Feature image via Ginny MacDonald
Have you heard of Wabi Sabi? No, it’s not sushi, but it does sound delicious. Wabi Sabi is the Japanese style of embracing imperfection. This not only applies to home design, but to life as well! Isn’t that beautiful? I’ve long been opposed to picture perfect interiors (because nothing on the internet represents real life), and embracing imperfection is just the ticket for a beautiful home without the hassle. Let’s get zen with Wabi Sabi!
Ever since Marie Kondo published her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, we have been obsessing over Japanese style. First off, the Japanese are brilliant. They repair cracks in pottery with gold. That makes my heart smile. The Japanese truly embrace imperfection and mending the pieces that break throughout the journey.
Being perfect, looking perfect, and acting perfect are unattainable aspirations. So let’s get real instead. Even famed Anna Wintour spoke with Jenna Lyons, former creative director at J. Crew, about her annoyance at red carpet outfits. Everyone looks too perfect, and the pair expressed desire to messy the outfit up a bit so that it’s not so perfect. They wanted to get rid of this fake facade and get real. Bravo, ladies.
Origins of Wabi Sabi
So how did Wabi Sabi come about? As the Japanese legend goes, a young man named Sen no Rikyu wanted to learn the Way of Tea, a detailed set of tea customs. He sought help from tea master, Takeeno Joo, who gave Rikyu a test of tending the garden. Rikyu cleaned up the garden, making it look perfect, and at the very end, shook a cherry tree so that flowers would be randomly strewn about. This is the art of Wabi Sabi; the casual elegance and perfection of imperfection (Source).
Wabi Sabi was established in the 15th century, so this certainly isn’t a new idea. Its purpose was to offer a way of life opposite one focused on perfection, prosperity, and lavishness (Source). It is interesting that only now is this trend becoming popular in the west. It is the complete opposite of our current perfection-seeking culture, and that’s exactly why it’s gaining such popularity. It’s a counter measure; a desire to return to our messy, imperfect roots.
In our picture perfect social media world where everyone mainly posts their highlights, we are noticing that our desire for perfection is causing depression. As a society, we are searching for answers to this problem, without giving up our desire to seek beauty. Our body knows that how we are living and thinking isn’t sustainable; it’s actually quite detrimental to our mental, physical, and spiritual health.
How to “Wabi Sabi” Your Home
So, how can you incorporate Wabi Sabi in you home? Pretty easily, actually, because the only requirement is embracing what you already have. You need not spend a dime! I can hear you now, “so your design advice is to do…nothing?” No, not nothing, my friend. You can shop your own home. I am constantly doing that. I am re-styling, rearranging, refinishing. I love a good DIY, and I am always giving new life to items that have been previously owned by me or someone else.
I am actually in the process of Wabi Sabi-ing my entire apartment by replacing cheap items with solid second hand pieces that will last a lifetime. I never thought I would enjoy thrifting, but oh man, it is thrilling. Keep in mind, I’m trying to thrift second hand furniture in NYC without a car or the ability to carry heavy things from apartment to apartment. So, if I can do it, and can find joy in doing it, you absolutely can.
Last month, I went to New Jersey to pick up a giant solid oak coffee table for only $30. Today, I bought a set of 4 vintage bamboo dining chairs for only $40! I will bring new life to these chairs with new upholstery and maybe a coat of white paint (still debating that one). Point is, you can find really really great deals on quality items if you are willing to search a bit. I love me some vintage.
1. Choose Long Lasting Materials
via Ginny MacDonald
Yikes. This is the opposite of what’s trending in home decor (engineered wood, I’m looking at you). We live in a throw away culture that is reforming (yay!). People are making better choices and investments, which is really good news. The best way to get good quality pieces is by buying second hand. I recently posted a blog about where to get secondhand furniture, so give that a read.
Lucky for you, mid-century modern is in and eveyrwhere. Things just aren’t made like they used to be, so vintage is the way to decorate. Some examples from my own home: I have a vintage marble plant stand and as you can guess, the marble has etching; it’s not perfect. Yet, somehow, it looks more at home in its imperfection.
A few years back, I also made a copper pipe pendant light, copper pipe curtain rods, and copper pipe door pulls for my wardrobe and they are aging beautifully with a rich patina. They are no longer shiny and new, but look like they’ve been around. They will last forever and that’s the point.
Wabi Sabi embraces imperfection such as patina on metals, aging on wood, signs of wear. It is not “shabby chic” where new items are purposely distressed. Wabi Sabi is all about the journey of the item. However, wear and tear on cheaper pieces like engineered wood items tend to look like a dog chewed on it. We aren’t going for messy; we are going for lived and loved in, so select pieces carefully.
2. De-clutter
via Little Green Notebook
Clutter in the home = clutter in the mind. It’s scientifically proven. So, you want less mental clutter? Just de-clutter your physical space. Your body naturally relaxes with a clean environment. This sounds like it’s a giant undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be. Slow and steady wins the race, always. How I de-clutter: get dishes done everyday or every other, spend 5 minutes putting everything back in it’s home at the end of the day, oh, and never ever make the bed. That last one is key, lol.
3. Choose Fashion and Function
via Ginny MacDonald
This can sometimes be tough. The only eye sore in my apartment is my fiance’s large and in charge computer chair. Ugh, I hate it so much. It’s super tall and black, goes with nothing, and is seen from every angle of the apartment. But in true Wabi Sabi fashion, I’m embracing that imperfection because it’s a necessity for him. Like Elsa says, “let it go”.
That being said, you should try your best to select something that is both beautiful and functional. If it is beautiful but not very functional, you won’t be happy–how many times have your beautiful shoes given you blisters? If it is functional but a huge eye sore (computer chair ::cough cough::), you also won’t be happy and it will bring down the vibe of the space. This is why a lot of people, including me, dislike open plan floor plans: you can literally see everything that is messy or out of place. It’s the worst.
4. Add Greenery
via CB2
This is a must. There are so many great options for planters these days. This spring I’m going to give my planters a makeover, so stay tuned for a DIY. Plants do so much for your space; they give it life, improve air quality, and lift your spirit. Nature is healing, remember that.
If you have a history of being a plant serial killer (been there!), there are plants that are super easy to grow and keep alive. I’ve had luck with the snake plant, ZZ plant, and aloe plant–all bought from IKEA and have lasted 6+ years. My latest purchase was a Jade succulent from Trader Joe’s and it’s still alive and has doubled in size within 6 months.
Pssst…If you want something to bloom, African Violets are so beautiful but ONLY if you get soil specifically for African Violets (they are sensitive). Not into greenery or blooms? That’s fine. Just get some tall branches/twigs, a tall vase or piece of pottery, and display it with pride! Extra points for handmade pottery. There will be a DIY coming up because you can totally make your own, imperfections and all.
5. Diffuse Essential Oils
via Urban Outfitters
I wrote about diffusing this essential oil during cold and flu season, but I also diffuse others everyday. I don’t buy expensive stuff, guys. My diffuser was less than $20 on Amazon and I got a set of 6 essential oils for less than $20, also on Amazon.
We remember scent so vividly, so make your home memorable! You know exactly how Hollister, Abercrombie, and Anthropologie smell, right? Exactly. They curated the literal air. We are striving for a more natural approach, though.
Rosemary mint is an amazing blend, so is lavender and geranium. Lemon and eucalyptus would be awesome. Cinnamon and clove for the colder months. Oh the possibilities are endless. You can create a signature scent for your home that is nature and non toxic! Essential oils improve health and vitality, so get your nose ready!
6. Don’t Block Natural Light
via Architectural Digest
It’s good for your psyche to be in a well lit room. I may or may not have sat in the sunny spot on the sofa for a good 20 minutes this morning like a cat…soooo there’s that. I also ordered a “happy light” from Amazon to combat those winter dreary days. It’s a light therapy box that I plan to use for 30+ minutes a day to trick my body into thinking it’s summer.
Ok, so how do you work with the amount of natural light you have? If you have sheers, remove them for the winter. If you have shades, pull those babies up! If you have curtains, pull them back (and also don’t select a heavy fabric or dark color). We want our homes to be as light and bright as possible. Don’t let your draperies bring you down.
PS: the image above is from Architectural Digest’s latest home tour of Athena Calderone. Here’s the full home tour if you want to see more of this awesome home in Brooklyn.
7. Forget the “Pillow Karate Chop”
via Dabito
You know the pillow karate chop. It’s the chop you do in the top center of a pillow to make it perfectly fluffy. Well, forget it. Just relax with whatever your pillows look like. You live in a home not a museum; it’s not a big deal. The worst thing is if your guest feels like she needs to fix the spot she just sat in. Oh, the horror!
This also applies to stopping with the fussing of linens and blankets. Your chair covers are wrinkled? Whatever. That means they have seen wonderful dinner parties. The throw blanket isn’t perfectly draped like a catalog? Oh, well. You probably had some great times binge watching The Good Place. Pish posh to pristine, I say (and Wabi Sabi agrees).
8. Avoid Symmetry
via Apartment Therapy
I’ve said before to style your decor items in groups of 3, as this adds the most interest. Traditionalists, and possibly OCDers must have symmetry, and that is okay. The whole point of Wabi Sabi is to make your space perfectly curated to your needs for the best wellness. I love the assortment of plant stands in the living room above. It’s quirky, eclectic, and it just looks warm.
What do you think? Are you down to clown with Wabi Sabi? It really is a lifestyle choice–already adopted by Jessica Alba! Even Oprah boasts that “Wabi Sabi will make your home calm”. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, then I don’t know what is. Wabi Sabi is all about embracing what you have and striving towards streamlining. The point is doing more with less and showing gratitude for what you have.
“Wabi sabi is the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete, the antithesis of our classical Western notion of beauty as something perfect, enduring, and monumental.”
-Leonard Koren, author of Wabi Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets, and Philosophers (source)
-Kristen
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