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Japanese Style

Japan is one of the ancient civilisations, cloaked in myth and mystery, and Westerners have been fascinated with the Japanese way of life ever since they arrived there in the sixteenth century. Japan promptly closed its doors again, leaving a sole port open for foreign trade. It was not until the mid nineteenth century that trade opened up and when the Victorians arrived there they were totally shocked at the bare rooms compared to their own. The style is aimed at simplicity and openness. Flexibility is an integral part of the design with moveable screens and sliding panels which let the interior and exterior blend together. natural materials are used, paper and wood primarily.
The traditional Japanese home is based on Ma - the balance between space and objects. The Tatami matting made of woven rice straw is fundamental to Japanese interiors. The dimensions of a room are measured in Tatami mats. For example, a doorway should equal the height of two mats and be one mat wide. Each mat is about 180cm x 90cm wide. The mats are used for seating, flooring and sleeping. The space is divided by shoji screens, which slide on wooden tracks and can be removed to let the outside in.
Today, the interest in all things Japanese is as popular as ever with karaoke bars, the latest miniature gadgets, Zen Buddhism, and the sales of sushi overtaking the common sandwich. For interiors, the current look tends to be drawn from all over with elements of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai creating Oriental style fusion.