My House Isn't a Mess, It's Wabi- Sabi

I made reference to the concept of wabi-sabi a few days ago, and have been thinking about it ever since.

Wabi-sabi is the japanese concept of appreciating the beauty in imperfection and of accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay. Wabi-sabi celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace stains, scratches, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.

Does that sound like a concept for a working mother of three to embrace, or what?!

Even before the concept of wabi-sabi came into vogue, I unknowingly embraced it. I've always been drawn to things that have interesting stories, show signs of use, and look older than they are.

Now that I have three children in my house, wabi-sabi is the center of my decorating philosophy. I make a point of never buying anything that won't get better with the use of three messy, happy children. My dining table is made of reclaimed planks and has dings, scratches and dents in it. Perfect. The chairs in my family room are red leather and show all the wear and tear of hundreds of movie nights in that room. Love them. The wicker sofa on my front porch came from my mother-in-law and is weathered to show several layers of paint in different colors. Can't beat it.

The neutral carpet in my bedrooms shows all the marks that time, weather and loving use leave behind, but it is not wabi-sabi at all. When I finally get around to it, I'm going to replace the carpet with reclaimed wood floors, then my house will be truly wabi-sabi.