Already on board with the Japanese aesthetic and wanting to add more?
Here are some of the key principles that guide Japanese design:
Wabi-sabi: This is the most well-known of the Japanese design principles and refers to finding perfection in things that are imperfect or incomplete. A great example of this is the centuries old art of Kintsugi. Kitsugi emphasises and celebrates uneven or broken pottery. Using this method pottery is repaired using lacquer dusted with powdered metals like gold, silver, or platinum. For those of us with butter fingers adopting this technique is a charming way to keep your favourite pieces in use.
Iki: Carefully calculated simplicity, Iki appears to be carefree treasuring restraint and sophistication. It’s not overly refined or complicated.
Shibui: What at first may appear a simple object displays a fine sense of balance and texture, it is this complexity that ensures the owner of the piece will not tire of it. A reminder to us all to consider what we buy carefully and to follow our own intuition.