Our thoughts are of course with the Japanese people in this time of catastrophy and pain. Keeping fingers crossed for the outcome of the nuclear situation. Japanese interior design is worthy of many chapters – and an extra interesting comparison to make would be the one between Japanese and contemporary Scandinavian styles. These styles share the minimalism; the uncluttered clean look, and the preference of natural materials, yet they are totally different in many other aspects. The pics below are from Wabi Sabi Style, a beautiful and highly interesting blog about interior design inspired by the Japanese style Wabi Sabi. Wabi means an object has a rustic simplicity and purity, and possess an understated elegance. Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs.

Sustainability, slowness and reflection really do belong in the 2010s leading interior trends. I would also like to highlight one stylish Japanese-inspired kitchen I found at homedecorarcade. Advanced and alluring composition!

Trendey correspondent (i.e. me) is now loaded and ready to visit the ongoing Home 2010 Fair in Stockholm. Home decor trends and inspiration will be brought right back at ya! Before this wknd is over. As a starter, let’s hear from our Swedish decor trend expert Lotta Ahlvar. She’s the CEO of Swedish Fashion Council. (And yes, of course we need a fashion council in Sweden, we’re serious on home & fashion trends.). Anyho, trend expert Ms Alhvar says there are three important trends for interior design going on:

• Humour. We love to enliven our homes with strong funny and happy accents. That’s sounds great to me since Swedish homes are, as you all know, overly whiteish. @Trendey, klick e.g. the tags accent colour, colours and happy for inspiration on this part. And the full eclectic style department of course.

• History. This can be antiques, patina, rust, collectibles or just children’s drawings. You’ll find pieces of this anywhere on Trendey, but press history for some specific posts.

• Tactile & clean wood. With natural materials and a low-key colour range. At Trendey mostly found within the Nature style section and tags about wood; clean wood, blonde wood, grey+wood, etc.

Now let’s indulge in this last-mentioned trend with some photos from the Fair:

Woodwork, driftwood and clogs are crucial in Homelywood. And so is the Old School Wood-line with kindling wood, a Lumberjack-look, chopping blocks and Woodstock. Added to that a reindeer skin, the occasional stump and some fur cushions. They have really taken the wood & nature-trend seriously! Will we see some of this in the near future? I bet we will. Here’s a last pic for today, with a distinct retro vibe:

Swedish fashion house Acne showed their S/S 2011 womenswear collection earlier this week at London Fashion Week. Since they like doing things their own way (who said Swedes are eccentric!) they chose Princess Margaret’s old apartments at Kensington Palace for their catwalk.

Reviews say they were a success. A soft and clean collection, slightly bohemian. Colour scheme is mild with a lot of beige, grey, some accents of coral and blue, and a few hints of animal patterns. And the fashion news – geisha shoes!

Now Ambition to Create Novel Expressions. The tone for the Acne brand is subtle luxury and understated items. Nothing dominating anything else, yet every piece effortlessly stylish. Cool and personal. ACNE ideas were also unfloded in this interview. Asked about his one style rule ACNE’s founder and creative director Jonny Johansson says:

Keep it simple. And go for something that is from your relatives – something that you know why you’re wearing it – and mix with something that’s contemporary. It gives you your identity. I have a brooch that I wear that’s a family heirloom.

How is that for a decor philosophy? Makes sense and is pretty easily adapted into interior design/home decor I think! Certainly the points to keep it simple, no fuzz, and: go for something that is from your relatives or something that you know why you’re having around you. Mix and be personal. Next to Jonny Johansson in the pic above is a sofa from Acne’s first collection of furniture. It’s design reference is Carl Malmsten’s 1949 Berlin Sofa. As with fashion they played with proportion, lineage and structure to create new sculptural forms – and they dressed it in indigo. Slightly more spiritual and eclectic is the floral version if you

There is something going on in the country side! It’s genuine and stylish back-to-the-bone country living, granny-inspired eco-vintage living and lovely chic examples of romantic-rustic and rough romance. Additionally, there’s a surge in nature styles. Prominent clean wood, urban lush and nature-city mix as well as the use of brown and green palettes and botanical guests. I’d say it’s only human. The work-around-the-clock urban people need a soothing place to return to and the extended love for countryside living most probably only just started: In the light of technological advance especially, the classic reasons for living in the city are rapidly losing in strength. No wonder then, the countryside is a haven of trendiness.

This old barn below, in the rural parts of Holland, originally housed hay to feed the chickens, rabbits, cows and pigs. Neglected for centuries, two interior designers decided to restore it and call it a home.

…and did they succeed! The old barn transformed into a bright and ultra-stylish dwelling with the rustic and natural character kept intact. The living room and kitchen above are so trendy trendey almost expode. And then we have not yet looked at the bathroom and bedroom (below). I drool…Before I close my mouth, just look at the details, the lovely rag rug next to the free-standnig enamel tub, the wooden Eames-stool serving as a bedside table…

| all images: marie claire maison |

As far as I’m concerned, the worn and stripped industrial style benefits from a little bit of flair and romance. In industrial vintage style I hold the part vintage higher than industrial. Rough needs romance. And same goes for romantic styles, usually within country styles: Romance needs rough. Increasingly often, these styles can be seen merged. Industrial country romance!

| each pic is linked to its original source |

| photo by Pia Ulin, styling by Lotta Agaton for the latest issue of Elle Interiör |