INSPIRATION
JAPANDI LIVING STYLE: THE QUIET POWER OF A BASIC INTERIOR
If you run around from place to place in daily life and do your best to keep all the balls in the air, then it is nice if home is an oasis of calm. Maybe that is the very reason why a basic interior is currently the most desired living style. The natural materials and subdued colors with a touch of Japan and a pinch of Scandinavia (Japandi, that is) provide calm and regularity and are still far from boring.

YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN
Whether you call it a basic, Scandinavian, or Japandi - a mix of Scandinavian and Japanese influences - interior, we all have the same goal: a home that radiates calm. A mix of natural materials and colors that naturally put you in zen mode and ensure that you relax. A trend is actually no longer the right word for the basic style; it fits perfectly with the current zeitgeist. When everything around you is fast-paced and stimuli are flying at you, the desire to make your home a safe haven is very logical.

YES, I WANT JAPANDI
Although Japan and Scandinavia are not exactly next to each other, the countries have a great similarity: they radiate a natural calm. Their shared serene, minimalist lifestyle is affectionately called Japandi and can count on quite a few fans here.
Japandi is timeless, natural, understated, without frills and certainly not overwhelming. White is favorite, but also sand colors and other natural tones are mixed together. In addition, you see many organic shapes, soft fabrics and natural materials. Wood, rattan, wool, linen, marble, travertine and concrete(look) ensure that it never becomes cool and chilly. What makes the Japandi style a bit different from a Scandinavian interior are the contrasts with dark colors and types of wood. Another big plus: the style can be applied throughout the whole house: from living room, to kitchen and bathroom.

Japandi is timeless, natural, understated, without frills and certainly not overwhelming. White is favorite, but also sand colors and other natural tones are mixed together. In addition, you see many organic shapes, soft fabrics and natural materials. Wood, rattan, wool, linen, marble, travertine and concrete (look) ensure that it never becomes cool and cold. What makes the Japandi style a little different from a Scandinavian interior are the contrasts with dark colors and types of wood. Another big plus: the style can be carried through the whole house: from living room, to kitchen and bathroom.


WIT IS FAVORITE
White tones are the big favorite in a basic, Japandi interior. A white base not only brings calm and purity, it also makes a space visually larger. Ideal if your living room is not very big or faces north. And by white, we don't just mean pure white; if you just look at the LAB colourcard, the different white tones immediately stand out. Think, for example, of White Wood no. 201, Spider Mum no. 310, Dark Ice no. 233 or of course Frosted Sand no. 374.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WHITENING
One white is not the other and your favorite shade can look very different at your home than in the store or on your screen. Light incidence is an important cause of this. Because a room facing south simply receives more and warmer light than a room on the cooler north side. To choose the most beautiful white shade, LAB has large color samples and sample pots, so you can test at home what looks best on your walls. Also look at different times of the day, because that certainly makes a difference.


Do you have the LAB colourcard at home? Then you can easily find a color that combines beautifully with the chosen white tint. The colourcard is structured so that at the top of each row you see a white tint, and this matches well with the colors you find in the same vertical row. For example, the light Frosted Sand no. 374 looks great with the warm earth tone Mushroom no. 287. On our color fan you will also find suggestions for beautiful color combinations.

a Scandinavian interior with color
Basic and white may go hand in hand, but that does not mean that color is forbidden. For example, combine the white shades with warm nudes, gray tones, beige, and olive green: colors inspired by nature and therefore never too overpowering. They do add depth and give the basic style more softness. Think, for example, of White Truffle no. 644, Amaze no. 535, Ibiza Rush no. 966 and Zen Garden no. 680.

Looking for more contrast? Then the blue Denim no. 248, chocolate brown Magnum no. 708, and deep Night Blue no. 273 are beautiful rugged additions for a minimalist Japandi interior.

a Japandi interior with children
Does white never stay white in your household for long? Then your alarm bells probably start ringing at a light interior. We can imagine that with a white sofa or dining chairs, but with white or light walls, the damage is generally quite manageable. LAB wallpaint has scrub class 1, which means the wall paint is easy to clean. If you apply two layers of LAB wall coating over it, you are definitely safe from stains. Yes, even those from pasta sauce and a spilled glass of red wine. And if you choose not pure white, but soft gray, sand, or beige, a stain will be less noticeable anyway. Just clean the wall as soon as possible, and you will most likely see no trace of it anymore.

Author: Monique van Beekhoven