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

Wabi-sabi, the ""Japanese art of appreciating the imperfect, the primitive, the incomplete,"" may be the next big thing in home design and decoration. Although on the surface it may sound like the popular ""French country"" or ""shabby chic"" aesthetics, it's ""much more"" than that, says Lawrence, editor-in-chief of Natural Home. Wabi-sabi asks that we ""set aside our judgements and our longing for perfection,"" and concentrate instead on ""the beauty of things as they are."" In a book that's as much about uncluttering and digging through flea market castoffs as it is about ""quieting"" one's home and abandoning the urge for ""the perfect home,"" the author guides readers through the process of creating a home that embraces elements of wabi-sabi. The result is a friendly, gentle book with advice on, for example, keeping a quiet home by purchasing a white noise generator or using sound-absorbing materials (like rustic burlap drapes instead of velvet ones) and unleashing creativity through housekeeping by making use of simple, everyday ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar and lemon. Refreshing and comforting, Lawrence's book teaches us how to tune out the often chaotic outside world and come home to simplicity and beauty.