The Art of Wabi-Sabi: Embracing Imperfection in the Home

Keeping your home looking neat and tidy is a very common aspect of interior design. However, other decor trends value imperfection, impermanence and incompleteness instead. The main trend is Wabi-Sabi, which is a traditional Japanese aesthetic that is incorporated into homes to create an organic feel and make a place more homely.

Wabi-Sabi interior design is split up into two elements; Wabi and Sabi. Wabi refers to something being subdued with austere beauty and Sabi means “rustic patina”, which is referred to as a weathered look. Bringing the terms together, the ancient philosophy of Wabi-sabi focuses on accepting the imperfect and transient nature of life. While maintaining this aesthetic, it’s important to keep it imperfect and not let it reach a level that is considered to be messy.

With that being said, let’s explore the key characteristics of the Art of Wabi-Sabi and how you can incorporate it into your home. Continue reading to find out all the tips and tricks.

Characteristics of Wabi-Sabi Aesthetics

Asymmetry

The unpredictability of asymmetrical interior design is what separates it from other techniques and makes it an interesting choice for home decor. It has remained a key element of Japanese aesthetics since the 14-16th century. This is one of Wabi-Sabi’s main characteristics and it can be incorporated into the home in a variety of ways:

• Ikebana: Asymmetrical flower arrangements are a key element of
  Wabi-Sabi interior design and consist of three points; sky (shin) at the top,
  earth (soe) at the bottom and humans (tai) at the middle.
• Tokonoma: This is an area, such as a small bathroom that is designed to showcase objects for aesthetic enjoyment. It’s split into two with a hanging scroll on the right and split-level shelves on the left.
• Chashitsu:
  This is a natural tea room that represents the natural state of things, so
  everything must be asymmetrical. Predictable ordering goes completely against
  the Chashitsu feeling.

Having too much symmetry in a room can create a sense of something being manufactured or forced in the world of Wabi-Sabi. Having a place that feels natural is seen as important for evoking specific emotions.

Roughness

While we aren’t talking about clutter, it’s important to have elements of roughness in your home if you want to incorporate the art of Wabi-Sabi. For example, you can embrace rough edges and imperfections throughout your home through different solutions. A vintage style will lend itself perfectly to the Wabi-Sabi style, as these furnishings will usually show signs of ageing and weathered edges.

To achieve this characteristic of Wabi-Sabi, you can use furniture items that are made of several types of materials, such as wood, rough papers, bamboo, stone, flax or clay. Having furniture that is considered to be too smooth or well-maintained can lose the natural look that is trying to be achieved by Wabi-Sabi.

Simplicity

Wabi-Sabi revolves around simplicity, as the cultural origins are deeply rooted in Japan and closely intertwined with Zen Buddhism. With this, Wabi-Sabi looks to embrace the present moment and create a sense of serenity. Simple natural and organic elements are used to create this aesthetic and add to the tranquillity of a room.

The simplicity also links to the colour scheme chosen with interior design, as traditional Wabi-Sabi colour would derive from natural materials such as stone and wood. The aim is to create a space to look and feels uncomplicated.

Economy

Cost-based pricing concepts are applied in economic design to prevent inefficiencies. These ideas give rise to lump-sum taxes on the sale or rental value of land, as well as Pigouvian taxes and subsidies. For certain monopolies, the same principle applies.

This is a key characteristic of Wabi-Sabi, as it focuses on a cost-effective solution to interior design and uses a lot of homemade elements that can be made with limited resources. This also plays into sustainability and being environmentally-friendly.

Modesty

Wabi-Sabi’s interior design is very modest and doesn’t tend to opt for anything flashy or expensive. This includes straying away from decor elements that are seen to reflect uniformity. A key way to include this characteristic into a home is through ceramics with Japanese pottery masters including new textures to create pieces that are very unique and nonuniform.

Design environments of Wabi-Sabi are not only aesthetically pleasing but also prioritise functionality and usefulness of the different design elements that are inside a Wabi-Sabi inspired home.

Austerity

Austerity is the condition of living without unnecessary items or comforts. This is often incorporated into homes of those who have limited money or goods, or don’t want to have elements like this in their home.

Textiles, ceramics and handcrafted items give personality and genuineness to a space. Handmade items are frequently most charming when they are flawed, which goes hand-in-hand with the austerity characteristic of Wabi-Sabi.

Nature

Nature plays a huge part in Wabi-Sabi interior design. There are a variety of ways that nature is used to embrace imperfection in the home, such as:

• Bonsai: Altering bonsai trees with an electric chainsaw to create a miniature version of their mature forms is a key practice in Wabi-Sabi. Roots and branches can also be altered to achieve the right type of growth.
• Moss: Untouched locations can generate moss and add a sense of tranquillity. Zen
  gardens are infamous for bright green moss to add to their realism and sense of
  ageing which is also a characteristic of Wabi-Sabi.
• Tea Ceremony: Famous Japanese ceremonies are a key part of Wabi-Sabi design and include
  asymmetrical flower arrangements in these rooms that seem natural.

Intimacy

The art of Wabi-Sabi relies on elements of intimacy within interior design. The key to designing an intimate area is having a cosy and welcoming home. It’s about making an area where you can spend precious time with your closest friends and family while feeling comfortable and safe. Keeping your home imperfect and incomplete makes it feel as though it has been lived in and the idea is that it creates a place where people can feel more at home, rather than in a place that is over stylised.