Book Review: Practical Wabi Sabi June 6, 2009

“Wabi sabi” is a concept derived from Zen Buddhism. It is both an aesthetic and a way of thinking which emphasizes an appreciation for the world as it is — imperfect, ever-changing and transient. Simon G. Brown’s Practical Wabi Sabi is not about Zen per se, nor is it necessarily concerned with self-help through getting rid of all your stuff. Rather, it is a brief guide to the principles of wabi sabi and how these may be applied to one’s daily life, in particular one’s home environment, regardless of your religious beliefs.

The book opens with a short description of the history of wabi sabi, followed by a section exploring many of its aesthetic and philosophical principles: simplicity, emptiness (as in space), transience, asymmetry, tranquility and naturalness, to name a few. Brown uses specific examples to illustrate how a wabi sabi house and garden which incorporate these principles might appear. While wabi sabi is not what you’d call luxurious, it does not advocate strict practices such as lying on beds of nails, or getting rid of all your cozy blankets — quite the opposite. A wabi sabi house may seem plain and spare, but the goal is greater authenticity and awareness of existing beauty, rather than deprivation or punishment.

Practical Wabi Sabi’s main section covers various rooms and home features one by one and suggests how to bring them into accordance with a wabi sabi mindset, with ideas for decorating, removing unnecessary items and storage. The style evoked is natural, simple, sparse and muted. There is a small section at the end of the book which briefly addresses related topics like meditation, diet and creativity. Many of the practical suggestions offered are similar to those extolled in the so-called “voluntary simplicity” movement. For example, Brown advises readers to paint rooms in muted hues, to use natural fabrics for bedding and clothing and clay or earthenware for dishes, and to have lots of empty space in your home. Good natural lighting or candles is said to be preferable to glaring track lights, and objects and surfaces with texture and “character” are favored over slick, new-looking things.

Using branches, seashells, dried flowers, plants, rocks, even rusty metal objects as objets d’art (arranged in asymmetrical and nonregimented ways) is highly encouraged because such things remind one of imperfection, transience and nature. The idea is, in part, to foster an appreciation of time’s passage, the seasons and the changes they bring, as reflected in the objects surrounding you. From a Pagan standpoint, it can be seen as bringing nature and the raw elements from outdoors directly into your home. Of course, this aesthetic will not suit everyone. Those who are fond of elaborate altars, fancy ritual tools and shelves lined with statues, crystals and bric-a-brac will probably recoil from this approach as being too self-denying and boring.

Overall, the book is mostly about redesigning your living space, but the idea is that doing so in accordance with wabi sabi will also alter your outlook and allow you to focus on what is truly important in your life — whatever that may be. However, what struck me most forcefully about Practical Wabi Sabi is that without the text ever once mentioning the word “mindfulness,” that concept underlies everything Brown discusses, even when he’s talking about painting a room. Zen is a philosophy which stresses mindfulness, however, so this should come as no surprise. It’s just unusual to find this in a Western lifestyle/decorating book.

The book is neither very long nor very dense (just about all of the topics covered are limited to two facing pages) so it is a fast read — perhaps too fast for some people, who might see it as a blithely superficial approach to a thoughtful subject. Here and there Brown makes some dubious statements, such as his assertion that “by introducing a more wabi sabi atmosphere into your home, you may find yourself in a better frame of mind to accept the loss of someone close to you,” which to me seems unduly optimistic. Even the most serene and orderly environment has its limits, after all. Also, his repeated mentioning of macrobiotic diets grew a tad annoying, and the bit about relationships in the third section seemed out of place and the most superficially addressed of all. However, these were all minor quibbles.

While I am personally not interested in Zen Buddhism, I did like this very much, despite its flaws. I recommend this book for fans of voluntary simplicity, novice monastics and others interested in an ascetic approach to one’s home that advocates a keen and honest appreciation of natural beauty and everyday objects, without the sacrifice of either beauty or comfort.

Practical Wabi Sabi
by Simon G. Brown
2007, Caroll & Brown Publishers, Ltd.
United Kingdom, £12.99