The Wabi Sabi Living Trend: What Makes Japanese Aesthetics So Appealing?

We present you a new interior design concept from Japan - the simple aesthetics combine the Asian love for simplicity with the Zen Buddhist teachings as the key to the joie de vivre. The Wabi Sabi living trend is based on the modern puristic furnishing principles and at the same time brings a romantic touch from the past. What is actually behind the term, and how you can interpret the inspiring message of the Japanese in your own four walls, we tell you in the article. Embark on a journey of discovery, learn to appreciate the beauty of small things and create more free space for creative hobbies! We show you how it works.

The Wabi Sabi Living Trend - The philosophy of life at a glance

Similar to Hygge , Wabi Sabi is not concerned with a concrete style of furnishing with clear principles, but rather with a philosophy of life that emphasizes the beauty of incomplete things. Not the pursuit of perfectionism plays the main role here - in contrast to minimalism, a reduction to the essential promotes personal development and imagination.

The term "Wabi Sabi" derives from the Japanese words Wabi (sad, alone) and Sabi (passed) and stands for the transience of all things. The literal translation does not sound very inspiring - but actually Wabi Sabi has a positive meaning in Japan and is understood as an inseparable part of the Buddhist principle of liberation from all unnecessary objects. Functionality comes first. Basically, as with purism, it is important to get rid of the things you do not need in everyday life and tidy up the rooms.

All the more - only after you have become independent of ownership, you can see the simple aesthetics and the elegance of small things. Even when setting up, comfort is paramount. Instead of styling the perfect immaculate interior, focusing on symmetry and harmony, Japanese aesthetics are mesmerized with a natural look. The combination of inherited and purchased furniture made of natural materials may seem chaotic at first glance. But on closer examination, the device turns out to be an authentic beauty.

The Wabi Sabi living trend - the basic principles

Those who are fascinated by the Wabi Sabi living trend and would like to put it into their own four walls must know the basic principles of Japanese purism. Here are the most important at a glance:

•             Focus on the essentials. The purist lifestyle means that a sparingly furnished room gives enough space for movement and energy flow. The visual void looks particularly appealing. Follow the rule of thumb: "Less is more". Each piece of furniture in the room should fulfill a specific function and be used daily. Appreciate what you really need and which items significantly increase your comfort - without thinking about their aesthetics. Do not concentrate on a uniform living concept - so you remain flexible.

•             The Wabi Sabi living trend has established itself as a countermovement to the consumer society - while promoting a return to nature. It goes without saying that natural materials are used extensively in interior design. All the more - even old furniture with patina can be found in a Wabi Sabi interior. In Japan, many pieces of furniture are inherited and remain in the house for several generations.

•             Furniture and home accessories with blemishes set accents and are prized for their decorative properties. You may therefore quietly homemade ceramic vessels with restored vases, bowls and co. mix.

•             Fabrics, textures, differently treated surfaces bring variety to a purist interior. Usually linen, cotton, wool, but also leather are considered. They are skillfully combined with marble, hand-blown glass, stoneware, exposed concrete and, of course, wood. A successful material mix increases the feel-good factor in the room and adds structure to the interior.

•             As far as the colors are concerned, the choice is up to your own preferences. Nevertheless, most of the ghosts are split here - the minimalists tend to use a gray color scheme with light wood as an accent, while the purists opt for facilities in white, elephantine leg and cream. It is important that the eyes relax and create an ambience with a homely character.

Wabi Sabi living trend - combining the furniture

Wabi Sabi expresses individuality - everything is allowed as long as you like it. Here are the most important furniture at a glance:

Upholstered furniture: Low seating is typical of Japanese culture - in the living room, a modular sofa and coffee table made of recycled wood create a cozy lounge corner. The cozy reading corner (see photo above) should not be missing in the bedroom as well - the upholstered armchairs with headrest can always be repositioned in the room if desired. The soft seat cushions, the pleasant feel of the linen fabric and the sturdy wooden construction promise the highest seat comfort. Incidentally, because Wabi Sabi furniture is made from local woods, it also scores points, among other things, for the quality of its production, which guarantees its longevity.

Wooden furniture: Coffee tables, dining tables, even washbasins are traditionally made from recycled wood. The wood surface is not sealed, but simply treated with special oil - in this way, the raw look remains. An attractive grain simply does not let go of the eyes and transforms the simple pieces of furniture into real statement pieces.

Bathroom furniture: Stone washbasin, ceramic bathtub, glass shower cubicle and optionally a small cabinet complete the bathroom program. The marble tiles offer a minimalist look - they complete the black and white color scheme and give the bathroom a character in no time at all. Large windows let enough light and air into the bathroom, cozy bonsai trees turn it into a wellness oasis and give the room the final touches.

Shaping Wabi Sabi balcony

Also on the balcony, the Asian Wabi Sabi living style is clearly visible - a rock garden in miniature gives the outdoor area that certain something. Bonsai trees, moss and conifers in planters form a charming ensemble that creates a relaxed atmosphere. A small island of nature in the middle of the big city, which invites you to relax after a long day at work and has a calming effect.

The Wabi Sabi living trend - exciting material mix

Granted - the natural materials make up the Wabi Sabi living trend. And because of boring - stone, wood and ceramic present themselves as real all-rounders and find numerous uses as flooring, wall cladding and even in the ceiling design. In the end, contrasts create tension. In the photo above, for example, the raw appearance of the untreated stone is opposed to the brilliance of the polished vase.

Wabi Sabi uses a variety of materials and fabrics - from hand-woven carpets, to pendant lights made of leather, to wickerwork. Combined according to the new mix-and-match trend, the various textures form a stylish ensemble and provide variety. Nature motifs such as fish, birds and plants adorn the carpets and the decorative pillows and give the room a homely touch. Plants complete the living program.

Wabi Sabi living trend - the colors

Brown, beige, sand color and warm ivory, cream and champagne nuances are usually present in puristic facilities. In contrast to Wabi Sabi, however, the Scandinavian purist interior designers rely on white, in minimalist luxury houses the color anthracite is in the foreground. The Japanese aesthetics are composed of warm wood shades and earth tones. Bright dove-gray concrete walls form the perfect backdrop for the warm color palette with a yellow undertone. Surprisingly, White is hardly present as a soloist in the interior - this is mainly because the color is hard to find in Japanese nature. Braun creates the optical illusion, as if one were sitting in the middle of the forest, the sand color of the stone - that one is in the mountains. Green,

Wabi Sabi - The room design at a glance

In Japan, the living space is limited - so the living style Wabi Sabi is particularly suitable for small apartments, where the residents have to concentrate anyway when setting up the essentials. The living space in Japan is divided into two - kitchen with dining area and living room are right next to each other, are in any case separate rooms. Guests are welcomed in the dining room, where the family spends their evenings together.

Anyone who decides on the style of living, so should pay great attention in the design of the kitchen. It - as a communication center - is in the center. The fronts are mostly handleless, but made of real wood. The wood has a characteristic grain and, ideally, a patina that makes it look old and recycled. The favorite dishes - for example, the porcelain plates, the bowl and the cups - are displayed as a curious decoration on illuminated shelves.

The wooden floor creates a seamless transition between the kitchen with dining area, the living room and the bedroom. Wardrobes hiding the Japanese mostly in the hall - in niches and corners. Mirrors in XXL format are often the only decoration for the walls. Lately, the trend has prevailed - and modern pictures are hung up as well.

Clearly, light plays the main role in the bedroom - various light sources are skilfully combined to create a cozy ambience. The modern double bed is very low, usually the mattress is placed directly on a wooden platform. Purism at its finest.

Implement the Wabi Sabi living trend into your own four walls - tips and tricks

Granted - even if the Japanese trend of living may seem so appealing, not everyone can or wants to undertake elaborate renovations, such as cladding the walls with stone. Luckily, the style can be interpreted modern without much effort. Here are some tips on how to bring a touch of Asia to the interior.

•             Clean up. The Wabi Sabi room is 40% empty. Now is the time to get rid of all unnecessary furniture, decorations and home accessories. Or divide the room into zones depending on the function and reshape it.

•             Sofa and armchair in linen fabrics upholstery - bring variety with new upholstery made of high quality fabrics. Decorate with decorative cushions with covers in cotton, wool, velvet with hand-knitted details. Set accents with textures, not colors.

•             Replace the old Hochfloor carpet with a handwoven version.

•             Decorate very sparingly, especially with ceramic vases or hand-blown glass bowls, with bonsai trees and recycled wood.

•             Less is more - just choose the furniture and home accessories that you really like. Resist the temptation to bring new items home time after time.

•             Buy less, but in higher quality - durable textiles, hand-made unique pieces and of course self-made decorative pieces increase the feel-good factor.

•             A neutral color scheme serves as a connecting element in the interior - so the device looks less eclectic and chaotic.

Modern but at the same time traditional, simple, but very effective - this is how the new Wabi Sabi living trend from Japan can be described. Behind the purist concept hides much more than just a furnishing style - much more here is a life attitude. It is deliberately dispensed with unnecessary furniture and accessories in favor of more free space. Instead of colors, accents are set with fabrics and textiles. The natural materials are in the center and characterize the Wabi Sabi interior. The result is a unique interior design that best reflects the character of its inhabitants.

The pros make it happen - the talented interior designer and architect Sergey Makhno caused a sensation with his Wabi Sabi facilities. In doing so, unconditional modernity is combined with purism. The end result delights with a pure luxury ambience in the Asian style!

Source: indecortrends.com