Japandi Wall Art: How to Choose, Size and Hang Japanese Art Prints

Japandi wall art is art chosen the way the rest of a Japandi room is chosen: a muted, natural palette, simple frames in black, white or wood, and plenty of empty wall around it. One considered piece usually does more than a gallery wall. As a rule of thumb, hang it with its centre about 145 cm (57 in) from the floor, or 20 to 25 cm above the furniture beneath it, and make it roughly two-thirds the width of that furniture.

That is the short version. Below is the longer one: what actually makes a piece feel Japandi, how to work out the right size, how high to hang it, and which frame to pick. I design 5C5V from Copenhagen with Japan always in mind, so this is a style I live with every day, not just one I write about.

What is Japandi?

Japandi is a blend of Japanese and Scandinavian interior design. Both traditions value craft, natural materials and rooms that feel calm rather than full. From Japan it takes ma (間), the idea that empty space is part of the design, and wabi-sabi (侘寂), an appreciation for things that are simple, natural and a little imperfect. From Scandinavia it takes warmth, light wood, soft textiles and the belief that everything in a room should earn its place.

What makes wall art "Japandi"?

There is no official list, but the pieces that work in these rooms share five things:

• A restrained palette. Mostly neutrals, ink, stone, sand and muted blues or greens, with at most one accent colour. A single red sun or one amber light does more than a rainbow.
• Room to breathe. Art with empty space inside it, and a wide mat around it, echoes ma on the wall.
• Natural, matte finishes. Matte paper and wood or simple painted frames. High gloss and metallics fight the room.
• A quiet subject. Landscapes, ink work, a single figure, an everyday moment. Japandi rooms favour pieces you can look at for a long time.
• One focal point per wall. A single piece, or a deliberate pair, rather than a crowded grid.

What size wall art do you need?

The most common mistake is art that is too small for the wall. The two-thirds rule fixes it: artwork, or a group of artworks, should be about two-thirds the width of the furniture below it, and never wider. If one frame falls short, hang two of the same size side by side, 5 to 8 cm apart, and measure them as one.

Here is how that works out with our framed prints, which come in 30 × 40 cm, 50 × 70 cm and 61 × 91 cm (or 12 × 16 in, 16 × 20 in and 18 × 24 in in the US):

If you are between two sizes, go bigger. In a calm room a large piece with lots of wall around it looks intentional. A small one looks like it was put up as an afterthought.

How high should you hang wall art?

• On an open wall: put the centre of the frame 145 to 150 cm (57 to 60 in) from the floor. This is the height most galleries use, because it sits at average eye level.
• Above a sofa or sideboard: leave 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 in) between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame, so the two read as one arrangement.
• Above a bed: leave 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) above the headboard, or above the pillows if there is no headboard. Low Japandi beds often mean the art can sit a little lower than you expect.
• For a pair: hang both at the same height with 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) between them, and centre the pair, not each frame, over the furniture.

A useful trick before you drill: cut paper to the size of each frame, tape it to the wall and live with it for a day.

Black, white or wood frames?

All three suit Japandi. The choice is about contrast:

• Black gives definition against pale plaster, limewash and light oak. It is the safest choice for a first piece and works in almost every room.
• White almost disappears on a white wall, so the art seems to float. Best in very minimal rooms or with pale, airy artwork.
• Natural wood warms a room with a lot of grey, black or concrete. Match it to the main wood in the room rather than trying to contrast it.

Whichever you choose, a wide white mat helps. It puts a band of empty space between the picture and the frame, which is ma in its simplest form. All of our prints are framed with one.

Which Japanese art suits which room?

Our ART 美術 collection is the Neon Dawn series: five scenes from Tokyo between the last train and the first, each stamped with the minute it happens. They were made for Japandi rooms, but each has its own temperature:

• Tokyo Bay 東京湾 (05:12) is the calmest: a woodblock-style dawn over the bay on cream paper, with a single red sun. The easiest fit for a bedroom.
• Shihatsu 始発 (04:58), a commuter waiting for the first train at sunrise, mixes dusky blue with one amber light. Ideal above a living-room sideboard.
• Kage 影 (05:40) is the boldest, flat orange and teal shapes with long morning shadows. It gives a reading corner or a white room a strong focal point.
• Shuya Eigyo 終夜営業 (03:10) is a worn enamel sign from an all-night diner. Its mustard and red belong in a kitchen or dining room.
• Asa no Ippai 朝の一杯 (04:20) is the moodiest: a hot can glowing in a rainy vending machine. Perfect for a hallway, a study or a dark accent wall.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Too small. Use the two-thirds rule above.
• Too high. Most art at home is hung above eye level. Bring it down to that 145 to 150 cm centre line.
• Too much. A Japandi wall needs empty space. If you are unsure, take one piece down.
• Mixed frames on one wall. Pick one frame colour per wall, or per room.
• Gloss and glare. Matte paper and a non-reflective finish keep the room soft.

Frequently asked questions

What is Japandi wall art?

Wall art that suits a Japandi interior, the mix of Japanese and Scandinavian design. It usually has a muted, natural palette, a simple black, white or wood frame, a quiet subject and plenty of empty space around it.

How high should I hang a picture?

On an open wall, put the centre 145 to 150 cm (57 to 60 in) from the floor. Above furniture, leave 20 to 25 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame.

What size art should go above a bed?

Aim for about two-thirds of the bed's width. Above a 140 to 150 cm double bed that is around 100 cm, for example two 50 × 70 cm prints side by side. Above a 180 cm king, two 61 × 91 cm prints.

Should Japandi frames be black, white or wood?

Any of the three. Black adds definition against pale walls, white lets the art float on a white wall, and natural wood warms a room with a lot of grey or black. Keep one frame colour per wall.

Can I mix Japanese art with Scandinavian decor?

Yes, that is exactly what Japandi is. Keep the palette muted and the frames simple, and Japanese subjects such as ink landscapes, woodblock-style scenes or everyday Tokyo moments sit naturally in Scandinavian rooms.

Do 5C5V prints arrive ready to hang?

Yes. Each print is on 189 g/m² matte art paper, framed in solid wood with a white mat and shatter-resistant acrylic glazing, with hanging hardware included. They are made to order: production takes 2 to 5 business days before shipping.

Can I order these prints in the US?

Yes. US orders get the inch sizes, 12 × 16 in, 16 × 20 in and 18 × 24 in, in black, white or red oak frames, priced in US dollars with $14.95 flat shipping.

Not sure which size or frame will work on your wall? Email matthew@5c5v.co.uk with a photo of the space. It comes straight to me.

Browse the ART 美術 collection →

Keep reading

• Neon Dawn: Tokyo after dark
• The Edo Collection: what's on each shirt, and what it means

Written by the founder of 5C5V. I design every collection from Copenhagen, built around five Japanese cities and the virtue each one stands for. More about 5C5V.