3 Ways to design a Muji-inspired home interior

Style

Here in Singapore we love Muji. We love its useful, stylish and affordable homewares, food, clothes, and of course its furniture pieces. We love Muji so much that many of us want to live in a home that is designed to look like a Muji store display!

The Japanese brand’s design aesthetic is practical, fuss free, clean, uncluttered, features neutral colours, natural materials, and has a very Japanese feeling of ‘zen’. Here are three ways you can use to create your own perfect Muji-inspired home interior design.


1. Correct colours

The Muji colour theme basically consists of white, pale timber, grey and cream, with occasional touches of green, navy and dark brown. If you stick to this colour palette and choose natural materials like timber, linen and stone, you are more likely to create a Muji-style home interior.

This Skywoods Condo’s interior colour scheme is very Muji, thanks to the use of lots of white, pale timber and muted browns.


Image Credit: Design Chapterz

White, cream, soft gray and pale timber create a very Muji-inspired ambience in this Shunfu Road apartment.

Image Credit: ARK-hitecture

Touches of muted grey and splashes of green from indoor plants are used to balance the all-white overall colour scheme of this Choa Chu Kang apartment.

Image Credit: DB Studio

The interior design scheme of this Bukit Batok home - lots of pale timber, white and very light gray - gives off a very Muji vibe. The use of a sleeping platform with storage and simple furniture just adds to the look.

Image Credit: Happe Design Atelier 

2. Natural Materials 

The Muji style is defined by the use of natural materials like timber, plywood, concrete and reconstituted stone combined with subtle and plain versions of more technical products like vinyl and plastics. Muji is all about simplicity and convenience, after all.

This West Terra apartment features simple furniture in pale timber mixed with a plywood feature wall and muted vinyl flooring.

Image Credit: The Minimalist Society

Pale faux timber laminate has been used in the Narnia apartment to create a wall of built-in storage. The soft colour recedes into the background giving the impression of more space.

Image Credit: ROOOT Studio

Faux timber vinyl and laminate has been used in this Bishopgate apartment to create a soothing space that is streamlined and easy to look after.


Image Credit: Mr Shopper Studio

3. Simple Furniture and Great Storage

Muji furniture is generally made to look as simple as possible; it is low-set, in neutral tones and made of natural materials like timber and plywood. Muji also offers other options for living like beanbags instead of chairs that take up more room; and beds that offer a great deal of extra storage. Storage is a central tenet of Muji’s style - you can never have too much of it.

There is a lot of additional storage in this Ang Mo Kio apartment including under the raised seating platform, and in the built-in cabinet. The rest of the furniture in the room is simple in design and muted in colour.

Image Credit: Dots 'N' Tots Interior Group

This Canberra apartment looks like it could have been lifted directly from a Muji catalogue. The furniture in the living room is minimal and low-set; the bedroom has a built-in platform for lots of extra storage.

Image Credit: The Minimalist Society

The tatami sleeping platform in this Sol Acres home is not only very Muji, but also very Japanese. The additional storage under the bed is not only a great idea, but the tatami style platform allows the space to be used for seating and hanging out, not just for sleeping.

Image Credit: Happe Design Atelier

This minimalist Toa Payoh East apartment has lots of extra storage built into the window seat, and the rest of the furniture is simple in design.

Image Credit: Luova Project Services

This Compassvale Bow apartment is a very Muji-style home. The seating in the living space consists of typical Japanese ‘floor chairs’ and a beanbag for the kids to use. There is no clutter or unnecessary items. In the dining space the furniture is also simple, in pale timber and grey.


Image Credit: The Minimalist Society

Looking for more interior design inspiration? Check out our Top Tips on How to Choose the Right Light for your Home or read about 7 Singapore homes that look like hotels and resorts.



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