Practical Wabi Sabi by Simon G. Brown

Wabi Sabi, which translates roughly as humble beauty, is a practical philosophy that infuses the concepts of ecology and sustainability with human emotions and spirituality. It aims to refine notions of beauty so that you begin to value items that are organic, imperfect, simple and old – even falling apart – and your personal connection with them.

A home that has been created using wabi sabi will be uncluttered, simple, and clean. It will have a natural, unpretentious atmosphere where nothing appears contrived. Its furnishings will celebrate the transient nature of things, the asymmetrical shapes and forms of nature, and the evolutionary nature of life. There will be movement, space, and growth.

Because a wabi sabi home embraces the passing of time by including objects that are old and perhaps deformed by the passage of time, its rooms will be full of character, personality, and life. Living in such an environment can endow you with a view of the world that naturally can help you through difficult times. You become more in tune with nature, flowing with it, rather than fighting it. This flexible, open approach makes it easier for you to adapt and respond to our ever-changing world.

• Practical guidance on the principles of wabi sabi and how to apply them to your home, your outlook and your personal relationships
• Easy ways to make your home more supportive, less cluttered, and more natural, and more in tune with the concepts of ecology and sustainability
• Guidelines for producing homes that are spacious, and full of character, personality and life
• Advice on connecting with things so that you become more accepting, flexible, appreciative, calmer and open to change
• The means necessary to face what life has to offer and to meet the challenges of what life has to offer