The Wabi-Sabi House: The Japanese Art of Imperfect Beauty

by Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Joe Coca (Photographer)

What is wabi-sabi?

Simply put, wabi-sabi is the marriage of the Japanese wabi, meaning humble, and sabi, which connotes beauty in the natural progression of time. Together, the phrase invites us to set aside our pursuit of perfection and learn to appreciate the simple, unaffected beauty of things as they are. Wabi-sabi can be found in the deep cracks of a weathering pine table. It is flea markets, wildflowers, and cobblestones. Intimately tied to Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi is an aesthetic that welcomes comfort and a subtle spiritual component into the home. It is not a decorating style, per se, but a mind-set. To create a true wabi-sabi environment, one must slowly strip away excess and learn to be satisfied living in the moment.

The Wabi-Sabi House recounts the rich history of this emerging trend in home design and reveals countless ways to introduce wabi-sabi elements into contemporary living spaces, including tips for gracefully decorating with salvaged materials and vintage furnishings, advice on how to rediscover the lost joy of hand-crafting household items (or supporting artisans who do), and simple solutions for clearing clutter and blocking noise (even with a spouse, kids, and no closet space).

But The Wabi-Sabi House is so much more than a handbook for interior design. With heart and a sense of humor, author Robyn Griggs Lawrence gently reminds us that there is a life in lifestyle books, and she encourages people from all walks of life to slow down and recognize beauty in what may seem ordinary.

Intimate, authoritative, and truly inspirational, The Wabi-Sabi House lays the foundation for transforming any home into a nurturing retreat from a hectic world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Japan, Art, Spirituality, Architecture, Philosophy, Interior Design

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 2004

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wabi-sabi is the beauty of the imperfect. I've always said that my house is a wabi-sabi house, so how could I resist this book?

[Tameca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already have a love for rustic bowls, plates and baskets. I also feel that lately there is too much "noise" in my apartment. Clutter abounds. I picked up the book initially because of my want to tame the clutter factor.

What I was not prepared for, and what made me very happy about this book, is the way wabi-sabi is a method of living and not just a home decorating slash de-cluttering motif.

Wabi-Sabi is what I am already and more. It is an idea that I might have called granola or hippie-dippie in the past. A good friend of mine's old house was made of stone and decorated with branches, pine cones, fruits pricked by cloves in the winter time and dried desert blooms in hand turned vases in the summer. My friend spun wool from her mother's sheep, made knotty wool sweaters and scarves and hats for the cold. The kitchen was full of antique, non-mechanized (and lasting!) utensils. All of these things are quite wabi-sabi, according to the book.

I have an eye for more rustic and earthy things. There is a framed Bodhi leaf on the book shelf, a large half shell to catch the ashes of my incense. One of the quilts my great grandmother made is lying on the bed. Pens and post-its and other household materials are held in chipped earthenware and baskets. My antique desk is unpolished, scuffed, worn and well-used and it is bedecked by three crumbling pine cones I found in the forests of Idaho, a long time ago.

The book is an inspiration to further this tendency to include the rustic and unpolished in my life. It also links itself to Zen Buddhism. (All things come from nothingness or are on their way to nothingness. All things are imperfect. Observation is a key, as is living the present moment). Because of its inherent ideas, wabi-sabi becomes a way of life in general, an enjoyment of the present, an appreciation of any thing, relationship or idea in whatever state it is in at any given time. The book prompts its readers to shirk the mindset of replacing what is deteriorating (though we do not keep in our houses those things that are dilapidated. Wabi-Sabi is not slobby or ruin) and to instead appreciate the chips, cracks, folds, and wrinkles of time.

[Sparrow .]

I read this book because a small prose passage of mine is included, on the margin of page 33:

The earth is designed with four seasons – at least in the higher latitudes – one of birth, one of florescence, one of harvest, one of contemplation. Despite war, and acts of ruthlessness, Nature preserves her subtle intent.

It’s from a small essay I wrote for the Sun magazine about September 11, published December, 2001.

On the same page are Sen No Rikyu’s Seven Rules of Tea:

-Arrange the flowers as they are in the fields.
-Lay the charcoal so it boils the water.
-Create a cool feeling in summer.
-Make sure the guests are warm in winter.
-Be sure everything is ready ahead of time and do not fall behind.
-Be prepared for rain even if it is not raining.
-Always be mindful of the guests. They’re your first, your last, your everything.

(Good rules to live by, don’t you think?)

Wabi-sabi is an indefinable Japanese concept that may be explained this way. You know how an old, weathered fence, with a slightly sagging gate, is more beautiful than a brand-new fence? That’s because of wabi-sabi.

African-Americans have “soul food.” The Japanese have “soul things.” Robyn attempts to translate this aesthetic into American. (The caption of a photograph on page 86: “The door to this bathroom was salvaged from the women’s room of an old bank.”)

Opening at random:

"… wabi-sabi is never white – it’s not even beige… It’s sinewy, flecked browns and yellowed greens, the myriad shades of stone and moss."

[Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Notes:

Make things yourself and smile when your work is flawed.
Turn the ordinary into something beautiful.
Wash your dishes by hand.
Think of others before yourself.

Practice small acts of thoughtfulness.

Wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and (profundity) in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered--and it reveres authenticity above all.

It celebrates cracks and crevasses...all the marks of loving use and repair.

Embrace wrinkles, liver spots, frayed edges, rust...

"Neat and clean doesn't cost a thing."

Daisetz T. Suzuki: "An active aesthetical appreciation for poverty," in the more romantic sense of removing the huge weight of material concerns from our lives. Freeing oneself from the burden of more, more, more...

"Wabi is to be satisfied" with simpler things, often neutral and free.

It refers to harmony, peace, tranquility, and balance, unmaterialistic, humble by choice, in tune with nature.

Wabi is to be perfectly yourself and not craving to be anything else.

Sabi means "the bloom of time." It's the understanding that beauty is fleeting.

Annica - the law of impermanence

Let some things decay. Celebrate the beauty. Don't jump to sanitize. Let some moss grow...

Wabi - humble and simple
Sabi - rusty and weathered

A possession should ideally have both utility ad beauty or get rid of it.

Dig out pieces of your history:
the red and white afghan that I made
hand-crank ice cream churn
Standard Oil gasoline container
my wooden duck toy
pics, other from my 1967 trip to Europe
Dad's handtools

Wabi-sabi interiors tend to be muted, dimly lit, shadowy.
neat and clean vs brand new
Cleanliness implies respect.
"When the bed is neatly made, the romance of a frayed quilt blossoms."

"It's not up to the world to entertain you. It requires effort to be interested."

Pay for higher quality, not higher prestige.

Resist out of season fruits and vegetables.

Put your money where it matters to you. You should feel that everything in your house has a sacred aspect or get rid of it.

Awaken your wabi-sabi mind:
1 - have quiet time every day; don't read, just "be there" (meditate)
2 - visit a flea market, yard sale
3 - walk outdoors, be aware
4 - make something, display or use
5 - display a single flower, branch or stem
6 - create a treasure alcove, replace it seasonally

Create scrapbooks that are homey and authentic.
..maybe small ones that memorialize minor events, fun, funny, interesting

Clear out the attic, the stuff.

declutter one small area at a time
clean up daily
organize and beautify what you keep
value what you keep

Wm Morris "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

Live in a wabi-sabi state of mind.

Check out the architectural work of Tadao Ando; also Thomas O'Brien.

spacious, but not stark, comforting, but not cluttered
constant refinement, revision

furnishings that do double-duty
think think think outside the box
see everything in new ways

rotate accessories (have a cupboard/place to store these)
pictures and frames

Shi bui - the art of not too much

In the early 1960's House Beautiful editor, Elizabeth Gordon:
"If you can't find beauty for free when you are poor, you won't be likely to have it when you are rich...even though you may have bought and paid for it."

Look at everything with a "pure eye" without associations about is price, age, social context, prestige value.
"You have to wipe away all judgments made by others and merely respond to the object as you do to those things in nature that are moving: trees, sunsets, clouds, mountains."

Take a walk...

Gordon: "Beauty should be quiet enough so you can take it or leave it. It should not jar or distract or be theatrical. It should have enough life so that when you do give it your attention it has profound interest. But it must be quiet enough so you can ignore it."

Get in the habit of "just looking."
Put aside the habit of judging immediately.

Receive, passively, reflect.

I'm totally guessing about the year that I read this. It's clear that I was in the house at 4141 Bon-Rea Dr., and it was published in 2004. I likely read through it in one of my Barnes & Noble sessions that I loved so much. ;-)

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Intersting book, but only just. Ever read a book and think to yourself, "Wow, what was an epiphany for this person is just totally obvious to me, and always has been." There's my reaction in a nutshell; this person is thrilled to have figured out that plastic is bad, wood is good. And while I love having my own opinions confirmed by print, I am a little bitter that I didn't make a ton of money writing a book that rejects artificial materials and manages to express a barely developed understanding of buddhist principles. Easy money for sure.
But the book is pretty and it will make you feel good about all your flea market finds.....but really, no great epiphanies here.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

My brother Eric expressed my thoughts perfectly in his review of this book so I'm just copying it here (I hope you don't mind, brother):

"I do recommend this book for its emphasis on simplicity and on finding an integrated wholeness in how we can try to mindfully arrange our living areas. Her chapters on welcoming everyone who comes into your house with a cup of tea or a small gift made me think of hospitality and openness to everyone including the least of the ones that we encounter. Very Buddhist in orientation, this book was encouraging to me. Recommended for fans of Simplicity Parenting.

Not fantastic but thought provoking."

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad told me to read this book, saying that our house was very wabi-sabi. At first I thought that was what you put on sushi, but not, it is not. It also does not mean you can be a slob and call it wabi-sabi. It is the appreciation of the natural and the less-than-perfect. We could all use a little more of that. Interesting, inspiring, thankfully does not leave you with another list of things to do.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lovely philosophy that accepts or embraces, rather, imperfection. It's full of good lessons and peacefulness.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the concept of wabi-sabi some time ago and it resonated, so I picked up this book from the library. It seems to be mostly about wabi-sabi in terms of design, which is fine. There were some useful sections on sound-proofing your house and making mosaic tile. Mostly, it talks about letting your furnishings reflect you and be well-cared for but not perfect, and about waiting to find things that carry that sort of aged beauty or have personal meaning. In that way, the book is a bit of a booster shot for me - nothing new, but a good reminder.

A few off notes:

"Japanese tradition holds that bright colors tire the eye" and cites Japanese kimonos n a hundred shades of gray. Well, those exist. But most kimonos I have seen are in brilliant colors of patterned silk. Nothing remotely wabi-sabi about them. In fact, the author does that thing that grates for me in any design book based on a culture - presents it as the be-all and end-all. For instance, she states that the Japanese have a word for "not too much" and that no other language has such a word. I'm guessing Swedes, who have the word lagom for "not too much, not too little, just right" might beg to differ. That's just the one I know - my guess is other languages do indeed have a word for this concept.

In the section on trying to rely less on noisy machines, she suggests (among other things) occasionally chopping food by hand when you cook and says, "To be honest, I'd be far less likely to make my son's favorite eggplant pasta dish as often if I had to chop the onions by hand every single time." That one made me laugh out loud. I use onions in 90% of the meals I cook and chop them by hand every single time. Along with whatever other vegetables are in it. I also grate cheese, crush garlic, cut up herbs and so on exclusively by hand. Not because I'm a wabi-sabi purist but because a) I hate cleaning appliances and b) it is a more soul-satisfying way to cook. We wash dishes by hand daily, too, so skipping the dishwasher isn't the same crazy experiment in mindfulness for me that it is for her.

So, some good ideas, some lovely photo examples, a fairly superficial presentation of the wabi-sabi concept, and a sneaking suspicion by me that the author doesn't actually live as Thoreauian a life as she thinks she does.

[Andrew Tatge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this book as a new homeowner seeking to get practical advice and a stronger concept of what "wabi-sabi" is. This book offers both in good balance.

Don't expect lots of illustrative pictures. The content of the book seems like a conscious refute of the ultra-clean and staged photos one finds in magazines. Lawrence comes from a magazine edigint background, so it feels like an intentional and strategic decision that fits the content and intent of the book: wabi-sabi is not all glamorous or stylish, let alone primarily rooted in appearances. Early on the point is made that wabi-sabi is fundamentally about hosting and treating other people. I kind of wish that some of the practical insights or points about aesthetics had been connected back to that because I had a hard time relating the two at times.

The book is from the early 00's and holds up well. If this were published a decade later, it would might have had "minimalism" or "mindfulness" somewhere in it's title (though the book does differentiate wabi-sabi from cold 20th century modernism and simplicity); a few decades earlier "simplicity" or "simple living" might have fit in. If you have read books about any of these topics, you may come across familiar ideas and rationales. I can't really fault the book for providing familiar material. The variety and intersections it created, and the permission to adapt concepts, are welcome.

[Bridget Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book which leads you through the philosophy of wabi-sabi - which is about so much more than imperfect beauty ! I picked this book off the shelves of a lovely wee holiday cottage in a remote village in NZ - and slowly realised that the owners had followed these principles in their design. One of the first principles is that small is good - for tea ceremonies and houses - that simplicity is calming and a source of beauty. The other idea I loved was of creating quiet in the home - and that ridding your home of vexatious noise (esp machines) is a very wabi-sabi concept. Also, that colours in your home should reflect natural tones (so not white!) which can be identified by walking through your place in autumn and looking at the colours outside. I have come home inspired with lots of new ideas for how to make our place more comfortable.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read/skimmed this and am as done as I will ever be. It was interesting to learn how aspects of Buddhist thought overlap with monastic Christianity. Silence, contemplation, mindfully working, the service of others, are all themes that run though both. There is a helpful list of ways to noise control techniques on pages 128-131. Many of these I would not have thought of.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly explains the 2 terms--they have distinct meanings--and then interprets those principles for furnishing, decorating, and using a house. Touches on sustainability, minimalism without austerity, and timeworn beauty that is not commodified as in shabby chic.

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm indifferent about this book.
There are parts that I actually really enjoyed (meditation, food, minimalistic decorations).
But there's so much centered on tea that I felt it took away from a lot of the other items.
I still enjoyed the book, but I felt like I could've enjoyed it more.

[Meo Be'o · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical book on how to apply Wabi Sabi to your daily life, your house to be precise. Very good briefs on the core ideas brought in from the past and how to look at things from the wabi sabi view.

[Anna Bereznyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and gentle introduction to wabi-sabi philosophy.

[Aleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Simply put, wabi-sabi is the marriage of the Japanese wabi, meaning humble, and sabi, which connotes beauty in the natural progression of time. Together, the phrase invites us to set aside our pursuit of perfection and learn to appreciate the simple, unaffected beauty of things as they are." -- Robyn Griggs Lawrence, The Wabi-Sabi House

I bought The Wabi-Sabi House 4 or 5 years ago. I remember really enjoying the book but somehow it got put down unfinished, until recently. My current fascination with the philosophy of Taoism brought this book back to mind. I found that many of the ideas I was reading in the books on Taoism mirrored concepts I'd seen in The Wabi-Sabi House all those years ago. So I fished this book back out of the bookshelf and gave it another go, this time getting all the way to the end before it was again tucked away on the shelf.

I'm clearly no wabi-sabi aficionado, but my understanding is that this Japanese aesthetic is rooted in Zen Buddhism. And in my readings on Taoism I did learn that Toaism had an influence on that particular school of Buddhist thought. The concepts of simplicity, humbleness, and appreciation are clearly shared by both philosophies.

This book was very wabi-sabi in its own right. The focus is on home decor from the wabi-sabi perspective, but there are segues into voluntary simplicity, the art of tea, and other connected ideas. Pictures were sparse throughout. I can understand why this was done (it's very wabi-sabi) but would have liked illustrations of the various schools of design that were discussed. Someone without a background in home design (like myself) was a little lost in the sea of name dropping. The only name I recognized was Frank Lloyd Wright, the rest was white noise. But a full list of resources in the back gives websites for further research so I suppose I shouldn't really complain.

And, in any case, after reading this book I found myself looking at the well-loved but aged things in my home a bit differently, with more appreciation and acceptance. I will definitely learn more about wabi-sabi and hope to incorporate it into my home. For these reasons alone I'd gladly recommend this book to anyone interested in paring down and finding the beauty of life as it happens.

[Arminzerella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Griggs Lawrence is the editor in chief of the magazine “Natural Home,” and she’s been studying the wabi-sabi phenomenon since she interviewed a Maine homeowner about a rusty grate hanging on her wall. Wabi and sabi are two words that have more recently become linked together (and by coincidence they rhyme and sound hip). Wabi means something like a noble sort of poverty and simpleness – something that is chosen rather than a state that one sinks into. Sabi refers to an aging process where things are old, but loved and well-cared for; it incorporates a sense of history along with age, but again, a noble history and one of use. So together these words describe a way of life and a decorating style that incorporates well-loved, used items (old, but not shabby dirty), and spare design; comfort and a sense of home but not overdone.

The book itself strives to be wabi-sabi. The photographs/illustrations are not what one expects of decorating books these days, where one generally finds the two page spreads of artfully designed/decorated rooms that have all of their perfect pillows plumped, the hard wood floors shining, and the sunlight gleaming through windows that bear not one print from a dog nose. These rooms are lovely, but they aren’t lived in. Wabi sabi attempts to correct that.

There’s a good deal of philosophy mixed into this. It’s not just about a look that one achieves, but about the lifestyle and the values that go along with it. It’s more of a holistic decorating book, because if you make your home somewhere where you live, and pare your possessions down to those things you really need and value, you’re living a richer life than if you were to buy everything in sight and stockpile it in/on every available space. There’s also a running discussion of tea ceremonies and how they play into this idea of wabi and sabi. That may seem odd to the Westerner, and particularly the American, most of who do not have an ingrained tea habit, but think about the slow food movement and think about enjoying what life has to offer, instead of rushing through it madly, and you’ll get a sense of the uncluttered and, nonetheless, rich lifestyle that this kind of living has to offer.

[Juli Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was all over the place, and took far too many liberties with a non-English term than I think is laudable. Not to mention the book design was a complete ripoff of Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most decorating books are eye candy; this one is soul food. If you aren’t familiar with wabi-sabi, it’s a Japanese philosophy closely tied to Zen Buddhism, almost impossible to explain in few words to people from western cultures. But for the sake of a book review, I’ll attempt it… The concept of wabi includes harmony, balance, simplicity, and humility; sabi translates literally as “the bloom of time”. Taken together, the words describe the beauty of everyday, functional objects that we cherish because they are well used, patinated, handmade, and tied to memories. It’s living in the moment, modestly and authentically. The author — also editor of Natural Home magazine — explains the concepts and their history thoroughly, then suggests ways to bring them into our modern lives and homes. So inspiring!

An absolute must-read for anyone interested in the related ideas of slowness, voluntary simplicity, or environmentally-friendly and natural living.

[Areeg Samy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I thought it was purely about the wabi-sabi philosophies. However, it turned out to be more of a home styling book guiding the readers through stylising their american homes into a wabi-sabi manner. You could say it's like those interior design magazines and such. It got really boring at some points giving pointers on how to renovate your house or go to flee markets. At some other points it talked about meditation and how to specify a certain space at your home for contemplation. Although, it wasn't as I expected but it had a nice intro about wabi and sabi, how the terms originated, and how people started combining them together as one term. It had some nice stories about tea masters like Sen no Rikyū. It's not the best read or even a good read for me at least, but it was fine. It had some good ideas in there, like creating a space or a room in your house for thinking "a thinking room ... I like that!

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I do recommend this book for its emphasis on simplicity and on finding and integrated wholeness in how we can try to mindfully arrange our living areas. Her chapters on welcoming everyone who comes into your house with a cup of tea or a small gift made me think of hospitality and openness to everyone including the least of the ones that we encounter. Very Buddhist in orientation, this book was encouraging to me. Recommended for fans of Simplicity Parenting.
Not fantastic but thought provoking.

[Yanic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a second read for me... something I could pick up for a few minutes during my busy days and read a few pages here and there. This book has once again provided me with much peace of mind, inspiration and joy. Unlike many other books that speak of simplifying your life, this one does so with a very kind and non-forceful attitude. Instead of looking at how your home is wrong and telling you how to change it, it shows you that with simple adustments, you too can have a more peaceful home filled with beauty and love. I will probably read it a 3rd time in the years to come.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, that opened my eyes to a whole new aesthetic. It is NOT feng shui, but rather a celebration of the old and time-proven -- wood furniture with some weathered scars, handmade pottery with a history. It has some elements of Zen, celebrating simplicity and understated decor. She has a new book out, as well, which may be easier to find that this one -- which was rather expensive (out of print) last time I looked on ebay/amazon.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Griggs Lawrence's 2011 book on wabi sabi before reading this one. Either one is a fine introduction to wabi sabi.

However, I am completely puzzled as to how this lady got to publish the same book twice. And I mean the same book. The same anecdotes. The same lists. Things are a presented in a different order than in the other book. But it's all the same information.

Of the two books, I prefer the 2011 book. But there's no reason to read both.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, did I need this book right now. I thought this would be about creating a wabi-sabi home, but it was so much more a philosophy of appreciating what we have and honoring the items (and their histories) in our homes. It suggests striking a balance between what we want and the reexamination of what we think we need. It is a great complement to Sarah Susanka's Not-So-Big-House philosophy. 4.5 stars.

[Ms. Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Ms.Kelt loaned this book to me. It's all about decorating, but it isn't your usual decorating type book. The author writes about creating balance & harmony in your home by following the Japanese concept of "Wabi Sabi." I'm learning that having a perfect and neat home isn't always the best. It's making me feel better about being a bit messy.

[Fenixbird SandS]

Less is more?! Wabi-Sabi? I think I relearned wabi-sabi around age 35 when I returned to my college studies...true "wabi-sabi" appreciation for things just as they are MIGHT be aided by age and experience? Like take for instance, the "clouds" of people's reading shelves...which emphasizes WHICH shelves have more books on them!! [more review to follow:]

[Jared · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book to read basically about how to decorate your house in the simple wabi-sabi style. The author has a lot of great ideas. I especially like how she admits that while she has written this book that says how one should live, she actually struggles with all of the points she is making, or has at times.

[Skyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

While at first I felt annoyed that she was approaching simplicity from a position of having time and money (scouring antique stores for the perfect find), she won me over with her thoughtful tone and especially with her chapter about the value of silence.