Trend Watch: Wabi Meets Sabi

by Silvana LongoThe quest to perfection is taking a much-needed break in the design world. The big trend for 2018 is simplicity and embracing the not-so-perfect, which means a more lax approach to decorating. With its roots in Japan, Wabi-Sabi is "a way of living that focuses on finding beauty within the imperfections of life and accepting peacefully the natural cycle of growth and decay." By welcoming Wabi-Sabi into your life and home, you give yourself license to ease up on the those perfectionistic tendencies.Celebrate organic materials like aged wood, linen or stone, which wear well over time; relaxed bed linens that are soft and somewhat wrinkled; handmade pottery that reveals its poetry in the flaws. Focus on the essentials and embrace the soulfulness of cherished items that reveal the passage of time.

CAPTION: Annie Sloan Ceramic Plate Photography by Abigail & Ryan Bell

1 Pure Striped Linen APRON, $55; wearecaribou.etsy.com2 Lavato Percale (or Ribbed Matelassé texture reversing to Cotton Percale) in Midnight. Queen DUVET COVER, $249, PILLOW CASES start at $65 a pair; aulitfinelinens.com3 Forest Floor CAKE STAND, $58US; anthropologie.com4 Charrd Black Wood SERVING BOARD, $39.95; cb2.com5 Whistler NESTING SET, $182; golemdesigns.etsy.com6 Linen Print Ceramic PLATTER, made with Annie Sloan Old Violet Chalk Paint mixed with Clear Chalk Paint Wax. Starts at $14.95 to $17.75; anniesloan.com7 Wabi-Sabi PRINT, $8; ouluprints.etsy.com8 Ring Petrified Wood SERVING BOARD, $69.95; cb2.com9 Etched Wood BOWL, $78 to $88US; anthropologie.com10 Stonewashed Linen NAPKIN, $18; etsy.com

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