Japandi design has become a leading trend over the last couple of years. Loved for achieving that flawless blend between functionality and aesthetics.
If you like minimalist living with clean colours and gorgeous design features, this might be the perfect style of kitchen you’ve been looking for.
Whether you’re renovating or in the early stages of considering remodelling your kitchen, prepare to be inspired with these stunning Japandi style kitchen ideas.
21 Minimalist Japandi Style Kitchen Ideas For A Calm, Functional Home
1. Minimalist Colour
Both Japanese and Scandinavian design are centred on a laidback and neutral colour scheme. Typically, white is the foundational colour and is synonymous in Japandi kitchen designs.
Any colour that’s usually introduced is with natural elements, such as wood cabinetry, rattan pendant lights and floral stems.
2. Buttery Oak
Wood is an integral part of Japandi kitchen design, and style in general. 9 times out of 10, a Japandi kitchen should have some kind of wooden cabinetry to achieve the desired look.
Whilst darker tones of wood such as teak are typically used in Japanese design, this buttery oak style of wood is a popular, and modern choice for Japandi design. Do pair with black details such as hardware or bifold doors, it will ground the design and add a touch of modernity.
3. Two Tone Kitchen Cabinets
If you want to lean more into the Scandinavian elements associated with Japandi, add a unique twist by opting for two tone kitchen cabinets.
When choosing the complementary colour, opt for a soft neutral or something like a warm taupe. It adds further visual interest and helps to balance the darkness of the wood.
4. Lean Into Darker Wooden Tones
Darker woods such as cedar and teak are popular choices in Japanese design. Wood as a whole is used in a lot of their design because they perceive it as a living thing, and it keeps them in touch with their natural side.
Take inspiration from the kitchen below, darker wood has more of a Japanese design aesthetic to it and it’s ideal for creating a cosy, intentional space.
5. KitKat Style Tiles
Kitkat style tiles are a trending type of tile for 2025 and beyond. They add extra interest than flat tiles, and using a black grout like shown in the image below, makes a feature out of the tiles. This intentional black accent that is created is notorious with Japandi design.
If you love the look of kitkat styles but not the black definition, opt for a white or cream grout so less attention is drawn to the tiles, and instead it looks more like a continuous surface.
6. Natural Materials
Any kind of natural materials are well received in a Japandi kitchen, including wood, rattan, marble, concrete and stone.
Combine a collection of all of these in some way and you will create a kitchen that is bang-on-trend, and sympathetic to the design trend.
7. White Quartz Worktops
Opting for white quartz worktops is a practical, and aesthetic choice in a Japandi kitchen that will stand the test of time. Generally, lighter surfaces work best in the design as they balance the intensity and stain of the wood.
Quartz is also far more durable than marble and will withstand use over time, it’s also a more affordable option and can look just as good.
8. Warm Brown Oak
These warm brown oak cabinets are the perfect sentiment to Japanese design. The wood grain grounds the kitchen, with the concealed handles adding a contemporary feel.
The light worktop and white walls draw the eye up, giving that tell tale Scandinavian touch that works so well with Japanese inspired design.
9. Natural Oak Fluted Cabinetry
If you want a more modern take on Japandi, lean into the use of natural oak fluted wood as shown below on the cabinetry, and kitchen island.
This blend of clever functionality vs aesthetic creates a minimalist space with clean lines and a 3 metre quartz island that creates a defined focal point. The introduction of the scallop effect pendant lights adds a beautiful softness against the angular lines in the kitchen.
10. Fun Introductions of Texture
Texture is the jewellery of an interior, and it’s what creates a cosy, intentional and lived in space.
When designing your kitchen, think outside the box! Instead of closed cabinets, or glass fronted panels, consider using texture. The kitchen below is a great example of experimenting with rattan fronts. It brings a natural warmth and softness against the wood, and it really draws the eye in.
11. Functional Lighting
Functional lighting that serves a purpose, but also looks great is a shared trait with both Japanese and Scandinavian design.
If you have a kitchen island, this is the one area you want to get those lights right. Remember to always scale up, as lights that are too small will look inferior in the design.
12. Black Accents
Bringing a more modern touch to a Japandi kitchen can easily be achieved with black accents. This can be introduced into the design with cabinetry, worktops, hardware or perhaps even with decor accessories or accents on stool legs.
Black is renown for bringing a touch of modernity, and it can easily pull a rooms scheme together when a few accents are placed throughout.
13. Black Hardware Details
Another example of how black can expertly be incorporated into a Japandi kitchen.
Black makes for a refreshing alternative to brass or white. Black is a true Japandi finish, but if you want something with a bit more longevity and design flair, opt for nickel finishes.
14. Soft Greens For An Earthy Feel
It’s possible to lean into Japanese influences a little bit more with a Japandi kitchen, and incorporating touches of green pays homage to the design trend, and is just another way to keep us connected to the natural world. Plus, green is one of the easiest colours in the eyes, and it’s impossible to not feel good in its company!
These green kitkat mosaic style tiles are a wonderful introduction, they’re soft and blend beautifully with the wooden details. The LED strip lighting is a clever way to bring light into a kitchen, and is less intense than overhead lighting if you want to create some ambience of an evening.
15. Contemporary Concealed Cooker Hood
A concealed cooker hood is a very contemporary addition to any kitchen, and something that is valued in Japanese design. It’s no-nonsense, minimal and creates a flawless blend with the rest of the kitchen. We don’t need to make a focal feature out of it.
16. Natural Wood
How incredible is this kitchen? Wood and natural material is really at the heart of this design from the incredible kitchen island to the cabinetry.
A rustic and completely authentic space that shows you what is possible with this trending style of design.
17. Black Veined Quartz
Whilst white quartz is a popular option, a black veined quartz is a perfect alternative. Even more forgiving than white, this style of worktop will add definition to the kitchen and pairs beautifully with kitchens that feature other black accents in their cabinetry.
18. Soft Tones
If white feels a little too clinical in your space and you want to create something cosier, opt for a warm taupe like the below. It will create a bit of depth and contrast with your cabinetry and colour scheme.
You can always add your own twist to a Japandi kitchen, and the orientation of your kitchen should impact this, as bright whites are not a great solution for north facing spaces.
19. Rattan Lighting
Lighting is an integral part of any kitchen, so make it a focal point for a reason! Natural materials such as rattan and seagrass are favoured choices for lighting in a Japandi kitchen.
They allow light to flow through them throughout the day, and they bring a natural warmth against a neutral colour scheme.
20. Textured Wall
White colour schemes can often feel flat, so introducing some kind of texture into your space adds extra character and depth without having to use colour to do that.
This texture wall below is an extension of the wall tiles, but it wraps around the kitchen creating instant visual interest. Slat wood panelling is another solution that could be used to introduce a bit of variation, and layering into the kitchen.
21. Moody Tones
Japanese design is one of my favourite styles of design, it really has meaning and purpose behind it. If you want to lean more into this design trend, be inspired by the below space.
Dark wooden tones and forest green tiles create an instantly moodier colour scheme, but their natural beauty and colours balance beautifully for an aesthetic look that feels refreshing and uplifting.
I like you article, it’s inspiring. I am in the process of designing my new kitchen in this style and I am stuck with the color choice. My cabinets will be painted, but the island will be buttery oak. Can you recommend a soft neutral or a taupe from the farrow and ball collection for the cabinets that you think would pair beautifully ? Thank you so much and have a nice evening Sabine
Sounds gorgeous! I would go for something like Schoolhouse White if you want a really minimal look, Oxford Stone for warmth or Jitney which is a slightly darker taupe; https://tidd.ly/3CpTjD7 all lovely neutrals, grab a tester of a couple of your favourites beforehand so you can see how they feel in the orientation of your kitchen, hope that helps! Nicole x