wabi sabi what?

classic, bohemian, vintage - these are just a few of the labels that permeate the design world, over and over again. i could never figure out to which label i belonged, until i learned these two funny little japanese words.

 

when i first learned about wabi sabi, it was as if i was reading an eerily exact description of the world through my eyes. never before had i read something and thought, "yes, this is it." its not green or vintage or rustic or modern - instead it is a philosophy for living, that influences what i like, what i choose, what i buy, where i want to live, how i want to celebrate and just about how i do everything else.

wabi sabi is :

 

living modestly + simply : being satisfied with what is : living in the moment : seeing the beauty of things as they are : small moments of celebration : imperfection

 

wabi sabi is not :

 

a design style : looking messy + unkept : disposability : mass produced

 

in a home, its about mismatched plates, the patina of aging photographs, wildflowers, frayed edges, solid wood furniture and earthern clay walls, for example.

 

it is not decoration or interior design, but a philosophy for living. it “seeks beauty in the imperfection of all things, the perpetual movement of everything” (juniper, 2003). zen philosophy has greatly influenced wabi sabi’s script for living. the japanese tea ceremony, flower arranging, garden design and the haiku are all examples of what wabi sabi embodies. in short, if we can accept the imperfection and constant changes in nature and in our own lives, we can perhaps find a bit of happiness.

 

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