Wabi-Sabi Interior Principles | Beauty in Imperfection

When I first found wabi-sabi, I immediately fell in love with this philosophy and was inspired by its aesthetic. I hope this post will still inspire you to bring more wabi-sabi ideas into your lifestyle and home. So let's dive into the world of wabi-sabi interiors and lifestyle.

Let's start from the basics - what does "wabi-sabi" mean? This phrase itself s difficult to translate into other languages. In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a worldview centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

This is a unique Japanese view of the world, which manifests imperfections, authenticity, naturalness, and minimalism. Wabi-sabi usually can be found in interior design and people's lifestyles, but also can be applied to art, photography, ceramics, architecture, clothing, and food.

The values of wabi-sabi teach us to strive for simplicity and look for beauty in the imperfect, appreciate the present, enjoy the moment, feel a better connection with nature, accept the fleetingness of life, discard unnecessary and focus on the important. Here is the list of the main wabi-sabi values:

One of the main values of Wabi-Sabi is to encourage us to appreciate nature and the earth by using natural materials in our homes instead of synthetic ones that pollute the environment or harm animals.

Instead of looking for beauty in perfection, symmetry, and sterility, wabi-sabi seeks beauty in imperfection. This philosophy draws attention to the beauty of the changeable, illusory, and imperfect world that surrounds us, to the fleetingness and uniqueness of the moment.

Wabi-sabi embraces slow living and calmness in front of urgency and chaos. It's about making space for yourself, your ideas, and your feelings — and being okay with not having everything figured out right away. It is a philosophy that encourages us to pause and take in the world around us, even if it doesn't look like we want it to. If you are interested in a slow living lifestyle - read my blog post about how to slow down.

Wabi-Sabi is about appreciating the simplicity of life and embracing the “less is more” lifestyle. Every day, the human brain has to “digest” huge amounts of information. The Wabi-Sabi is close to the minimalist philosophy, which is also embracing the most essential things in life. If you are interested to know more about minimalism - read my blog post about how minimalism can improve your life.

Wabi-sabi is a completely different approach to living compared to Western trends. It is based on the idea of enjoying what you have rather than focusing on what you don't. It's about accepting your flaws and imperfections with grace instead of trying to hide them from others or from yourself.

Wabi-sabi helps us deal with our own emotions by helping us accept ourselves as we are — and it gives us space to grow into ourselves without the pressure to become someone else or be someone we're not yet ready for. Wabi-sabi is about letting go of perfectionism, which can hold you back from creating anything at all because there's no way to get everything just so (there never will be).

Wabi-Sabi interiors are created to slow down, appreciate the moment, relax, calm down and reflex. The Wabi-Sabi aesthetic is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature. It is prevalent throughout all forms of Japanese art.

New York, United States of America by Axel Vervoordt

I am in love with this project by talented Alena Valyavko with wabi-sabi elements. The project is designed for modern and laconic people with a subtle sense of style. The living room and kitchen area imply an open space. The master bedroom is distinguished by a comfortable and cozy space without unnecessary noise.

Here is a list of the books that will help you to dive into the world of wabi-sabi philosophy and get inspiration to implement into your home interior and lifestyle:

The values of wabi-sabi teach us to strive for simplicity and look for beauty in the imperfect, appreciate the present, enjoy the moment, feel a better connection with nature, accept the fleetingness of life, discard unnecessary and focus on the important. Here is the list of the main wabi-sabi values:

Wabi-Sabi originated in Japan more than 1,000 years ago when tea masters used to seal their cups with wax before firing them in kilns at high temperatures to prevent cracking during the firing process. This technique created vessels with cracks on the surface which became characteristics of wabi-sabi ceramics.

Today's contemporary decorators are experimenting with this traditional craft while incorporating modern elements such as glass or metal into their designs to create stunning pieces!

To achieve a wabi-sabi look and feel - you need to choose items that are not perfect but have some kind of beauty in their imperfection. You can also include some DIY items which you have made yourself to add an extra personal touch to your home.

Hope you enjoyed this blog post and get wabi-sabi inspiration, that you are ready to implement to your home interior and life!

See you next time,
Arina