The key to achieving the wabi-sabi philosophy is the art of imperfection, effects of the passage of time, and using raw materials. But what makes this interior design aesthetic and unique. We are going to find out right here.
What is Wabi-Sabi Style
The concept of wabi-sabi originated in Japan and has many decoration rules applied. You see no symmetry or use perfection in your design. Wabi-sabi style requires no embodiment in what you do. It is more than a decorative style and a philosophy of life.
It is a way of living to perceive the world to peacefully accept the natural cycle of growth and decay of your inherent life. It is about recognizing three realities in your life nothing is complete, nothing lasts, and nothing is perfect.
To think all of this is something that people only realize now, but it has been around for years.
You See Perfection in Imperfection
In the decoration style, you seek the value of materials in their actual, honest, and purest version. You get a minimalist aesthetic, adding warmth to your interior design using rustic materials or objects telling a story of your life. The wabi-sabi interiors have no perfection or symmetry.
The True Meaning of Wabi-Sabi Aesthetic
When you analyze wabi-sabi, it has no literal translation but derives the meaning from the term ‘wa’ root, referring to balance peace and harmony. In the zen belief, Wabi is a person who finds happiness in the small things in life and is free from greed and anger, understanding the wisdom of nature.
On the other hand, ‘Sabi’ translates to flower of time, referring to degradation and the flow of time, understanding that beauty is temporary. The two words are the essence of philosophy, stating the beauty of imperfection and respecting your passage of time.
But how do you incorporate the wabi-sabi principle of Japanese art in finding beauty in your living space? We have got you covered with the seven essential elements to adopt the style of creating a wabi-sabi home.
7 Key Elements to Adopt Interior Wabi-Sabi Style
Wabi-sabi today is different from years ago, and adding the Japanese philosophy to your home decor, you need to achieve the following elements.
Kanso Meaning Simplicity
This is an essential principle for your life and the items you have in your home. Instead of adding loads of things to your living space, take a good look at what you have. It is time to declutter and tone it down.
Think about what each item means in your life and if it fits in with your current personality. Do you need that dining table or other untouched elements in the home?
Thinking about it frees you from your attachments to worldly things in your life. Thus it reduces stress or anxiety to give you tranquility of mind.
So, start ridding your home of all the clutter decor to bring clarity to your life. Remove things instead of adding more to your space.
You will see that it gives you a place to add essential items to find beauty in their area. Looking at empty spaces around your items becomes a focal point known as framed emptiness.
So, instead of having that gallery wall, place one crucial piece of artwork in its place with open space surrounding it.
Fukinsei Meaning Assymetri
The color palette of your wabi-sabi interior design is earthy and muted. The walls are innate of earth and much. Even the shades include weathering of specific finishes occurring with time.
You see brick or concrete peeling of paint to give a worn look. Furthermore, your design goes in the opposite direction without asymmetry to help you embrace the imperfections.
Shibumi Finding Beauty In the Understated
While simplicity is essential, you need to embrace imperfections in your life. You can get caught up on how you want materialism instead of living in the now. Following the wabi-sabi helps you age gracefully and be happy with where you find yourself in your present life.
As things constantly change, you have no finished line and always have room to grow. So, next time you scroll through Instagram wondering why your home decor does not look like the image thing about the wabi-sabi principle.
The important thing is to appreciate the simple pleasures in your life, from the natural light to textures providing you with a deep connection within yourself.
Shizen Meaning Using Natural Materials
Here you look at un-dyed fabrics to raw materials with hand-crafted pieces like textiles, ceramics, and rugs. The texture is uneven and brought while not processed, keeping it close to the original state. Thus choosing natural fabrics from your linen to furniture is a fundamental factor.
Yugen Meaning Subtle Grace
Everything about wabi-sabi is tranquility using repurposing furniture to pottery with blemishes and imperfections.
These architecture designs and decor highlights your passage of time telling a story. Even the organic shapes are unique.
Repurposing your items gives items a new purpose and provides you with sustainable living done with subtle care.
Datsuzoku Releasing You Freedom from Habits
As mentioned, it is time to declutter your home for all the things to make it look like lived in instead of stating authenticity. Minimalism is the thing with the less you have, the more you appreciate life.
Seijaku Giving You Tranquility
Do not forget to include items to stimulate your senses in your home decor. For example, bring in burning incense, textural textile wools, sheepskin to water features.
10 Wabi-sabi Interior Designs To Calm Your Spirit
To celebrate the simplicity of wabi-sabi style, you can look at the following for inspiration using a subtle palette with natural elements and comfort.
Wood and More Wood
For enjoying relaxation, there is nothing more relaxing than bringing nature inside. One thing that brings appreciation is wood finishes left raw or unstained. It reveals all the imperfections from the knots to the grain. It is warm and inviting with a wide selection of finishes. Using reclaimed timber to refurnished old furniture is what you need.
The Presence of Plants and Trees
While natural finishes are great, bringing nature into each part of your home interior is an excellent way for wabi-sabi philosophy. Place plants and trees or even bedding adorned with rustic leaves and birds on your bed. Place a bubbling fountain in your living space decorated with flowers and other greenery.
Opt for Natural Touches
Create a room like your bathroom where you enjoy relaxing into a rejuvenated space with Sabi style. There you can connect your mind and body with the heat and water transporting your soul to another place. Use natural touches with timber walls or install a dry heat sauna with clean lines with natural daylight entering your relaxation space.
Simple and Cozy
Weave in a personal touch to make your living space cozy yet straightforward by picking a striking art piece, simple vase, or placing that broken vase you glued together. The important thing is not to overcrowd stuff in your house. For example, add some throw pillows or blankets to your sofa, making it look lived in.
Consider Washed Linen
Wabi-sabi design brings in small things that are not perfect, from washed linen for bedding to kitchenware. The fabric is soft and gives a lived-in style with a naturally wrinkled look.
Natural Kitchenwares
Even your kitchenware needs not to have the bling, and using natural materials like bamboo cutlery, plates, mugs, and more is a perfect Sabi style to bring nature into your home, and it is aesthetic at the same time.
Forget About The Latest Trends
Yes, look at what you have available and forget about the latest modern trends in homeware. Instead, you will find that your old dinner set to bedding can become alive again with its unfinished look. As the saying goes, trends tend to come back from the past. So, use that old glued vase on the coffee table or glued mug as a statement piece in the kitchen.
Add The Essence Of Life Back Into Your Interior Design
Yes, get that incense, candles, water features, and creative arts to bring back the scenes in your living area. For example, you can place incense sticks throughout the home with earthy tones to citrus.
Look At Your Naturally Imperfect Items
Yes, you broke your earthware vase the other day. Go and get it out of the bin and glue it back together for a great display in the home. Wabi-sabi is the Japanese term that goes all about accepting the imperfections in your life.
Be Sensual About What You Have
There is no need to rush out and buy new decor items to display in your living area. Instead, create a sense of nature with what you have available in your home after decluttering it, making your old wooden mirror a focal point standing at the wall.
Final Thought
Why not embrace the art of wabi-sabi today by using the tips above to bring inner peace into your modern living style. The best part is it does not need to be only part of your decor. It can become a part of your life.
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