Japandi vase: how to choose and style one

A Japandi vase is simple in form and matte, in a colour taken from nature. Around it, on the sideboard or the shelf, there is space. The style joins the calm of Japanese interiors with the light, practical simplicity of Scandinavian design, and wabi-sabi adds an eye for what is imperfect and made by hand.

Japandi or wabi-sabi: the difference

	Japandi	Wabi-sabi
Origin	A blend of Japanese and Scandinavian interior design	A Japanese way of seeing beauty in the imperfect and the impermanent
Feel	Calm, orderly, light	Raw, quiet, lived-in
Materials	Light wood, linen, ceramic, paper	Clay, stone, weathered wood, rough linen
Colours	Sand, white, soft black, muted green	Earth tones, greys, browns
In a vase	A clean silhouette and a matte surface	Visible traces of making, an irregular texture

In practice the two often meet. A vase can be Japandi in its form and wabi-sabi in its surface.

What makes a vase Japandi

• A matte surface. Gloss reflects the light. Matte holds it, so you see the texture.
• A colour from nature. Sand, brown, olive, white or a soft black.
• Texture instead of decoration. Ribs, grain or a fine relief, no print or pattern.
• A simple silhouette. A cylinder, a bottle, a rounded body: one clear line.

LUMA vases are printed in layers with fine spiral ribs, then finished by hand with a flame. The flame leaves a matte surface that is soft to the touch. And because a hand guides it, every vase carries small traces of how it was made, which is where Japandi meets wabi-sabi.

Five ways to style a vase the Japandi way

1. One branch instead of a bouquet. A single stem of eucalyptus, a twig of blossom or one dried grass, so the shape of the vase stays in view.
2. Leave space. Give the vase room on a sideboard or shelf. The bare wood around it is part of the arrangement.
3. Pair natural materials. Next to oak, linen or stone, a matte vase looks at home.
4. Work in odd numbers. One vase alone, or three together, rests more easily on the eye than two that are the same.
5. Tone on tone, or one contrast. Sand on oak for calm, or a single black vase against a white wall.

Which LUMA shape suits a Japandi interior

• SILO is a ribbed cylinder, the quietest of the four shapes.
• SPIRE is tall and slender, for a single branch or a vertical accent in a corner.
• SILK has twisted ribs that soften the straight lines around it, and comes closest to wabi-sabi.
• SORA is round with a narrow neck, made for one stem.

Japandi colours

Sand sits naturally with light oak and linen, brown with walnut and darker wood. Olive brings in green without a plant to water. White keeps a small room light, and black draws the outline like ink on paper. More in which colour vase to choose.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Japandi vase?

A vase with a matte surface, a colour from nature and a simple silhouette, placed with space around it. The style combines Japanese calm with Scandinavian simplicity.

Which flowers suit a Japandi interior?

Branches, grasses, a single flower or dried flowers. Fewer stems usually look better than a full bouquet.

What is the difference between Japandi and wabi-sabi?

Japandi is an interior style that blends Japanese and Scandinavian design. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese way of seeing beauty in the imperfect and the handmade.

Is a 3D-printed vase wabi-sabi?

Not by definition. A LUMA vase comes close, because each one is finished by hand with a flame and carries small traces of how it was made.

See all four shapes in five colours in the collection.