From glam to calm and points in between

Are you someone  who loves pretty, sparkly, elegant, or glamorous in home decor?

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 Do you love to continually redecorate, change with the seasons etc. Are you someone who loves accessories?  Many people have this "refined" up to date, concept of beauty and want their living spaces to reflect that.

Believe it or not, there are also people who are equally determined not to have spaces that are perfect and new. They like more pared down, earthy, calm environments that have "real" objects in them.  Some refer to this look as zen.

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As in all things there is usually a middle road that people like to take.  I am certainly not, nor never have been, attracted to glamorous spaces, with silk, sparkle and too much excess.  Comfortable, calm and clean lined is more my vibe.


I have always found the Japanese world view/aesthetic of wabi sabi that acknowledges three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect, very freeing. Such beliefs allow you to accept the dents, scratches, wrinkles, splits, cracks and scuffs as part of the history of a piece that makes it unique and authentic.  If you want to know more about wabi sabi check out this post.

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Natural materials predominate in wabi sabi homes: paper, aged wood, linens, cottons, etc. Look for anything that celebrates the  marks of time, weather, and  the effects of loving use. In other words look for objects with history on their surfaces.

 I am definitely attracted to the tenets  of wabi sabi, and if you went around my home you would see subtle evidence of my interest in the marks of time, wood, and natural materials like cotton and linen.
But you would also see pristine, light, glass  and leather.  For me combining new and old  is also a statement that  probably brings more attention to the less than perfect objects and what they mean.

I find spaces that have obviously combined the up to date with the old and authentic very interesting, and I think about them as approaching wabi sabi rather than fully embracing it.

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An old door made new with yellow

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A less than perfect stool in a white bathroom

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Pristine white sofas paired with antique, simple tables and a wooden bowl.

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An updated but old space with remnants of the world outside displayed.  

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Modern art paired with a rustic bench and less than perfect but evocative pottery. 

Isn't  great interest created when you set up comparisons in your space?  

Is there beauty in imperfection?

I find beauty in imperfection and impermanence.  It's all over my art. 

 The petal that is captured as it starts to decay, 

the rusted objects found in debris, the peeling layers of wallpaper in old homes, 

  and objects no longer needed for their original function, the list is endless.

Accepting  transience and  imperfection (flawed beauty) can also  relate directly to your living space.  The Japanese world view/aesthetic of wabi sabi   acknowledges three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.

Wabi Sabi  reveres authenticity. When you look for authentic furniture and objects for your home you will rarely find them  in big box stores.  Natural materials predominate in wabi sabi homes: paper, aged wood, linens, cottons, etc. Look for anything that celebrates the  marks of time , weather, and  the effects of loving use.

This graphic is a good summary of the characteristics of wabi sabi. 

 

Characteristics of wabi-sabi include: asymmetry, asperity (roughness, irregularity), simplicity, economy, austerity,  and appreciation of the integrity of natural objects and processes.  Look for: natural flawed beauty, patina, handmade, irregularity, bareness. How refreshing!

 

 This aged cabinet maintains the marks of its history.  No effort could make it perfect.  The vignette on top is simple, asymmetrical  and references the beauty and temporality found in nature. While there is austerity in the products, there is also tranquility.

Many  examples of wabi sabi contain little or no colour, but I feel  colour is not exclusive of this aesthetic.  Here's a good example that has all the characteristics noted above. The marks of time are evident, even more so on colour.

The delicacy of pink blossoms against all the weathered wood pits naturalness against roughness. 

Not every space that has  wabi sabi characteristics looks exactly the same.  All of these spaces have some wabi sabi elements.  

 

The wood console table is a hint of wabi sabi against the glass.  The space is simple and tranquil.

 
I love the imprefection of this countertop against the modern, pristine cabinets.  Am I the only person who craves warmth in countertops?  Imagine the difference if this island were finished in granite.

 Lots of natural materials, simplicity and economy is line and adornment, and a focus on the handmade.

If you want a little wabi sabi in your home here are suggestions for a start: 

If you want to find out more about this aesthetic ....

And remember ...

And a lesson we can all learn from Wabi Sabi....you can also interpret it in a much looser fashion to accept what you have as beautiful and to live with only what you need.

All links to images and many more examples  on my Pinterest board Wabi Sabi