How to Incorporate Wabi Sabi style in Your Interior Design

What’s Wabi-Sabi All About?

More than just a design trend, Wabi-Sabi is a way of life inspired by Japanese culture. It teaches us to appreciate life’s imperfections, find beauty in simplicity, and embrace the transient nature of things. In home decor, this translates to minimalist, calming spaces where every item has its place without striving for flawlessness.

Instead of hiding cracks, we highlight them. Rather than buying new, we breathe new life into existing pieces. The concept? Creating a peaceful, balanced environment that encourages calmness and contemplation.

Key Elements of Wabi-Sabi Style

Want to infuse your space with Wabi-Sabi style? Here are the essentials you need to know about:

• Natural, Raw Materials: Think untreated wood, raw stone, linen, and handcrafted ceramics. These materials boast textures and histories that age gracefully.
• Neutral Color Palettes: Earthy tones like beige, gray, brown, and off-white create a soothing ambiance.
• Embracing Imperfections: Appreciate items with history or flaws. A ceramic bowl with a small crack? Ideal! A slightly worn piece of furniture? Even better!
• Clutter-Free Spaces: Retain only the essentials. Let each room breathe, offering a peaceful setting.
• Touches of Nature: Incorporate plants, dried branches, or pebbles collected from a walk. Nature is central in Wabi Sabi design.

Bringing Wabi-Sabi Design into Your Home

No need for a complete overhaul to adopt this Wabi-Sabi design and philosophy into your home. Here are five simple tips to introduce Wabi Sabi design into your space:

1. Choose Real Materials: Pick furniture made of solid wood, natural stone, or handmade ceramics. This will help create a warm and lively space.
2. Play with Soft Color Schemes: Neutral, natural shades promote a serene, timeless feel.
3. Highlight Imperfect Objects: Instead of concealing minor flaws, showcase them. An old, chipped vase or a timeworn wooden table adds soul to your decor for a perfect Wabi Sabi design.
4. Simplify Your Space: Declutter and keep only what’s useful and brings joy. A minimalist area leads to a lighter mind.
5. Add Natural Elements: Use branches, dried flowers, and stones. These items reflect nature and improve your home’s calm vibe to respect the Wabi Sabi spirit.

Wabi-Sabi Style Room by Room

You can embrace Wabi-Sabi style throughout your home. Here are some ideas for each space:

• Living Room: A soft, natural-colored linen sofa sits next to a rustic wooden coffee table. Handcrafted ceramic items add to the warm, calming feel for the perfect wabi sabi living room.

• Kitchen: Embracing the Wabi-Sabi style in your kitchen is possible ! Use natural stone countertops and handcrafted dishware with unique finishes. Wooden shelves highlight simplicity and functionality.

• Bedroom: Wrinkled linen bedding, worn wooden furniture, and some decorative branches create a soft, cozy mood. This is perfect for a beautiful bedroom in Wabi-Sabi style.

• Bathroom: Wabi-Sabi in the bathroom uses natural cotton towels, wooden accessories, and stone elements. This creates a peaceful retreat.

Our HomeByMe ambassadors who embrace the Wabi-Sabi style

Elodie Théry from AYHOME.DECO  agency, Maïdeco Studio and Petra Zinzovski masters the art of Wabi-Sabi by blending simplicity, authenticity, and natural materials. Discover her visuals for more inspiration.

Discovering happiness at home without requiring perfection in everything. By adding natural elements, distinctive items, and a minimalist approach, you can transform your space into a serene retreat.

Curious to visualize your future Wabi-Sabi inspired interior? Try out HomeByMe to experiment with different layouts and find the setup that suits you best!

To learn more about the Wabi-Sabi style

• What does Wabi-Sabi mean?

Wabi-Sabi is a traditional Japanese idea. It finds beauty in things that are imperfect and temporary. It encourages us to enjoy the simple, rustic, and real parts of life. It embraces flaws and the passage of time as important to beauty.

• Wabi-Sabi vs Japandi​: we tell you everything you need to know

Wabi-Sabi and Japandi are both minimalist design styles, but they focus on different things. Wabi-sabi comes from Japanese philosophy. It celebrates imperfection and the temporary nature of life. This style uses natural materials and has a rustic feel.

Japandi mixes Japanese minimalism with Scandinavian design. It emphasizes functionality, clean lines, and a modern look with soft colors. In short, wabi-sabi finds beauty in the imperfect and aged. Japandi, on the other hand, focuses on sleek and functional elegance..

• What are Wabi Sabi rules?

To emphasizes Wabi-Sabi Style in Interior Design, the rules to apply are:

• Simplicity with minimalism
• Use Natural Materials like wood, linen, organic…
• Neutral colors with earth tones, muted shades
• Imperfections with furnitures having an history and asymmetry

These principles help to appreciate nature and time creating a sense of peace and acceptance.