12 beautiful wabi-sabi Japanese bedrooms

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Have you heard of wabi-sabi? A key design characteristic of Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a “world view centred on the acceptance of transience and imperfection”.  We talk a lot about perfection here at homify, and one of the key elements of this discussion is generally that to create a perfect interior, you first need to see the beauty in a space that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. Wabi-sabi is the essence of this dilemma and thought process.

Often wabi-sabi interiors are austere, with a sense of asymmetry, simplicity and irregularity, but they almost always embrace a sense of intimacy, which is often neglected in minimalist spaces. A wabi-sabi bedroom is a Zen area, where one’s chi is realised through relaxing and restful harmony. These highly sought after designs can be emulated in your own home, through the use of certain decorations, bed platforms and accents. Let’s read on below and check out a handful of some amazing wabi-sabi bedrooms for inspiration…

1. Working with colour

When creating a wabi-sabi bedroom it is important to consider your use of colour. In this room the simple palette embraces charcoal hues with bright reds and light timber. 

The futon mattress sits atop a large platform, enhancing the Zen ambience and atmosphere. 

2. Serenity and relaxation

The purpose of a wabi-sabi bedroom is to create a space of reflection and relaxation, and this room has it in spades! Cherry blossom pink adorns the walls, while the bed sits atop a dark timber platform, adding height and intimacy to the ambience. 

3. Working with asymmetry

Wabi-sabi rooms embrace asymmetry to evoke a feeling of pleasant imperfection. Here the headboard is engaging, and acts as an eye-catching statement.

4. Traditional austerity

Austerity doesn't have to mean an uncomfortable space, but rather, an area that embraces negative space to create a welcoming and restful aesthetic. This is one such room that benefits from a lack of adornment, and would work perfectly as a wabi-sabi bedroom. 

5. All-white minimalism

Creating an asymmetrical appearance, one wall is covered with feature images, while the overall space is left adornment-free, with a minimalist overtone. 

6. Embracing light

This wabi-sabi bedroom embraces sunlight and moonlight to add a sense of cohesiveness and connection with the natural world. 

If you need help creating or working with the space in your bedroom, you can always enlist the help of a professional, who will assist and guide you along the way. 

7. Opulent simplicity

Sounds a little like an oxymoron, but this room is both opulent and simple in its design. Utilising a fabulous feature wall of colours and motifs, the usage of dark greens, browns and oranges leave a wholly luxurious vibe. 

8. Working with art

Artwork is a large part of wabi-sabi bedrooms, and often employed to create asymmetry within a space. In this room, the large print upon the wall is eye-catching and dramatic, emulating natural shapes and forms, which is perfect when paired against the crimson red comforter.

9. Serene vibes

Here the wabi-sabi bedroom features an array of different cultural artefacts and items. The bed has been placed off-centre to the headboard, showing that the asymmetry can be utilised to provide a feeling of calm and imperfection. 

10. Natural tones and textures

Next up, we enter a natural and organic feeling space that presents austerity along with a sumptuous sense of spa-like relaxation. The bed is once again laid on the purpose made platform, which slightly raises its futon mattress, while keeping the bedroom simple and refrained. 

11. Working with negative space

Ikiru, ikiru ikiru Asian style bedroom

Wabi-sabi bedrooms needn't fill every nook, corner and crevice with decorative items, rather they seek to utilise the negative space to enhance reflection and a sense of natural tranquility. In this bedroom we see that this has been seamlessly captured, with the absent space adding a welcoming, and highly serene ambience. 

12. Western wabi-sabi

Finally, we take a look at a western bedroom, which has incorporated wabi-sabi elements, along with other traditional forms and principles of design. We can tell this is a wabi-sabi room from the incomplete wall and headboard that is placed unconventionally within the centre of the room. Considered and thoughtful, this design offers an engaging design, while resisting the urge to overdo, or adorn every section of the space. 

Would you like to keep reading? Check out: Which interior design style matches your personality? and learn more about how to style your home.

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