Striving for perfection might be a natural impulse, but the ancient Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi encourages a more liberating perspective. Grounded in Buddhism and revered tea ceremonies incorporating irregularly shaped utensils, wabi-sabi is an appreciation of the imperfect and impermanent.

Translated to a home setting, that means shunning the shiny and the uniform for the weathered and the one-of-a-kind. Skipping another run to the furniture store, say, and placing a scuffed vintage mahogany desk front and center. All of the wabi-sabi-inspired homes below celebrate simplicity and comfort through a modest palette of natural materials poised to age gracefully.

An Architect Builds a Quiet, Wabi-Sabi Weekend Cabin in New York

A Couple Embrace Wabi-Sabi Design to Travel Back to the Past

A Carbon-Neutral Concrete House Is an Exemplary Infill in Western Australia

This Renewed 1920s Home in Poland Is Stunning in its Simplicity

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The Compact, Solar-Powered Ex of In House Sits Lightly Upon the Land

An Australian Architect Builds a Rammed Earth-and-Steel Home For His Family

A Classic Midcentury Home in Napa Gets a Kitchen That Complements its History

A Texas Couple Builds Their Cast-in-Place Concrete Dream Home

These Shop Owners Have a Killer Apartment Right Upstairs

A Modern Home Joins a Storied Site on the Pacific Ocean

A Modernist Cube Rises in the Ancient City of Casablanca

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10 Zen Homes That Champion Japanese Design

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11 Homes That Embrace Wabi-Sabi Design