Blog » Home Styles » Japandi Style and Exterior Design
Japandi — Japanese and Scandi — combines the rustic minimalism of Japanese design with the functionality of Scandinavian style. The Japandi aesthetic emphasizes simplicity, clean lines, natural elements, and earth-tone colors. Japandi style design is a relatively new trend, but we’ve had an increasing number of clients reference it when sharing what exterior styles inspire them. So, we decided to round up a handful of our favorites for you to enjoy.
Japandi style, modern cottages, Tudors — at brick&batten, we do it all. We created the concept of virtual exterior design, helping our clients visualize their homes’ potential using design expertise and photorealistic rendering services. Learn more about how it works.
Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you.
At home in its setting
When we approached the exterior design of this home, its wooded setting was an important factor. A warm, rich Sherwin Williams color palette of Black Fox on the siding and brick and Caviar on the accents is apropos. Minimalist landscaping, wood garage and front doors, and Japanese-inspired rain chains all feed into the Japandi aesthetic.
Colorblocking
This home already had some Japanese elements that the homeowners were hoping to lean into with their updated exterior design. Our designers suggested a colorblocked effect to highlight the home’s different cladding styles and orientations. Sherwin Williams’ Shoji White is the warm off-white on the horizontal siding, while Benjamin Moore’s Black Horizon is on the upper level stucco, front door, and trim. Modern organic touches like the pergolas and reclaimed wood siding accent complete the look.
Stucco and stone
Our designers brought warmth to this stucco-and-stone home with an earthy color palette, wood accents, and soft, lush landscaping. The minimalist architecture already felt Japandi, so we simply embraced that with thoughtful, intentional design. Benjamin Moore’s Desert Twilight on the stucco is a gorgeous choice to work with the existing tan stone skirting and street-side retaining wall.
Challenging roofline
This home has a challenging roofline to work with, especially in executing a Japandi style exterior update. But our designers delivered. Vertical wood cladding on the two-story cutout to the left of the entryway and on the large dormer above the garage bring in natural materials. The clean lines on the front door, windows, porch columns, and railings speak to the clients’ desired aesthetic.
Outdoor living
The exterior design of this California home is all about functional outdoor living. Notice the many doors allowing for smooth indoor-outdoor flow. Japandi elements include the clean lines of the large pergola over the deck and the clever wood wall-mounted screen with horizontal slats above.
Quintessential Scandi
This home leans the most Scandinavian of the bunch, with its bright white siding and existing roofline. The design emphasizes clean lines, many of which are outlined in black for sharp contrast against the white façade.
Leaning Japanese
In contrast to the design above, this next Japandi-style home on our list leans more strongly toward a Japanese influence. The stone and iron columns and screen, plentiful geometric sconces, and zen-inspired landscaping all harness this vibe. The Scandinavian touches come through in the lighter paint color and wood stain.
White brick, warm wood
This home’s warm off-white brick and thick wood porch columns make it a prime example of Japandi exterior design. The wood garage door, front door, and porch ceiling also deliver on this style. Finally, simple additions like the Japanese maple trees and the rustic stone steps up to the porch help execute the trend.
Simple green ranch
We gave this simple ranch some Japandi flair with Benjamin Moore’s Backwoods — a blackened shade of forest green — on the brick and Black on the trim and eaves. The shape of the back porch awning and modern minimalism of its support columns are notably Japandi.
Japandi style and exterior design
Japandi style pulls from a number of influences — and can therefore be executed in all sorts of ways! This list captured homes with just a touch of a Japandi feel (directly above) to those that leaned more heavily on the Scandinavian or Japanese influence to those that were Japandi all the way. We hope you found something to inspire you!
Whether you’re ready to go all in on a Japandi style home exterior makeover, or you simple want to see your home with a new color scheme, our designers are here to help you make it happen. All we need is a photo of your home and your thoughts on what you do and don’t want to change. Then we’ll get to work on a design, rendering, and resource list to help you get all of the things you or your contractors need to bring the design to life. Are you ready to take the first step on coming home to stunning curb appeal? Get started today.
Subscribe for more content like this!
