Interior styles and trends change over the years, colour palettes vary with the seasons and items that might have been desirable one year can soon fall from favour the next. Despite loving old, rustic things with a nautical or military style I try to learn about what's changing with peoples tastes and if possible keep up, something that can be very hard when your hearts desire is to live in the 18th or 19th century.
I have a love of Oriental aesthetics, this is often reflected in the Japanese and Chinese items we find and add to our stock. I have been reading about 'Japandi' style, a mix of Scandinavian and Japanese that is very popular at the moment. This style incorporates the concept of 'Wabi-Sabi', the idea of finding beauty in imperfection, a concept derived from Buddhist teachings of the three marks of existence, impermanence, suffering and emptiness. In essence it incorporates, amongst other things, austerity, modesty, intimacy, asymmetry and simplicity.
Japandi style mid century wire lampshade currently for sale.
I love this description by Andrew Juniper, that, "If an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object could be said to be wabi-sabi."
The Japandi style is simple and uncluttered, pale neutrals, natural materials and craftmanship being at its core, along with the idea of cosiness and hygge.
I'm not sure we could ever achieve this look in our own home, we have far too much clutter but maybe some little aspects could be borrowed from this lovely style trend.
Antique Chinese Basket-recently sold