Find your zen: Resene

Japanese design proudly refers to thousands of years of traditional art while also often being considered the epitome of what’s contemporary and modern.

Japan has a diverse artisanal history and an incomparable attention to quality due to the cultural belief that what you create is a direct reflection of you and your family’s honour.

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a worldview centred on the acceptance of imperfection. It celebrates the beauty of imperfections with a simultaneous aim to rid one’s surroundings of all that isn’t useful.

Wabi-sabi has a lot in common with minimalist modernism, but it’s more intuitive, asymmetric, warm and fluid.

It looks to keep the essence of a design without losing the poetry. Clean, but not sterile. Simple, yet smart.

Natural timber stains, distressed plaster walls and muted colours are all commonplace and tie into the wabi-sabi aesthetic. It embraces things that look poor but can still be expensive, which is the opposite of what most of the world wants; something that looks expensive but is cheap.

In this home office, a high ceiling, a wall clad in tongue-and-groove panelling painted in Resene Quarter Karaka and the shallow grid shelf painted in Resene Settlement all bring strong verticality and geometry.

As a counterpoint, a few circular décor items have been included such as the round dishes on the shelf, the curvaceous vase on the desk and the round side table painted in Resene Teak.

The desk painted in Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel harkens back to traditional Japanese lacquerware.

The timber floor stained in Resene Colorwood Uluru and ply wall stained in Resene Colorwood Pickled Bean have been included as reminders of nature.
Together, these items create just the right amount of contrast and balance for a space that feels both zen-like and authentically Japanese.

PAINT

Back wall in Resene Triple Merino, timber wall stained in Resene Colorwood Pickled Bean, tongue-and-groove wall in Resene Quarter Karaka, batten shelf in Resene Settlement, plywood floor stained in Resene Colorwood Uluru, desk in Resene Enamacryl gloss tinted to Resene All Black, chair in Resene Anglaise.

ACCESSORIES

Textile Drapes in Caramel artwork by Home Time from endemic world, chair from Urban Sales, glass from Flo and Frankie Home, tissue box from Citta, plate from Freedom, large black and brown vase on desk is stylist’s own.

Get inspired at your local
Resene ColorShop,
www.resene.co.nz/colorshops

Styling Kate Alexander
Images Bryce Carleton