Inside a Japandi Kitchen Renovation in Austin

When our clients came to us for their Austin kitchen renovation, they had a clear vision for how they wanted the space to feel: warm, calm, natural, and inspired by Japandi design.

Japandi blends the simplicity of Japanese interiors with the warmth and functionality of Scandinavian design. Natural materials, clean lines, thoughtful craftsmanship, and an edited approach are all central to the style. But creating a Japandi kitchen isn't simply about using light wood and keeping everything minimal.

For this home, we focused on a small palette of beautiful natural materials—white oak, walnut, rattan, and Taj Mahal quartzite—then layered in texture, curves, custom details, and plenty of hidden storage.

White Oak as the Foundation

Custom white oak cabinetry became the foundation of the kitchen. Because there is a substantial amount of cabinetry in the space, we kept the fronts simple and allowed the natural grain of the wood to provide warmth and variation.

The cabinetry extends beyond the kitchen into the adjacent entry, where we designed a built-in bench with hidden storage. We also carried white oak onto the interior doors, helping the cabinetry, doors, and built-ins feel like part of the architecture rather than separate elements added to the room.

Designer Tip: When planning custom cabinetry, look beyond the cabinets themselves. Coordinating nearby doors, built-ins, and architectural details can make a renovation feel much more intentional.

Creating a Minimal Kitchen Without Sacrificing Storage

A calm kitchen is much easier to achieve when there's actually somewhere to put everything.

Along the long custom cabinet wall, we prioritized closed storage for pantry items, small appliances, dishes, and the everyday things that naturally accumulate in a kitchen. This allowed us to keep the overall design clean without expecting the clients to live with perfectly styled countertops.

We balanced the closed cabinetry with a few floating white oak shelves, creating intentional places for display without turning the kitchen into open storage.

Designer Tip: If visual clutter bothers you, prioritize closed cabinetry first and use open shelving as an accent rather than your primary storage.

Adding Character Through Curves and Texture

Instead of introducing more colors or materials, we added interest by changing the way the materials we already had were used.

Fluted wood adds texture along the upper cabinetry, while rattan introduces a softer woven element. Rounded cabinet ends and the arched rattan detail help break up the straight lines that naturally come with cabinetry, countertops, and appliances.

From across the room, the kitchen still feels simple. Up close, the changes in texture and shape give it character.

Designer Tip: You don't always need another finish to make a kitchen interesting. Changing the shape or texture of a material you're already using can add just as much depth without making the space feel busy.

Mixing White Oak, Walnut and Rattan

White oak is the dominant wood throughout the kitchen, but we layered in darker walnut details, including the baseboards and toe kicks, to create contrast. Rattan adds another natural texture while staying within the warm, neutral palette.

Mixing wood tones can make homeowners nervous, but everything doesn't need to match. The key is creating a clear hierarchy. Here, white oak is the primary material, while walnut and rattan are used more sparingly as accents.

That contrast keeps a kitchen filled with wood from feeling one-dimensional.

Designer Tip: When mixing woods, choose one dominant tone and use the others in smaller amounts. This makes the combination feel intentional rather than mismatched.

Letting Taj Mahal Quartzite Make the Statement

With so much warmth coming from the cabinetry, we wanted the stone to introduce natural movement while keeping the palette soft.

We selected Taj Mahal quartzite and used it for much more than the countertops. The stone continues down the waterfall island, up the backsplash, and around the cooking area.

Repeating the same stone gave us more visual impact without adding another material. The floating white oak shelves bring warmth back onto the stone wall and connect it to the cabinetry throughout the rest of the kitchen.

Designer Tip: If you love your countertop stone, consider continuing it onto the backsplash instead of introducing another tile. It can simplify the material palette while allowing the natural stone to become a bigger part of the design.

Connecting the Kitchen and Entry

One of my favorite details of this renovation is how the design continues beyond the kitchen.

The long run of custom cabinetry leads into the entry, where we incorporated a white oak bench with concealed storage, a floating shelf, fluted detailing, and the arched rattan cabinet.

Rather than treating the entry as an entirely separate space, we repeated the same materials and details. Even the white oak doors become part of the overall design.

It's a small example of something that can make a big difference in a renovation: considering how one space transitions into the next instead of designing every room in isolation.

Bringing Japandi Design to Life

The goal wasn't to make this kitchen look like a checklist of Japandi design trends. We wanted to take the principles behind the style and make them work for the clients and their home.

Natural materials bring warmth. Closed cabinetry keeps everyday clutter out of sight. Curves and arches soften the clean lines. Rattan and fluted wood add texture. Walnut creates contrast against the white oak, while Taj Mahal quartzite brings movement to an otherwise restrained palette.

The finished kitchen feels minimal without feeling empty, warm without feeling heavy, and detailed without becoming busy.

For this Austin kitchen renovation, creating a Japandi-inspired space ultimately came down to using fewer materials in more thoughtful ways—and designing a kitchen that's just as functional to live in as it is beautiful to look at.