Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese Philosophy That Embraces a Beautifully Imperfect Home

Wabi-sabi is a centuries-old Japanese philosophy that embraces imperfection, simplicity, and the natural passage of time.

By 

Heather Bien

Published on August 5, 2024

When designing your home, one thing to consider is the aesthetic that you’re striving for. Are you leaning towards a more romantic, cozy look? Then embracing rom-com decor may be the way to go. Prefer to opt for a lived-in, organic look? Then wabi-sabi might be the philosophy for you.

Wabi-sabi isn’t a design trend but an entire life philosophy that’s rooted in the Japanese idea that imperfect, natural, and organic elements are what make our spaces and everyday lives beautiful. It’s an idea that can make life more relaxing because you’re not running around worried about the pursuit of the new and the perfect. Instead, you focus on an appreciation for your current surroundings and the passing of time.

“By recognizing the imperfect and fleeting, wabi-sabi design nurtures a profound appreciation for the present moment and the inherent beauty in life’s impermanence,” says Lauren Lerner, principal designer and CEO of Living With Lolo. Ahead, our experts explain what wabi-sabi is and how you can incorporate this philosophy into your home.

• Lauren Lerner, principal designer and CEO of Living With Lolo, a full-service interior design and build studio that offers a specialization in wabi-sabi design
• Joel Wong, co-founder of OWIU Design, a full-service architecture and design studio that specializes in thoughtful design practices

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What Is Wabi-Sabi?

Design that centers around wabi-sabi embraces imperfection, simplicity, and the natural passage of time, according to Lerner. “This philosophy celebrates the beauty found in the transient and imperfect nature of all things,” she says.

Originating from 16th-century Zen Buddhist Japanese monks, adhering to a wabi-sabi philosophy means using natural materials that will show their age throughout the years, welcoming a graceful patina, and always looking to organic materials from the earth over synthetics. “Wabi-sabi designs often showcase organic shapes and asymmetry, mirroring the irregularities present in nature,” Lerner says.

Joel Wong, co-founder of OWIU Design, uses wabi-sabi throughout his architecture and design firm’s work. “Spaces are made to evolve with their inhabitants, and that means allowing the aging of the space to simply be a natural element of it. The feeling of wabi-sabi should evolve with you! It is dynamic, just like we are dynamic as people; it needs to be personal to you,” says Wong.

Because of its fluid nature, the look of wabi-sabi depends on the person within the space.

How to Bring Elements of Wabi-Sabi Into Your Home

Wabi-sabi doesn’t require redecorating or going out and buying all new items. It simply means encouraging more natural materials, realizing that life is always changing and growing, embracing the patina on your items, and infusing your sense of comfort into a space. Here are some ways these experts recommend bringing the elements of wabi-sabi into your home.

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Make It Your Own

“Wabi-sabi is a philosophy rather than a set of rules or parameters to follow. Wabi-sabi for me may not be wabi-sabi for you. Don’t take the term as is,” says Wong. “In fact, a lot of Japanese (or rather, foreign) words lose their depth when they get translated into English, so it’s important to understand that there’s more substance to this abstract term.”

This is a way of life, and that means it’s going to look different for everyone. One person may fill their space with neutrals, while another brings in color. But both will keep the décor authentic to their sense of style and celebrate the natural world.

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Embrace Wear and Tear

“Wabi-sabi embraces wear and tear as a natural and organic process while being able to find beauty in it,” says Wong. Rather than stressing over a ding in your coffee table or tarnishing on metal items, celebrate them as a marker of a life well lived.

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Choose Organic Materials

Not all materials will develop a beautiful patina that echoes the wabi-sabi philosophy. Natural materials will age well over time, while synthetic materials are more likely to look tired. “Organic materials will age gracefully,” Wong says. “Wabi-sabi is about choosing organic materials like wood and shikkui plaster, which is a type of Japanese plaster that is made out of seaweed fibers. They’re natural and age really nicely.”

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Allow for Growth

Wabi-sabi emphasizes welcoming the passage of time both in life and your home. Nothing is ever perfect or finished—it’s all a journey. “Allow for growth and evolution in your spaces. This sounds abstract but it simply means not to strive for perfection, but rather a high enough and realistic standard that at the same time still provides a level of comfort,” says Wong.

This means that even if your home isn’t your dream space today, you can still find beauty and comfort in it now.

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Invest in Quality

“Invest in nice pieces that you will have for life instead of buying one that serves as a means to an end. Higher quality items age with you. Of course, repair them when the time comes instead of replace,” says Wong.

These items encourage seeing the craftsmanship and beauty in them, while romanticizing the details. You can more fully immerse yourself in your surroundings when there are fewer, higher quality items.

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Tell Your Own Story

Not everything in a wabi-sabi space should be purchased or intentionally designed from the home. Part of wabi-sabi is bringing in elements from the natural world that tell your own story. These items should evoke the senses and bring back personal memories. “It can mean picking up rocks from random trips and using them as bookends or table centerpieces,” says Wong.

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Lean Into Simplicity

“Simplicity reigns supreme in wabi-sabi, with an emphasis on minimalism and uncluttered spaces that evoke tranquility and understated elegance,” says Lerner. Each item in your space should feel intentionally chosen. Nothing is there by chance.

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Choose Earth Tones

While you should use the colors that speak to you, wabi-sabi traditionally incorporates neutrals that are found within the natural world. “The use of earthy, subdued colors and textures further enriches the serene and authentic ambiance,” says Lerner. “Embrace a subdued, earthy color scheme to evoke a connection to nature and foster a peaceful setting.”

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Look for Organic Shapes

“Seek furniture and decor featuring organic shapes and subtle flaws that celebrate each piece’s unique charm,” says Lerner. Furniture with rounded lines and soft edges evokes the curvy, organic silhouettes we see in nature, particularly when they are made from stone, wood, and other natural materials.

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Incorporate Homemade Items

Seeing the handprints of real people on items is another way to feel connected to the moment and time. “Integrate handmade goods and artisan crafts, bearing the artisan’s touch and narrative,” says Lerner. This forces you to pause and consider who made the item, what inspired them, and how humans are capable of creating beautifully imperfect art.

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Find Beauty in Age

Your home becomes an inviting, peaceful place to be when you embrace the elements of wabi-sabi that discourage seeing our physical world as something to be thrown away as it ages. “Embrace the passage of time in your living space,” Lerner says. “Welcome patina, signs of use, and the natural maturing of your possessions. By cherishing the beauty in imperfections and impermanence, craft a home that is cozy, welcoming, and profoundly intimate.”