For those who are tired of hygge: we’ll tell you all about the style that embodies the Eastern philosophy of comfort.
If you no longer want to chase trends and strive for conscious consumption, take a closer look at the wabi-sabi style. This is not just a fashionable way to decorate the interior, but an ancient Japanese philosophy that teaches you to appreciate beauty in its simplicity and naturalness.
Style Features
The Japanese, like the Danes (the founders of hygge ), are not characterized by a love of luxury and demonstration of high incomes. Modesty in everything is the main dignity of both a person and his home, and the true beauty of things lies in their functionality.
You can break down the wabi-sabi style into its components, but even this will not accurately describe its true meaning. The philosophy itself, which subsequently shaped a certain way of designing a living space, originated in Japan in the 15th century, and its roots go back to Shintoism (traditional religion).
The entire understanding of aesthetics for the Japanese is based on four concepts: wabi, sabi, Shibuya, and yugen. We are interested in the first two. “Wabi” means the absence of vulgarity, pretentiousness and excess. “Sabi” is beauty in its natural manifestations: small flaws, imprints of time, and traces of a lived life (applicable to both people and inanimate objects). Over time, these two components merged into one word, and then into a philosophical direction.
Today, wabi-sabi design can be considered both an interior style and a living principle that naturally influences the way your home looks. This direction is suitable for lovers of oriental culture, and connoisseurs of simple forms and natural materials. And also for those who are tired of a lot of things around them and want to live in order and minimalism.
Basic principles
To create a wabi-sabi interior, you need to follow certain rules.
Less is better
Less is more is the main postulate of this style. If you’ve ever seen the inside of a traditional Japanese house, you may have noticed that there is a lot of empty space. The furniture that exists is almost invisible: compact shapes, simple lines, and neutral colors “dissolve” it in the surrounding space.
For the Eastern mentality, there is nothing wrong with having empty spaces – the house should only have what is needed. There’s nothing beautiful about mindlessly filling rooms with furniture or empty surfaces with knick-knacks.
There are three basic principles when choosing any interior elements.
- Ergonomics.
- Functionality.
- Simplicity.
Natural materials
Why then don’t apartments and houses in this style seem uncomfortable, unfinished, and abandoned? The secret is in natural materials and textures. Comfort and coziness are created through quality, not quantity of things.
Wood, stone, clay, flax, wool, cotton, rattan, rice paper, straw, bamboo – use as many natural textures as possible in decorating your space and mix them as you like.
Harmony of imperfection
Another important principle that is not typical for Western consciousness is natural manifestations of beauty. Rust, chips, scratches, faded paint: for the Japanese, these are not flaws that require urgent repair or replacement of the item, but manifestations of life. They symbolize the passage of time, which remains tangibly on the objects of the material world, as well as the departure from the endless race for an unattainable ideal.
Allowing imperfect things to exist in your living space means allowing yourself to slow down, breathe, and enjoy the beauty of the moment. Which, by the way, is fleeting, and that’s why the traces left by it are so valuable.
But it’s important to understand the difference between natural imperfections and junk. The eastern interior does not tolerate clutter and dirt, but uneven lines, cracks, chips, rough surfaces, and abrasions have a right to life.
Natural colors
In a typical wabi-sabi palette, you will not find flashy colors or acidic shades. Everything is again taken from nature: shades of brown, grey, beige, blue, and green are intertwined and combined with each other.
Depending on the lighting of the room and personal preferences, the color scheme can be diluted with white or black. If you want more warmth, use terracotta, copper, and amber tones. Emerald, coniferous, indigo, graphite, and the color of a stormy sky will add depth to the interior.
If you don’t know how to assemble a palette, just look out the window – nature will tell you everything. For the Japanese, it is important that the interior design of the house is in harmony with the surrounding environment and even reflects the current time of year. Therefore, the best option is a neutral base, which can be given different shades and moods with the help of textiles and a few decorations.
Thoughtful details
By the way, about decorative elements. Since wabi-sabi is a fellow minimalist, there are either no accessories as such in the interior at all, or a minimal amount is present. Decorations should be in harmony with other elements in style and color scheme. But at the same time, the Japanese do not like strict canons of the arrangement of objects but allow asymmetry.
It is preferable to use functional things as decor in this style.
- Beautiful ceramics (vases, bowls, bowls, plates, cups).
- Decorative tableware in oriental style.
- Paintings or posters in simple frames.
- Mirrors and lamps of laconic form.
- Fans and chopsticks.
- Any textile that is pleasant to the touch.
- Wicker baskets, rugs, and lampshades.
Soft light
In Japanese philosophy, it is more important how the home is illuminated by the moon, rather than by the bright sun. That is why a well-thought-out lighting system is important for the direction (especially in dark rooms such as a hallway or a bathroom), which will necessarily include multi-level as well as diffused light. It is better to choose lamps with lampshades, and in the case of recessed spotlights, avoid blinding light bulbs.
Equally important is the presence of natural light. The larger the windows, the better. If the openings are small, they need to be opened as much as possible, hanging light linen curtains and transparent tulle instead of heavy, impenetrable curtains. Or – light bamboo blinds.
Hidden storage
As mentioned above, this style does not accept clutter. Therefore, closed storage systems are preferable, in which not only clothes, dishes, and other small items are hidden, but also equipment.
The hallway and bedroom have floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobes. Doors are suitable with invisible handles or with a push mechanism to maintain visual uniformity of the surface. There should be as few open racks and shelves as possible, and only thoughtful decor should be placed on them.
Wabi-sabi style in the interior of different rooms
Living room
When decorating a living room, follow 4 basic rules.
- The layout should be as open as possible. Zones are separated from each other not by walls or partitions, but by light screens.
- Only the necessary furniture. A sofa group and a table are usually enough. If there is not enough space in other rooms, you can place a storage system in the hall by adding 1-2 open shelves for decoration.
- Compensate for a neutral palette and rough furniture shapes with textiles made from natural fabrics.
- It is better to make the ceiling light, and the floor 2-3 shades darker than the finish. You can paste wallpaper on the walls, and apply paint or plaster to resemble stone, brick, or concrete.
Bedroom
Of all the rooms, it is in the bedroom that the wabi-sabi aesthetic fits most simply and naturally. The main task of the room is to be cozy, laconic, and set the mood for relaxation. Therefore, a natural, muted palette in combination with tactilely pleasant textiles looks especially good here.
If the windows face south, instead of thick floor-length curtains, you can choose light, impenetrable roller blinds or Roman blinds, which will be lowered only during sleep.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, practicality and ergonomics reign supreme. A set of varnished wood, a textured stone countertop, closed storage systems, built-in appliances. The apron can be tiled with imitation stone, concrete or wood. It is permissible to make an open shelf where beautiful ceramic dishes will stand. But basically everything should be hidden in drawers and cabinets.
If the kitchen is supposed to have a dining area , pay attention to tables made of solid wood. And above them, place lamps in lampshades made of metal or plant material (rattan, wicker, straw).
Bathroom
Because this style loves space, it is ideal for large bathrooms where there is room for a freestanding bathtub and a home spa area with oriental-style stools, a soft rug, and baskets.
In a city apartment, the area of bathrooms is usually small, so when decorating it is enough to follow the general rules: more natural materials, natural colors, minimalism in everything. It is advisable to hide all appliances (water heater, washing machine, dryer) in closed storage systems.
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