Wabi-Sabi
True beauty isn't perfect. Quite the opposite.
Wabi-Sabi is a feeling, not a concept. And that’s where its beauty lies. It arises when something doesn’t need to be perfect – and touches us precisely because of that. When simple is enough. When transience has its own value.
Let us take you away – through thoughts and spaces:
What is Wabi-Sabi?
An idea that began with a teacup.
In everyday life – how do I live Wabi-Sabi?
At home – where imperfect can have an impact.
Wabi-Sabi in the glow of a scented candle.
What is Wabi-Sabi?
Wabi-Sabi is more than an interior trend. It’s a way of seeing the world. A quiet, clear perspective that embraces simplicity, impermanence, and what remains when nothing more needs to be added.
The term comes from Japan and combines two concepts:
Wabi describes the beauty of simplicity – the few things that are enough.
Sabi recognizes the value in lived experience – in things allowed to age.
Together, they create space for imperfection – which is precisely what makes it so moving. Wood that bears traces. Stone that breaks unevenly. Linen that feels soft. Wabi-Sabi recognizes not just the form of these materials, but their story.
An idea that began with a teacup.
Wabi-Sabi originated in Japanese tea culture. In the 16th century, the Zen monk Sen no Rikyū shaped this view of things. For him, beauty was not found in glamour, but in stillness. In a rough tea bowl. In a space that doesn't need to prove anything.
Even today, Wabi-Sabi plays a role in Japan – naturally, without much fanfare. The term itself is rarely used. But its essence lives on – in how things are designed, lived with, and preserved.
You find it in architecture. In gardens that let time take its course. In craftsmanship that doesn’t need to be perfect to be appreciated.
You find it in architecture. In gardens that let time take its course. In craftsmanship that doesn’t need to be perfect to be appreciated.
In everyday life – how do I live Wabi-Sabi?
These four thoughts will give you orientation:
1. Wabi – the art of simplicity.
Wabi invites you to focus on the essential. Spaces that are not cluttered. Things that don't demand attention, but offer peace. What remains can have a quiet effect – and develop strength in just that.
2. Sabi – the beauty of what has been lived.
Sabi recognizes the value of time. In things that bear traces. In objects that mature – over years. A wooden table showing scratches and light spots tells stories. What remains becomes valuable.
3. Natural.
Connected to all that lives. Linen, wood, stone, ceramics. Materials that come from nature and age with it. Surfaces that feel real. Shapes that aren’t perfect – but touch us for that very reason.
4. Mindfulness.
Own less, feel more. Wabi-Sabi also means letting go. Keep only what truly matters to you, what you enjoy using, what feels good. Let everything else fade into the background. What remains gains significance.
At home – where imperfect can have an impact.
A room with a Wabi-Sabi feel is minimal, but not cold. It feels calm because not everything demands attention. Because not everything needs to be explained. And because what is there has been chosen with intention.
Natural materials play a central role. Linen that is allowed to wrinkle. Wood that glows warmly – from light maple to soft oak. Driftwood shaped by water and time. Stoneware that is not fired completely evenly.
The colors also follow nature: warm beige, soft gray, delicate natural white. Sometimes a muted green. Everything remains quiet – but alive.
The shapes are organic, never perfectly straight. Edges can be round. Lines soft.
And the light? It joins in. Glides over wood, meets stone, gets lost in a linen cloth. Sometimes clear, sometimes muted – but always in motion.
Wabi-Sabi doesn't mean having less. But rather: choosing more consciously. Fewer things. More feeling.
Wabi-Sabi in the glow of a scented candle.
The quiet clarity of Wabi is reflected in the simplicity of its form – and in the care taken to choose every detail. Natural materials. Pure plant wax. Essential oils that remain unadulterated.
Sabi becomes palpable when the candle burns. When the wax changes. When traces remain. Each time a little different – and that's precisely what makes it special.
Reduce everything
to the essentials,
but don't remove the poetry.
Reduce everything
to the essentials,
but don't remove the poetry.