Happy Sunday! As part of my celebrations for National Decorating Month, I thought it would be fun to try a few new things—and that includes today’s post. So far, I’ve focused the design section on showing what I’ve already done in Final Fantasy XIV’s housing design. But I want to help you guys create your own designs, too!
So for that reason, I thought it’d be fun to profile actual design styles that work well with FFXIV, as well as how you can incorporate them, to help you discover how you might want to build.
And for the first profile, we’ll be talking about Japandi.
What is Japandi?
You might have seen a little bit of this style already in one of my apartment builds, but there’s a lot more to this style than you might think. Originally a combination of Scandi and Japanese design, Japandi is all about trying to find the ultimate comfort with modernist style.
Fun fact: It’s actually a derivative of Scandinavian modernism, and it only surfaced as its own style a couple of years ago.
What are the core elements of Japandi design?
Minimalism: Both Scandi and Japanese design put a lot of emphasis on minimalism in design, so it makes sense that their hybrid would too! This style likes a clean modern look, with sleek lines, modern furniture, and a noted lack of clutter.
Organic elements: Japandi style wants to be your spa at home, so it uses a lot of organic elements to create a soothing environment. Think wood, aged leather, stone, and neutral, earth-tone colours.
Comfort: Ultimately, what you want to achieve with this style is comfort! The whole point of being your at-home spa is to help you relax and unwind, so it’s essential that any elements of your Japandi design exude your kind of comfort.
How to use Japandi design in FFXIV
Luckily, Japandi is a really flexible style, and can be incredibly easy to use in FFXIV. And as I was sitting here thinking of a good way to explain why I like it for in-game use, I couldn’t really think of a more accurate way to say it than how I explained it in a recent article on rent.com:
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What I really love about Japandi design is that while it is its own unique thing, it’s built on the best of two worlds; the comfort and functionality of Scandi with the natural calmness of Japanese design. It’s like a home-cooked meal that way. It may not have many ingredients, but everyone loves it anyway.
Plus, because it focuses so heavily on clean lines, natural materials, and minimalism, it’s really easy to give it your own twist of flavor. You can really be as bold (or not!) as you’d like with other features like texture and contrast.
Focus on items that help you achieve natural textures.
Because Japandi relies on natural textures for visual interest, you’ll want to look for furnishings that let you bring that look to your design. And the simpler those furnishings are, the better—furnishings that are too busy will take away from the overall vibe!
For wood elements, you can always experiment with oriental partitions, which make great beams if you hide a vendor close enough to keep the door open, or go for the classic wood slat partition. For stone elements, you’ve got a few options but the new indoor oriental waterfall is a great pick.
Look for ways to modernize your furniture.
Let’s be real: FFXIV furniture is pretty limiting. It can feel like you’re stuck with a piece the way it looks, and you have to work around it. But that isn’t the case, and in fact, finding ways to experiment will complement your design!
For this style, look for ways to incorporate core elements into your custom furniture. You could try using wood slat partitions to frame other furnishings like sofas and beds, which is an especially fun way to customize leather sofas. You could also try using indoor oriental waterfalls to build your own rough-hewn fireplaces and stone accents.
Consider your colour scheme.
Colour is an essential component of any design, and for Japandi, you’ll want to focus on natural, calming tones.
In case you’re curious, these are all dye colours from within FFXIV! From left to right, they’re ash grey, snow white, shale brown, gobbiebag brown, sylph green, and ice blue.
