According to sleep specialists and the practice of sleep hygiene, bedrooms should be uncluttered and free of distractions, such as a workspace or TV. What better place to search for this kind of simplicity and restfulness than in Zen- and Japanese-inspired design?
Even if Japanese design doesn’t appeal to you, there are elements we can steal to simplify any style. There are the more obvious features of Japanese design, like shoji screens, platform beds, bamboo mats and blossoming branches. And there are the subtler ingredients — a focus on symmetry, the color black and natural materials — that aid simplicity but don’t read as themed.
Here are Zen-inspired bedrooms, some of them outwardly Japanese in style and some of them not. All of them are as simple, restful and peaceful as a deep sigh.
Modern Zen. This extremely simple bedroom also has touches of glamour and opulence. The materials, bedspread, thick carpeting and formal drapes give it a romance and warmth not usually associated with Japanese design.
A more obvious Japanese-style room with bamboo mats, shoji screens and sconces. Even without the obvious clues, the elemental ingredients are here: symmetry, clean lines, natural materials and a total absence of clutter.
This is earthy, warm Zen. Simple Japanese design does not mean going completely plain and adornment free. There is room for color and pattern as long as it is minimal.
French flea market meets Zen master. The actual pieces have nothing to do with Zen or Japanese design, but the arrangement and the color scheme take their cue not from the provenance of the furniture but from the idea of calm simplicity. I love this room.
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These wood-paneled walls could have so easily led to a cabin-by-the-lake style with colorful wool blankets and oars as decor. Instead the room is Zen cabin all the way.
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I love this eclectic take on Japanese simplicity. Here we find symmetry, a hint of shoji screens in the lampshades, sculptural branches on the bedspread and a general uncluttered and calming feeling.
Original article written by Samantha Schoech on Houzz