Wabi Sabi

With this blog, I’ll let you discover Wabi Sabi; one of the most beloved interior design trends of the moment! As a huge fan of the Scandinavian 'Hygge' style, I feel a deep connection to it. Now, I'm excited to explore Wabi Sabi; follow along for some cozy inspiration!

Wabi Sabi

Let’s start with some background about this Japanese philosophy first. Rooted in this philosphy, we are reminded to cherish the beauty found in nature's imperfections. This perspective allows us to embrace the lifecycle of all things, recognizing that flaws contribute to their character.

Wabi Sabi comes from two words that together highlight the charm of imperfection. Wabi means that kind of beauty found in asymmetry and roughness, like an unglazed handmade ceramic figure. Sabi is the beauty found in the passage of time, in someone or something’s aging landmarks, like wrinkles around the eyes or stains on the surface of an old mirror.

Wabi sabi teaches to love the simplicity and transience of life. Taking a moment to appreciate the beauty in our surroundings and live with gratitude.

The fact that Japan and Scandinavia are some 8,000 kilometers apart cannot stop interior designers. From the long-distance relationship between Japan and Scandi countries, a deco style was born where aesthetics and harmony take center stage.

Hygge

The Hygge interior and lifestyle, originating from Denmark, is known for its focus on coziness, comfort, and creating an inviting atmosphere. It is all about finding joy in everyday moments and embracing the simple pleasures of life.

There's nothing like a warm cup of tea by the fireplace and a good book to embrace that hygge life. Slow down and enjoying the little moments.

Wabi Sabi versus Hygge

These two lifestyle concepts have gained popularity in recent years and are often associated with creating a cozy and harmonious living environment. But what exactly are the differences and similarities between Hygge and Wabi Sabi?

• Hygge and Wabi Sabi are all about creating a harmonious space that feels just right and cozy.

• Hygge, rooted in Danish culture, encourages a warm and inviting atmosphere.

• On the other hand, Wabi Sabi, from Japan, teaches us to find beauty in the imperfect and fleeting moments of life.

• Hygge embodies a visual aesthetic of warmth and simplicity and soft textures, creating spaces that feel like a warm embrace. On the other hand, Wabi Sabi encourages us to find beauty in the imperfect, the asymmetrical and raw textures.

• Hygge encourages us to create cozy and comfortable spaces, while Wabi Sabi reminds us to cherish the imperfect and transient aspects of life.

How to design?

Wabi Sabi follows nature’s rules, so that is the key value in designing an interior the ‘Wabi Sabi way’. An essential feature is creating an immersive ambiance: peaceful and honest, and with a strong synergy between the objects, colors and individuals. A Wabi Sabi home consists of a minimalistic look, pale colors, rough textures from organic materials like wood and ceramics.
Decor with minimalistic furniture and follow brutalistic architectural lines. Choose modest colors and consider to add some washed linen, to emphasize the aspect of imperfection and modesty!

My designs

Throughout this blog post, you’ll find my visual interpretation of the Wabi Sabi style. Included in mood boards, color palette and more. Pay attention to all the details, and feel the vibe of this amazing interior style! Hopefully, I managed to give you some inspiration and joy with my creations. Can’t wait till my next assignment!

Hasta luego,

Bianca

The promenade of Altea

A few weeks ago we went to Altea. Altea is a jewel of the Costa Blanca. Where before we went to the old part of Altea, this time we went to Altea Beach. The sun was shining nicely and there were still a lot of people out and about for this time of year. After all, the sun shines a lot here, so there will be people at any time of the year. I am not a beach person and luckily my husband is not either. Our dog, however, is and loves to dig in the sand. Unfortunately, many beaches in Spain are not accessible to dogs. And so it was no fun for our doggie. Walking on the beach promenade. A wide promenade with restaurants, a playground for children and even a mini agility course for dogs.

What I noticed right away was that this promenade also exuded a sense of tranquility. The idea that I was walking in a large landscaped garden. Round shapes, a modern look and the white color of the pavement make it look beautiful. You can also sit here and there, enjoy the sun, the sea, your children and just be yourself with nature. The promenade is made for pedestrians. But don't be surprised if you see a skater riding a skateboard on the round shapes of the boardwalk infrastructure.

This promenade made me happy. And I have never seen a boardwalk like this before. Especially if you have the space, where there is room for beach lovers, restaurant visitors and those who enjoy a quiet walk and enjoy the sun and the sea, this is definitely a perfect space! Young and old strolled along the boardwalk, the benches were used to sit and relax for a while, as well as for athletes to work out. My husband walked doggie back and forth after doing his trick on the mini agility course. What about me? I grabbed the camera out of my bag and went to check it all out and capture it. I took the most beautiful pictures between all these people, but in the meantime I also observed the tourists, but certainly also the locals.

If you are planning to visit Altea, I would recommend you to do both the old part and the beach of Altea. It is a big difference, but definitely worth it. Start with the old town and then chill out at the beach. Have a drink and a bite to eat in one of the restaurants.

More information about the promenade. The new boardwalk is a renovation of the old boardwalk. This project will start in May 2021. Altea's new promenade is 4,700 square meters. There are also 200 new trees such as medlars, lemon trees, orange trees, tamarinds, pomegranates and poplars.

Hasta luego,

Bianca

Spanish vibes (E-book)

When you live in Spain, you also have a lot to see. Where we live, the weather is good most of the time, so that means a lot of getting outside and going out. We moved to Spain early last year and for the first year we spent a lot of the weekends discovering some of the beauty of Spain. Close to Valencia, but also a little further away. A small village or a bigger city. A true paradise for a photographer. Something I couldn't really do in Holland anymore, spending a day photographing. Holland does have some nice cities, but you quickly end up in the center with a church. That's not precisely what makes me happy. I'll go for those nice little balconies, alleys, villages where time has stood still. And what about doors? I'm hooked on (old) doors. What's behind them? A story you would never know if the door remains closed. Besides all this, I also love nature and architecture. Beautiful stately buildings. Not surprisingly, I have a thing for architecture.

So much beauty and it would be a shame if I didn't share this with you. And so I have collected something beautiful from 21 places in Spain in an E-book. With a few small tips. But it's mainly about the photos.

And I'm not an influencer to tell you where to go, where the Instagrammable spots are, where to eat the best. There is a lot to do about mass tourism and let's all 'just' enjoy what you find beautiful. That might just make traveling and discovering countries and places fun again.

The E-book has 130 pages and the photos are monochrome. If you like black and white, then you are definitely in the right place. It's not that I always edit in black and white, but sometimes it gives a photo something extra. And I'm honest, it definitely doesn't work with all photos.

In my E-book, I take you to Tabarca, among other places. Tabarca is an island near Alicante. Not too big and nice to spend a day. It has atmosphere, locals still live there, and you can take nice pictures. And if you like the sea, that makes it complete. After all, you can't get there without a boat.

I don't think you could have mentioned Tabarca already, Cuenca probably not either. I'm not going to give too much away. The power of the pictures are bundled in the E-book. Should you like it, you can order the E-book for a few euros.

There are many more beautiful things on the shelf. Because this year too, of course, we are not sitting still and Spain is big and there is still more to discover. Perhaps the next project will be a coffeetable book, in color?

Hasta luego,

Bianca