That beautiful blend of minimalistic, elegance, and natural warmth can only come from one place: Japandi! I know personally I’ve become much more conscious about the furniture pieces that I choose for our home not only based on their design but on their sustainability!

Today, I wanted to gather a ton of furniture pieces that could perfectly fit inside a Japandi color scheme and room design, so you can start bringing some warmth to your space.

What to look for in Japandi Furniture

First things first, Japandi = Japanese + Scandinavian.

This fusion of design philosophies embraces the best of both worlds, taking the minimalistic grace of Scandinavian aesthetics and pairing it with the gentle, sophisticated allure of Japanese design.

When looking for Japandi furniture pieces, look for ones that–

• Radiate simplicity and tranquility
• Have clean lines and natural textures
• Have warm, welcoming hues
• Feels like it can fit into nature, whether with the color, the fabric, the shapes, or all three
• Is made of natural materials
• Has a blend of a modern contemporary and natural, organic feel

Bonus: feminine textures like florals and petal shapes (or is that just me?!)

And just as much as we should focus on the design element, we should focus on sustainability! Brands that use natural, sustainable materials help support both the style and the health of the planet and our inspiring homes. We’ll discuss this in more depth in the next section.

Essential Elements of Japandi Furniture

Natural and Sustainable Materials

One of the cornerstones of the Japandi style is the use of natural, sustainable materials. Both design philosophies emphasize harmony with nature, with Scandinavian and Japanese minimalism showing the abundance and beauty of being ever-inspired by nature.

As we mentioned, choosing sustainable materials isn’t just about supporting this aesthetic; it’s also about contributing positively to the environment and promoting a healthier home environment. In fact, the Japanese term wabi-sabi loosely translates to “imperfect elegance,” and is often used when describing interior design elements that emphasize the imperfection in natural elements.

Alternatively, we know that there are increasingly more toxins in our world. And with interiors, heck, there are a ton of synthetic materials used for furniture pieces these days: think polyester, foam, and PVC.

While they might be easier on the budget, these materials can have negative environmental impacts and even potential health risks over time, which is why we’ll mostly feature natural alternatives like solid wood, bamboo, cotton, wool, or linen, recycled materials or materials certified to emit fewer off-gasses, making them not just sustainable but also enhance the overall warmth and earthiness of the Japandi style.

Related: 23 tips to elevate your home design + organization to Japandi aesthetics

Low-To-The-Ground Designs

In line with the relaxed, cozy, and grounded essence of both Japanese and Scandinavian cultures, Japandi furniture often adopts low-to-the-ground designs to foster a connection with Earth. You make your own rules in the house, but if you do tend to lean towards lower couches, beds, and seating in general, this will definitely capture the Japandi feel!

Muted Tones to Balance the Rest of the Room

Another hallmark of Japandi design is the use of muted tones to bring lots of flexibility and creativity with textiles, fabrics, rugs, wallpapers, and other elements that bring pops of color and texture.

My own personal design style actually is moodier and cottage-core, but I love adding some Japandi elements into the space to make sure it doesn’t feel too clunky or loud, particularly when it comes to furniture. I love lighter furniture to serve as a sort of canvas for the rest of the room.

I know what you’re thinking— kids! Coffee stains! Spills! But we have a white couch that has already seen its fair share of pet stains and it’s still looking great. By following Marie Kondo’s ways of treating your home and space, it makes you rethink how you treat things like your furniture!

Now, let’s get into the best furniture pieces to add to your Japandi space! I mostly included fabric seating (sofas, couches, and chairs), because I believe things like coffee tables, tabletop items, and decor pieces can be best and most sustainably found through thrifty adventures or shop handmade on Etsy.

The Best Japandi Furniture Pieces (+ Brands) to Adorn your Earthy Sanctuary

1. Denna Single Arm Chaise || Joybird

The Most Stylish Furniture Piece

Current price: $1,529-$2,199

What we love

• You can click through what fabric, you like, one of the options being GREENGUARD Gold, which ensures there are lower toxic off-gassing and chemicals in the materials
• Can select whether you want the orientation to be left or right
• So. Many. Adorable. Color. Options! From Royale Peacock to Bentley Daisy to Plush Mist!

What we’d change

• It’s a little pricey, especially for a chair!

Explore the Denna Single Arm Chaise →

2. Modular Bondi 2-Seater Sofa || Inside Weather

The Best Customizable Furniture Piece

Current price: $3,950

What we love

• Super customizable! Change the upholstery colors, configuration, frame finish, and comfort type to exactly as you’d like to create what fits right into your space
• Even if you pick one of their premade designs, they’re gorgeous— perfect for a Japandi space or any space where you want your couch to lift up the room (not sink it in) and add a modern and sleek touch while also being mega comfortable
• FSC Certified wood, PFC free & OEKO-TEX® certified non-toxic fabrics, and CertiPUR-US® foam
• Washable covers for easy cleaning
• Free swatches to pick your perfect color
• Less than 30-minute assembly with all the tools you need to do it
• Made in America (California)

What we’d change

• Their vegan leather is made out of polyester, but I wasn’t super clear if this was included in the PFC free & OEKO-TEX® certified non-toxic fabrics. Nonetheless, polyester is still not great, so I’m curious how they make it and can’t find direct information on their site

Explore the Modular Bondi from Inside Weather →

3. The Essential Sofa || Sabai

The Best Sustainable Furniture Piece

Current price: $1,445

What we love

• Sabai stands by its mission of “Repair Don’t Replace,” by striving for your furniture to last at least 10 years. Once it’s time for your piece to be replaced, they have an upcycling program, Sabia Revive, where you can resell your furniture back
• This particular sofa is stain-resistant and washable— so there’s no need to feel like you can’t order a lighter color ever again.
• They don’t chemically pre-treat their recycled velvet and upcycled poly, which is great, as pre-treating is what causes things like off-gassing and adding chemicals to your home
• You have a few different (fun!) colors to choose from both from the couch and the leg colors, and you get the option to either choose 3 individual cushions or one long bench cushion
• Klarna pay options for those who’d prefer to pay over a few months
• FSC Certified Wood and CertiPUR-US certified high resiliency foam, with no toxic flame-retardants or added formaldehyde. (These are commonly used in large mass-produced furniture and they’re known to be toxic)

What we’d change

• In their cleaning instructions, they show you how to make a bleach solution— which seems really against their whole sustainability practices. I’d use a sodium hypochlorite cleaner instead, which is one of the main ingredients in bleach but is just ionized water and salt
• In some particular styles, they don’t have light options, which is a real bummer for people like me who want a light-colored couch to bounce off the moody walls
• They talk about a new and exciting stain-resistant couch, but they’re not super specific about which one it is on the website. We’ll both need to do a little more digging to get some clarification on which ones are truly stain-resistant, as the website isn’t super clear!

Explore The Essential Sofa from Sabai →

Related: how to design your home with pink + green decor

4. The Sac

The Most Comfy Furniture Piece

Current price: up to $1,025

What we love

• This Sac is best known for being so warm and cozy! It’s nothing like anything else on its market— picture an adult-sized bean bag chair, that could potentially fit 4 people depending on the size!
• Lots of different colors to choose from
• Unlike a chair or couch which is more rigid, you can read, nap, watch TV, and cuddle in here all with support and flexibility unmatched to its more structured counterparts
• Easily removable, washing machine-friendly cover

What we’d change

• Sacs use Durafoam instead of beans or beads for max comfiness, but this foam is known to have flame retardants which may have forever chemicals.

Explore The Sac →

5. Convertible Chaise Lounge Chair || SULOPS

The Most Wallet-Friendly Furniture Piece

Current Price: $289.99

What we love

• This is a super affordable option for when you need to add a furniture piece but doesn’t have the budget to go all out
• 3 different modes: regular chair, reclined, and “chair-bed” which is fully reclined!
• Lots of different colors, including white, pink, navy, and dark green, and comes in velvet or “teddy” (which looks like a boucle material)

What we’d change

• This is made of synthetic fiber which is not environmentally or health-conscious, and likely emits harmful off-gassing and chemicals

Explore the Convertible Chaise Lounge Chair on Amazon →

Did one of these catch your eye? Maybe for what you’ve been looking to purchase or stock up on, or just as inspiration to dress up what you currently have?

Japandi furniture and style definitely have their moment, and I think even if you’re not huge on all the neutrals, you can still have a room designed with the intention, sustainability, and nature-inspired flair that the Japanese style and Scandinavian essences bring to the table.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that while writing this, it really made me want to explore more about Japan; the intention behind homes that I learned when I practiced the KonMarie method in my home powered a lot of the values I have in home design and organization, and I’m so curious to learn more about what this looks like as an entire culture.

If anything, I hope this helps you explore more of how you can design your home intentionally, so your life can feel that much more grounded, cozy, and joyful. ♀️