I am the first to embrace imperfection. I have lived in old houses, been man-down because we have four kids, and loved our fair share of rescue animals (although I would argue that they are all practically perfect!).
But I would be lying if I said that, in this day and age, I didn't get swept up in the idea of the perfect design, the perfect vacation (wait, I have four kids, nevermind!), or perfect career. Our industry might be one of the worst offenders as peddlers of perfection. We are constantly showing and telling folks just how to get it right. The perfect sofa, the perfect color, the perfect home...
This week we look at the art of embracing things which are not tangibly embraceable...acceptance, time, and worth. The art of good enough.
Wabi Sabi, derived from traditional Japanese esthetics, translates into the beauty found in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness. It takes on the visual esthetics of roughness, simplicity, and asymmetry. It invites the on looker to seek a meaning that goes beyond what society has deemed beautiful.
In a world where social media delivers us the perfect life faster than Amazon, I think now is the perfect time to embrace this concept in our daily lives.
"Imperfection" is all around us. Nature abounds with what we might consider disorderly and wild. In truth, she knows just what she is doing and we can take most of our life lessons by listening.
EMBRACE THE IMPERFECT~
~Find ways to use your old and reclaimed items and seek out ways to repair what you love. And don't worry if it doesn't look just the way it used to. Neither do we.
~Seek out an eclectic motif (the art of using what you already have!). Color is the great unifier. Feel comfortable mixing and matching styles that celebrate your family and your history.
~Bring the outdoors in. I know I sound like a broken record, but truly the benefits of allowing nature into your home are immeasurable. Start small and grow as your confidence does. Nature is so forgiving!
~Keep it simple. In our last blog we talked about the art of uncluttering. This frees the mind and actually calms the brain. We are hardwired for simplicity.
~Use organic materials and think about welcoming the earth elements into your home..wood, water, fire, metal, and air all have profound affects on a space and are so easy to incorporate.
While the term Wabi-Sabi comes from Japan, the concept is a scarlet thread world wide. Both the Kearsarge Indians and Islamic artisans believed that perfection only existed with God. They would purposely weave a bit of imperfection into each design to acknowledge that we should not dare to compare ourselves to God. Also purposeful imperfection takes the pressure off and allows the mind to move onto more creative thinking.
I was reminded, as I am reading Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee, that some of the masters of Wabi Sabi are the quilters of Gee's Bend. Fueled by necessity, this group of quilters found art and beauty in the everyday hardships and materials that surrounded them. Mostly without patterns, the intricate and organic designs welcomed the everyday story of work, love and family.
Inviting Wabi Sabi into our everyday lives might not keep us from comparing our lives to those that look to have it all, but it can certainly make the life we do have filled with incomparable joy.
Imperfectly yours,
Renee
Renee possesses a rare combination of artistic creativity and intuitive design. Her warmth and compassion extended beyond working with us to understanding the style and feel of our home and how we live in it. We felt fortunate to work with and get to know Renee and absolutely love the updates she made to our home- from windows and walls to artwork and furniture!
Renee is an absolutely wonderful designer. Very talented and easy to work with! She will transform your room or outdoor space into exactly what you want, only better!
Talented, creative, dedicated, great communicator. Renee is such a special person.
We have worked with Renee Carman at this company for almost 2 years. Renee is professional, personable, and a pleasure to know. She is very helpful and will go the extra mile to please her clients. Renee has excellent expertise and knowledge of interior design. We have a beautiful home and highly recommend her.
Renee possesses a rare combination of artistic creativity and intuitive design. Her warmth and compassion extended beyond working with us to understanding the style and feel of our home and how we live in it. We felt fortunate to work with and get to know Renee and absolutely love the updates she made to our home- from windows and walls to artwork and furniture!
Renee was a pleasure to work with and has great vision. We were doing a total rehab of a recently purchased property and she was able to look at a gutted out '50s cottage and turn it into a beautiful mid-century modern home. She understood our budget and timeline and was good about narrowing all our options down to just a few choices. This expedited the process, made it less difficult and more enjoyable. Once the rehab is done, we look forward to working with her again and finish the rest of the rooms.
Renee at Mandeville Canyon Interior Design was simply wonderful to work with. She was able to understand what we were looking for in terms of color, function and design from the moment we first spoke. She's easy to work with, goes above and beyond and delivers an outstanding design.
I highly recommend Renee and Mandeville Canyon Interior Design. I don't think I will attempt to decorate another room in my house without the help of Renee!
Love working with Renee and Mandeville Canyon Interior Design ! I had the opportunity to collaborate on a large scale design project recently and the results were fantastic! Creative, resourceful and one of kind design ideas made this design opportunity with Renee "one of a kind" Have a large or small project? You won't be disappointed!!
Renee not only has an amazingly creative eye, she also directed a massive renovation for us this past year that included the challenges of operating during the pandemic. She put together a team that had an incredible work ethic and brought the project in on-time and on-budget. She's a great listener. When we threw ideas at her, she was never dismissive; quite the contrary, she made them better. Her patience, attention to detail combined with her whacky sense of humor meant we were all able to smile while producing a home that we love. A great talent and a great lady.
Rene is amazing! Great customer care and wonderful attention to detail.