Interior Design Term of the Month- Wabi Sabi

My student, Ellie, lamented that she wants to know more terms to talk about design. And, in giving that some thought, I decided that blog posts were the best way to offer knowledge in a creative way that allowed for inbox delivery and promotes the idea of lifelong learning. So, for Ellie, and all those looking to improve their design vocabulary, I am starting a series of interior design terms of the day. Sometimes short, sometimes long, or sometimes illustrated, these posts are as much for my students as for anyone wanting to learn more about interior design.

Wabi Sabi

I define Wabi Sabi as a celebration of the imperfect as well as an improvement on the perceived imperfect. It is a Japanese term that is not about design, but about life and acceptance of the flawed and the passage of time. However, it can be applied to design and we see it throughout the history of things and currently in some aspects of the green movement.

From typical antique repair techniques, like the Kintsugi repair work with china repaired with gold to the Victorian era repair of staples, both seen below.

Gold repairs in classic blue and white pottery.

Yellow mug circa 1820's with many staple repairs from blog Past Imperfects

To a more modern aesthetic of George Nakashima, known for his "live edge" furniture, like this example below from 1stdibs.com

To the ubiquitous Tobacco Baskets that adorn every newlyweds mantle as a placeholder until they buy the "good art".

Tobacco basket from Chairish.com

This is now so ubiquitous that Ballard Designs is now having them made and selling "perfect" ones.

Wabi sabi acknowledges the passage of time, the bumps and bruises that can come along with it, and the "fixes" that occur. It is the celebration of the perfectly imperfect, or as a antique dealer recently referred to it as "the make do's" of the world.  A key point to know is that Wabi Sabi is not about poor craftsmanship, it is about allowing the excellent craftsmanship to live another day and sometimes in another way.

So tell me, what do you want to know about? What is wabi sabi in your world?

My favorite color is plaid...

When I was in college I found these red plaid silk pants on the clearance rack at my favorite department store. They were dressy and punk at the same time, I loved the dichotomy, especially since I had maintained for a few years that my favorite color was plaid. Why plaid? The philosopher would answer why not, but the real reason is I did not like to be pigeon holed. I do not want to be a purple person who is considered artsy, a blue person who prefers mainstream/blending in, a red person who is fiery, a pink person who is saccharine sweet, etc. Not that any of these are tried and true, but they are often assumed. I am not one of those people, but I sometimes any and all of those people, so plaid suits who I am. And really, who all of us are.

As a designer, I run into the same problem question as the one from childhood, "what is your favorite color," except now it is "what is your favorite style," or "what is your style." How do I explain that my design style is plaid, without sounding like I design in Scottish Highland style or that I am am secret Jacobite. However, it is still true, I like many styles for many different reasons. I love looking at those clean contemporary spaces with floor to ceiling windows. Conversely, I love looking at a cacophony of patterns from designers that really understand scale. Additionally, I like finding those Wabi Sabi pieces that celebrate the imperfections of design. People most likely want a short answer, but is it a cop-out to say that I like an eclectic style? Should I tell them I like Directoire style, which I do, but as it only lasted from 1795 to 1799, and it is over shadowed by it's popular cousin Empire... few are into it, or even aware of it.


It's all about scale!

What it really comes down to is I like "good design," and what is that? It is different for everyone! However, as a designer my job is to find what your "good design" is and help you make it the best good design it can be by find the best pieces and finishes, consider scale and space planning, and make sure it is the healthiest and safest it can be. A designer's job is not to impose a style on you. So to answer the question, what is your style? My style, personally, is typically the most recent thing I have seen and loved. My style professionally, is what ever style is your... from High Victorian to Cave dwelling. You name it, I can enhance it. I've got mad cave painting skills!
Like to see more of my style? follow me on Pinterest!