Japandi for wellbeing: How to create a calm sanctuary in your Dutch home

Moving to a new country is a bit like stepping into a whole new soundtrack, one filled with unfamiliar sounds, unfamiliar streets, and unfamiliar routines. It’s thrilling, yes! But it can also be deeply disorienting. I’ve worked with expats who say they didn’t feel truly at home for months, sometimes years. They’d walk into their house at the end of the day and feel... nothing. Or worse: chaos.

That’s why how your home feels matters more than ever. When everything outside is new and unpredictable, your interior should become your anchor.

Beyond aesthetics: Why sensory design matters

We live in an age of constant stimulation. The sound of traffic, digital alerts, overflowing inboxes, and to-do lists that never end. It builds up. Especially for expats trying to navigate the Netherlands, the overload can be real. Have you ever felt like your brain doesn’t get to rest, even at home?

That’s where sensory design begins. It invites us to shape our interiors not just with our eyes, but with all our senses. When you walk barefoot on a warm wooden floor, when a soft scent greets you at the door, when you can hear nothing but silence, those are the moments that shift your nervous system. That’s the power of a sensory home. It’s not luxury. It’s a necessity.

What is Japandi, and why is it a perfect match?

That’s where Japandi comes in. A design style born from the quiet strength of Japanese minimalism and the soft warmth of Scandinavian comfort, Japandi is more than just a look. When paired with sensory interior design, it becomes a kind of gentle medicine, an antidote to overstimulation and a tool for building a home that restores rather than drains.

The materials are key: natural wood, textured ceramics, woven linens, wool, and bamboo. Natural textures help regulate air quality and humidity. They’re warm in winter, cool in summer. And they carry the patterns of nature: grain, fibre, ripple, imperfection. These quiet patterns communicate safety to our brains. They remind us of forest walks and river stones. They help us slow down.

Sensory design in action: Designing for all five senses

Sight: Create visual calm

I always say, "Your eyes get tired too." If your home is filled with too much contrast, too much colour, or too many things, your brain doesn’t rest.

Japandi invites simplicity. Soft whites, greys, greens and terracotta shades give your eyes space to breathe. Storage becomes sculpture. And empty space? That’s intentional. It’s where calm lives.

Touch: Engage the skin

Imagine this: you walk in, slip off your shoes, and your feet meet a warm, textured rug. You sink into a boucle-covered armchair. There’s a wool throw nearby. Every surface, every textile says, “You’re safe here.”

Thick curtains are used not just for privacy, but to soften echoes. Natural textures absorb sound, making the whole room feel like a soft cocoon.

Sound: Embrace acoustic comfort

One of the most overlooked design elements is sound. But think about how often you're bothered by echo, clatter, or traffic rumble. Soft furnishings, rugs, bookshelves, curtains. All these elements create a kind of shelter from noise.

Scent: Anchor the atmosphere

Scent is memory. It's emotion. It’s invisible design. A hint of hinoki wood or pine by the entry, lavender in the bedroom, beeswax candles in the living room. These tiny details anchor you. They say, “you’re home now.”

And when they’re consistent, they train your nervous system to settle faster. This is especially helpful after a long workday or a crowded commute.

Light and temperature: Support the body clock

Our bodies crave rhythm, but modern lighting doesn’t always support that. Japandi favours soft, indirect light: linen curtains that filter soft daylight without blocking it, warm-toned floor lamps, and low-level wall lights.

Extra dimmers let you mimic the slow fade of sunset. And materials help too: a linen-covered pendant diffuses light; a warm woollen carpet takes the chill off a tiled floor.

A home that holds you

Design, at its best, is not about impressing others. It’s about supporting yourself. Your home should work like a soft exhale. A space that knows how hard the world can be, and gently helps you recover from it. Japandi, when seen through a sensory lens, isn’t a trend. It’s a tool. A way of creating space that supports how you want to feel.

You don’t need to do it all at once. Start with one room. One texture. One light source. One small moment of peace. And build from there. Your nervous system and your future self will thank you for it.