Wabi-Sabi Living

The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi has long been a fascination of mine. It is essentially the appreciation of - and a longing for - imperfect beauty. Think of a rustic home on a hillside that is made all the more beautiful because of its weathered wood and haphazard planting of wildflowers around its entrance. Or maybe it's your grandmother's old tea pot, with its slightly crackled glaze and the charming chip on its lid. The wabi-sabi ideal is not so much a rejection of 'perfection' as it is a marrying of opposites. The philosophy can apply to any form of aesthetic or artistic pursuit: poetry, painting, design and decoration, all the way through dance and movement.

Some new additions to my library have inspired me to turn my appreciation of wabi-sabi into the art of practicing it at home by living with the things I love without feeling like I am violating some sort of rigid design rule. I am a great lover of old things (books, linens, decorative objects and dinnerware) and it is sad to have those great treasures stored in boxes, out of sight, simply because of the fear that they "do not go with anything." They could and should be enjoyed. The trick is to relax the mind while training the eye to incorporate and appreciate more texture, more colour and more variation into the living environment. These books, which are inspirational on their own, are the perfect guides to wabi-sabi living.

Wabi Inspirations by Axel Vervoort; The Wabi-Sabi House by Robyn Griggs Lawrence; Religion in Wood A Book of Shaker Furniture by Edward Deming Andrews and Faith Andrews; Wabi-Sabi For Artists Designers, Poets and Philosophers; Etcetera by Sibella Court.

A Collection A Day

Maybe it's twine, or vintage postcards, or matchbooks, or those little plastic closures that keep our bread bags freshly sealed: mugs, erasers, elastic bands... Whatever the objects, all things collected are loved by someone. Editor Lisa Congdon (Uppercase magazine) has created a fascinating new book called "A Collection a Day" featuring 365 of her collections of various bits and bobs, lovingly photographed and packaged in a rectangular tin storage box - for the full vintage effect. The introduction to the book was written by Fritz Karch, the collecting editor at Martha Stewart Living magazine. To read more about the project and the book (which is also available as part of an Uppercase book bundle) click here. To order a signed copy of the book (just ordered mine!) as well as some limited-edition ephemera associated with the book, such as limited-edition prints and note cards, click here.

Pattern by Orla Kiely

Fans of intrepid graphic designer (and fashion designer and interior designer...) Orla Kiely will be thrilled with this: a new, enormous, hardcover book containing full-colour spreads of her designs, housewares and accessory collections is due for release on October 18th. More than this, the book offers biographical information as well, detailing Orla's childhood, her education and how she developed her business. It's definitely on my list! Photos by decor8blog.

Shiny Happy People - The Cookbook

I've never encountered a cookbook quite like this one. Imagine a compilation of your friends' best recipes combined with photographs of their houses, bound together in a beautiful book about personal taste and style. The book is called "Shiny Happy People" and it was written, photographed and designed by South African foodie Neil Roake, writer of the award-winning "Life's a Beach Cottage" series and the "On the Rocks" cocktail book. The book is a pleasure to read since it takes you into the houses of Roake's friends while simultaneously offering up their best recipes, rendering a full portrait of these strange and wonderful people, their homes, their families and their style. Neil's eye for detail captures the essence of each home we visit and each recipe we try. Highly recommended! 

All About Yves

While I had never intended to, I seem to be gathering quite a collection of books about Yves Saint Laurent, one of the world's most prolific and most respected French fashion designers. I'm not sure what it is about Yves' style that I gravitate to, but he is really the only French designer I find myself in tune with. Perhaps it's his own personal comport that I'm allured by: a quiet reserve, a singular focus, a deep craving for meditative isolation and a tendency towards depression.

With his business and romantic partner of 30 years, Pierre Bergé, Saint Laurent built an empirical landscape of lavish homes and gardens, spanning continents. His private collection of priceless art work and antiques is nearly unrivaled in the fashion world and his taste in interior design was immaculate.

Three fascinating books about the universe of Yves Saint Laurent are set to become treasured tomes in my book collection. Two of them are already on my coffee table: "The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé" (shown at center) is an enormous and lush book detailing their private residences and documenting their interior designs; "The Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé Collection: Sale of the Century" is a hardcover edition of the prized and highly-sought-after auction catalog that was issued to prospective buyers at the sale of Saint-Laurent's antiques and art works after his death. It is an amazing and informative look at the incredible pieces once owned by the fashion mogul.

Soon to be released is a large retrospective of various Yves Saint-Laurent fashion collections, titled simply "Yves Saint Laurent." It's on my list!