How to create a Zen style home with porcelain stoneware tiles

by Sara Costi

Zen interior design is not just one of the most popular contemporary trends, but a philosophy too. Its many nuances resulting from centuries of evolution and contaminations embody the idea of a rigorous yet harmonious lifestyle even at home. Zen-style homes stand out for their lightness and minimalism.

Rooms are typically designed so that their sizes are always multiples and submultiples of a basic module. Flexible spaces are another distinctive feature easily achieved through sliding doors, which separate them discreetly while enhancing the light and creating visual continuity, especially in smaller homes.

Zen-style interior design promotes asymmetry in shapes and the arrangement of furnishings. That’s because asymmetry represents dynamism and creativity in contrast with symmetry, which symbolises immobility.

Japanese-inspired homes feature airy open spaces, cosy and tidy rooms, continuous reference to nature, simple yet functional furnishings, large windows, soft, relaxing colours, natural materials, and floor lamps.

Flowers are a popular décor choice in Zen homes. According to ikebana, the ancient art of flower arrangement, they should be arranged in a triangle to symbolise the Heavens, Humans, and the Earth. Bonsai, bamboo, orchids, and hanging pots are the recommended choices.

Lighting plays a primary role in a Zen-inspired home as natural light adds depth and atmosphere. Placing floor lamps in different areas of the room can help create a relaxing space, creating different layers of lighting and highlighting features such as niches, shelves, or objects.

A Zen-style home will always prefer natural materials and fabrics in soft colours, including white, cream, pearl, grey, and brown. Black is used for tables, chairs, and small furnishings. In general, a Zen palette will include neutral and soft colours that create a relaxing environment.

Another feature of this Japanese design style is the chromatic harmony achieved by monochrome settings. You can start by choosing the colour of your floors and walls and then match the furnishings and textiles accordingly. Wood-effect, stone-effect, concrete-effect, and metal-effect porcelain stoneware tiles are perfect for creating relaxing, balanced, and harmonious Japanese-inspired living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and even gardens.

This modern Japanese design style gives life to airy, light-flooded minimalist open-space livingareas that usually connect the interiors with the exteriors and stand out for their elegance and light and neutral colour palette. The same simplicity and minimalism can be found in the kitchen area, where the spotlight is on functionality and original space-saving solutions. Green plants, a few candles and stone-effect floor and wall tiles can turn any space into a little corner of Japan.

A Zen bedroom is functional and relaxing. Sliding doors, a walk-in wardrobe, bonsai and green plants, a few floor lamps, natural fabrics, and the warm tones of wood-effect floor tiles will create a harmonious and regenerating space.

In Japanese culture, the bathroom is a haven of relaxation, so it’s important to consider down to the smallest detail. Here’s an example of a bathtub (usually rectangular or with rounded edges so the water can cover the whole body) accompanied by a large shower cubicle fitted between walls tiled with porcelain stoneware tiles from the Limpha collection. These gorgeous tiles inspired by climbing plants bring nature into your home. The large window allows you to enjoy the view of the garden. It creates visual continuity between interiors and exteriors, while the stone-effect floor tiles make the space bright and harmonious.

Gardens play an essential role in Japanese culture because they are places where to meditate. A Zen garden typically includes natural elements like sand, gravel, pebbles, red moss, and other trees and features walkways that lead to a water feature.

A Zen-style home is welcoming, relaxing, simple yet functional and inspires tranquillity and wellbeing.

And Casalgrande Padana’s porcelain stoneware floor and wall tiles are perfect for achieving this style both inside and outside the home.

Porcelain stoneware features high transmittance and thermal conductivity, making it one of the best choices in the event of underfloor heating. This heating system, combined with Casalgrande Padana’s Bios Antibacterial® technology, allows everyone to enjoy walking barefoot at home, even in winter.

Casalgrande Padana’s porcelain stoneware floor and wall tiles are ideal for living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and outdoor spaces. They are made with only a few well-balanced natural elements, such as earth, fire, air, and water. They are free of plastics and harmful substances, hypoallergenic, fire-resistant and fully recyclable. The perfect choice for creating harmonious and relaxing spaces in true Zen style.