Wabi Sabi is a Japanese worldview that advocates modesty and simplicity as ideas that embody beauty. As a result, it also reflects a special design approach whose influence is growing around the world in general and in the essence of the existence of Vintage in particular.
The Wabi Sabi theory was born hundreds of years ago in Japan. The concept consists of two words. Wabi is a word from the spiritual world whose original meaning refers to the loneliness of life in nature. Sabi is related to material concepts and means “cold” or “withered”. The combination of the two words singular creates a new meaning as “the basis for a new and pure beauty.”
The view behind Wabi Sabi opposes the endless race of life in which most of us are. It advocates looking at the world, recognizing the magic inherent in simplicity, the natural and the existing, and producing pleasure from moments, objects, places, and even human beings for all their flaws. In other words, to know how to enjoy the perfection of imperfection and see the beauty that lies within it.
The philosophy at the base of the Wabi Sabi teaches us to listen to nature, even if we are in the middle of the city. It encourages us to find the magical moments we have forgotten.
From a design point of view, it advocates looking inward into the occupants of the house and the emotional depth of those who live in it, and arranging the house according to the heart. The house is, after all, the fortress of man and it is precisely the fragments, defects and old things in it that are what make it a containing, safe and protective home.
Wabi Sabi relies on asymmetry, authenticity, spacious and airy space and second-hand items.
Some see the Wabi Sabi as a movement towards minimalism. Beth Compton, author of the book Wabi Sabi, Japanese Wisdom: Finding Happiness in the Little Things, referred to it in an interview with Haaretz and explained: “Minimalism is a work in itself and it requires perfectionism … ideas of simplicity, beauty, usefulness and a story that connects them“.
Wintouch’s winning combination with Wabi Sabi
Oded Yehuda Telosti is a carpenter and ecological artist who performs conservation and interior design work. His work corresponds directly with Wabi Sabi’s worldview and from a worldview that sanctifies modesty, preservation of the existing, recycling, restoration and commemoration.
Take an old closet and turn it into a spectacular dresser in the bath, or take a table and turn it into a dog kennel. These are examples of works that take nature into account – preventing the felling of new trees and the demolition of the homes of other living things. This perception gained renewed validity following the corona crisis that showed us how animals flourished and enjoyed the fact that the world stopped reigning for a long time.
Another facet of Oded’s work is Kintsogi, a Japanese art that is directly influenced by the Wabi Sabi doctrine. Kintsogi creates a golden fusion of fragments and defects of old objects of sentimental value – a fusion that turns the fragment into an aesthetic advantage and a profound statement about the importance of the object in particular and life in general.
People who design their homes in the spirit of Wabi Sabi soak up their home better karma, one that is created from the very consideration of the environment and being attentive to the inner and spiritual depths of their own lives. It’s more than an aesthetic and special design approach, it’s an approach to a healthier and better life.
