Less is More
Muji is a Japanese lifestyle concept store that delivers the philosophy of less is more. It promotes practical and functional home products that are designed for minimalist’s lifestyle. Its simplicity and aesthetics pleasing yet practical home products, have been successfully gaining its international popularity over the years.
And the wide appeal of MUJI products has led to the birth of an interior design that revolves around this aesthetic – MUJI interior design.
MUJI Interior – Quality and Minimal lifestyle
The concept of Muji’s interior design is exact representation of the Japanese's straightforward and functional lifestyle, which advocates: practical, clean, organised and functional. It’s an aesthetic that believes that qualitative living comes from careful elimination of all the extra things in your life, creating a meditative, clutter-free environment.
More than just minimalism, Muji style is about finding the perfect balance between sustainability and the soothing sensation of ‘zen’. It means that having something with longevity will, in the end, better for the environment, and produce less clutter.
If you're looking to achieve the Muji interior design for your home, here are several tips to try.
1. Colour Palette
Although Muji interior design advocates simplicity, you don’t have to go full monochromatic. Instead, warmth and cosiness should find a way through the dullness. Adding some bright and soothing pastel shades here and there are definitely fine to Muji-style home.
Neutral and muted colours are usually the best option for Muji colour theme. Basically, consists of white, pale timber, grey, taupe, beige and cream with occasional touches of olive green, khaki, navy and dark brown. These colours apply to furniture, linens, curtains, wall paint, flooring, etc.
Needless to say, you can experiment with tones that are out of these suggestions, but always remember to seek harmony and balance. You must take care of the colour balance to be used, to avoid having a predominantly white palette or a completely woody looking interior.
2. Natural Materials
Minimalism takes most of its design inspiration from the natural forms of nature, that most of the materials used in minimalist design are all natural and sometimes locally cultivated.
Muji style is known by the use of natural materials like wood, bamboo, timber, plywood, concrete and reconstituted stone combined. Woods such as oak and teak are often treated thoroughly in order to be applied in different spaces, even smaller elements like hampers, benches and even desk storages. Also, other materials like metals and glass are choices of preference for Muji-style homes.
Try to go for a more natural and rustic look and choose natural materials, as they are long-lived as well-made furniture crafted from high quality materials.
3. Built-in Organisation and Storage
The basis of the Muji interior design is that you are designing a space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The overall ambiance features the amazing visual tidiness.
As such, storage is a key feature of Muji. Cabinets and shelves, storage boxes are fundamental elements of Muji style, to keep a clutter-free space and enhance the overall structure of the space. Thus, it’s important to have ample storage, as much as possible, and try to make the most of every corner of the room. You could include built-in storage shelves, storage spaces under the seats as well as other raised seating platforms.
Or you could just go for the easiest way - shop MUJI store and get sufficient storage products! MUJI store is known for providing various forms of aesthetic storage that helps to tidy up your home while remaining functional.
4. Clean and Straight Lines
A sense of 'cleanliness' is a cornerstone in MUJI's aesthetic. So, always focus on keeping your space visually clean. Start with the goal to create a calm and sophisticated look, and try to avoid having frills and curves. Go for furniture pieces that have straight lines, such as simple tables with straight legs, stacking chairs and wardrobes that designed to adapt to your needs effortlessly.
Always ensure the alignment of furniture and accessories is well spaced out, and keep walkways unobstructed. Since Muji interior is more inclined to follow a grid, you could create solid shapes with furniture and prioritize straight, clean lines when arranging your furniture.
Don’t forget to balance the sleekness with coziness. All furnishings should be carefully and strategically selected to deliver clean lines while also exuding a sense of warmth with cozy neutral finishes.
5. Furniture Pieces
When choosing furniture pieces, consider the materials and craftmanship. Choose the one practical with long durability, such as chairs that are light, but sturdy in structure. Wooden furniture is preferred as they are timeless, practical pieces that can easily adapt to any interior.
Also, it is wise to consider what you need rather than what you want when it comes to furniture pieces, especially if space is limited. Go for pieces that have basic design and have a more streamlined look to fit your space and needs.
You could refer to MUJI furniture when shop for furniture. MUJI furniture is generally made to look as simple as possible. It is normally low-set, neutral tones and mostly made of natural materials like timber and plywood.
6. Bright and Spacious
Muji interior is always purposefully designed, the placement of everything is thoughtful. Therefore, Muji home normally exudes a sense of spaciousness and airy, and because of the neutral colour scheme, it tends to look bright.
You could bring the same effect to your space by maximising the amount of natural light filtering into your home. Instead of installing expensive lighting, let in the natural light into your space to look lively and make it appears spacious.
So, you could consider massive windows that span across your interior to make it appears brighter. To make full use of the natural light, chooses white walls and wooden flooring as the main tone, accompanied by furniture in light wood tone for a brighter view.