The Wabi Sabi Bedroom

The Wabi-Sabi design and philosophy has become one of my favourites this year. 

The Japanese inspired trend is bound to become your new favourite look for this season too. It gives us a good reason to keep our old, used, and slightly battered furniture and leave our bedlinen stylishly crumpled and creased; this fits right in with the Wabi Sabi philosophy and look.

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese philosophy that has been around since the 15th century, and is all about finding beauty in imperfection. It involves grounding oneself by forming a deep connection to the earth and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. It centers around recognizing the importance of authenticity and striving to remain authentic in all aspects of your life.

Here are some ways to include Wabi Sabi Style into your bedroom.

Use natural materials

Since a large part of Wabi Sabi is about connecting to the earth, it’s no surprise that this interior design trend relies on the use of natural materials

Whichever natural materials you use, remember that authenticity is key. Opt for the real deal over mass-produced versions. Consider taking a step outside the norm and shopping for your bedroom décor away from the big stores. Flea markets, Gumtree, and small independent shops are all great alternatives, and you can find unique pieces that will add to your Wabi Sabi look.
Re-purpose an old door or ladder as a headboard, or use an old stool as a side table. A grass or Jute rug, next to your bed, earthen vases or natural wood frames on your bedside table, are some other ways you can introduce a Wabi Sabi feel into your bedroom.
These are just some ways to use natural materials in your bedroom.  Remember they can be imperfect, buying used and second hand decor is preferable.

Your bed is the main focus of your bedroom so ensure you use natural bedding. Bamboo, cotton or linen are all natural fabrics and will enhance the natural look of your bedroom. Steer clear of polyester bedding and other synthetic bedlinen. These are not only bad for the environment, but in true Wabi Sabi philosophy, bedlinen must be natural. Use sheets and quilt cover sets made from Bamboo, bamboo blends, cotton, or linen. If you do choose cotton, find cotton bedding that looks natural. Some cotton bed sets are a sateen weave, which gives a satin finish and does not fit the Wabi Sabi style.

These bedroom below from Pinterest show how simplicity is the essence and natural bedlinen in neutral tones achieves the look.

Keep it simple

Once you have your design elements in place, it’s crucial to think about how you’ll go about putting all of the pieces together. With Wabi Sabi, simplicity is key. You’ll want to allow your sourced pieces space to shine on their own and, whenever possible, to bring an element of nature into the room.

As for how to go about pulling those things off, your best bet is to focus on the layout. Wabi Sabi bedroom design favours simple, paired down layouts where the functional items are the focal point. Build the room around the furniture and be sure to leave plenty of negative space. 
In the bedroom your bed will be the focal point. Build your furniture and accessories around the bed and the style of the bedding. Your duvet cover, sheets and pillowslips should be in plain dyed colours rather than prints or highly decorated bedding fabrics.
Your duvet or sheets can also be a different colours to your pillowslips. This will give the effortless, imperfect feel that is Wabi Sabi. Bedlinen kept simple and natural with only a few natural cushions is where the look is at. 

When you’re ready to consider accessories, pay special attention to items that also have a functional purpose. Decorative bowls and trays are always a good choice. Accessories that have been repurposed and recycled, like Harper and Wilde's cuttlebone wall hangings, made from discarded cuttlefish bones are the essence of the Wabi Sabi style.

Embrace imperfections

The last tip is the most important one. Wabi Sabi is about deliberately working to find the beauty in existing imperfections. If your bedroom furniture has aged and has dents or scratches, embrace these, this is the essence of the Wabi Sabi look. A rug that is vintage and slightly worn is bang on trend. Natural materials will ware and fade and this aging process needs to be embraced.

Bedding like Linen or our bamboo cotton that has a slub and slight imperfections in the yarn is something to embrace. Loom Living Bamboo cotton bedlinen has beautiful shell buttons, and no two buttons are alike, with the subtle slub this bedlinen embraces Wabi Sabi.
Duvet covers and pillowslips that are slightly crumpled or creased is what this look is all about. No need to iron if you want to embrace the look; another reason I love it so much!

Personally, as I have seen more and more of the Wabi Sabi look, I have fallen deeper in love with it.
It is an ancient philosophy that is so modern in it’s thinking. Less is more, be authentic, embrace imperfections, and keep things natural and simple. Why would you not want to embrace this philosophy in your whole home and not just the bedroom!
It’s all about embracing imperfections and personal authenticity a great philosophy for life too!