furnishings must belight. Massive furniture visually clutters up the space, taking up a lot of free space.
Japanese-style kitchen furniture in the photo below involves 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.
