Calm Japandi Kitchens: Easy Door Updates for Small Spaces

Designing a compact kitchen can be challenging, particularly as it's a space that really needs to be highly functional and organised. From making a space feel larger to ensuring that your kitchen works for you and your family, Japandi is a beautiful interior design style that can bring a sense of space, order and tranquillity to even the smallest kitchens.

What Are The Features Of Japandi Interiors?

Japandi is a hybrid style that combines Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian functionality to create spaces that are calm, inviting, and functional. Japandi interiors often feature lots of natural materials and are crafted using neutral colour palettes, both of which help to create a sense of light, space, and a connection with nature.

In Scandinavia, the concept of hygge often influences interior design, which describes the feeling of being cosy, comfortable and content. In Japan, the philosophy of wabi-sabi can be seen throughout interiors, which encourages us to see beauty that exists within imperfections. Both of these concepts can be present within Japandi interiors, so if this is a style that appeals to you, there's lots you can explore when designing your own home.

Here we explore some simple additions you can make to your kitchen to give it a sense of Japandi style on a budget.

Incorporate Warm Wooden Elements

Choosing made to measure kitchen doors with a warm wood finish will give your space a sense of character and calm, which are central to Japandi spaces. There are many different oak finishes available as part of our Bella collection, all of which have a beautiful finish with some stunning visual texture. Some of the most popular wood finishes include Halifax natural oak, Lissa oak, and Cremona oak cotta.

Pro Tip: Rich walnut tones can also be incorporated into Japandi kitchens and can offer some extra depth and dimension to your design. Our Valore kitchen doors come in a beautiful vanguard walnut finish, which has a characterful and high-end presence.

Layer Other Natural Materials To Deepen That Connection To Nature

There are many other natural materials that often feature in Japandi kitchens, including ceramic tiles, stone worktops and bamboo accessories. But it's also possible to infuse your space with the essence of natural materials through your kitchen cabinetry.

As well as a number of interesting wood inspired finishes, our Valore range of kitchen doors also comes in a selection of finishes that are inspired by natural materials, such as oxide artstone, porcelain gold grey, galvano bronze, and cupria slate. Importantly, these options have a very natural-looking finish, which isn't overly shiny and has an element of texture that'll feel more authentically Japandi than a smooth, ultra-shiny alternative.

Achieve A Streamlined Look With Handleless Kitchen Doors

In particularly small kitchens, it can be especially helpful to remove as much visual noise as possible to create an atmosphere that feels open and flows well. Handleless kitchen doors have a streamlined and minimal aesthetic, which suits the Japandi style perfectly.

Our simple yet elegant Bella Knebworth handleless doors are beautifully suited to a Japandi kitchen, as the sleek recessed handle contributes to the style's clean lines and minimalist look. The handle can be placed on the left, right, top or bottom of each door to suit the particular layout of your kitchen, offering optimal functionality and versatility.

If you're looking for a clean aesthetic but prefer doors that have a touch of subtle detail, our Bella Elland handleless doors feature understated panelled detailing inspired by the classic shaker style. This will offer an extra layer of character and charm to your kitchen without disrupting the core essence of Japandi style.

Pro Tip: You could also choose to install slab kitchen doors with a push-to-open mechanism to achieve a similarly streamlined look.

Keep Your Colour Palette Natural And Earthy

Japandi spaces are calm and utilising natural, earthy tones throughout your kitchen will help you to create an atmosphere that feels intensely grounded and inviting. Crucially, this doesn't mean that you need to include large swathes of white or ivory in your kitchen.

While you absolutely can stick to a bright, neutral colour palette, it's also possible to introduce pebble, stone grey and pistachio green hues, as well as richer indigo blues, rust reds and smoke greens. Think about how different colours make you feel and put together a colour palette that makes you personally feel at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kitchen cabinet door handles will work best in a Japandi kitchen?

As simplicity sits at the heart of Japandi style, you'll likely want to avoid handles that are overly ornate. A simple Button Knob in an understated matt black finish could be ideal for your kitchen, however if you're looking for something with a more contemporary profile, our Slimline Handle in a stainless steel finish might be a better option.

How long will it take for my new Happy Doors kitchen doors to be delivered?

We pride ourselves on offering incredibly short lead times, so you'll be able to start enjoying your new made to measure kitchen doors as soon as possible. Lead-times can vary across our different styles, however we aim to deliver within 15-20 working days. We'll always keep you up-to-date regarding the current status of your order, so you'll know exactly when you can expect to receive your new doors.

How do I choose the right colour for my new kitchen cupboard doors?

Many people find that choosing the perfect style of kitchen doors isn't nearly as tricky as selecting the ideal colour and finish. It can be particularly difficult to choose colours online, as different screens can display colours slightly differently. This is why we offer free colour swatch samples and we encourage you to take advantage of this service. You can select up to six colour samples, which we'll send out so that you can compare them under different lighting conditions.