With so many necessary appliances, not to mention the potential for all sorts of bells and whistles, there’s a lot to cram into our kitchens these days. But minimalism in interior design remains a goal of modern kitchens, and the latest Japandi trend offers a pleasant update.

“The term Japandi really means to blend Scandinavian design with Japanese craftsmanship,” say James Veal and Christine Stucker, the owners of Brooklyn’s Stewart-Schafer, who applied principles of George Nakashima’s iconic woodwork in the kitchen above.

This light-filled and clean-lined Japandi kitchen is a meditation on less is more. “When designing this kitchen, we wanted the natural materials to be the focus,” explains Stewart-Schafer, which bookmatched oak wood to create seamlessly serene surfaces, and skipped metal hardware for custom-made wooden handles that maintained an organic vibe. Wooden kitchen cabinet ideas never felt so calming. “By using lighter wood and making things uniform, we are adding a Scandinavian element which is also all about functionality.”

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