Simple design for your home – Wabi-Sabi’s Kanso principle from Japan

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Written By ms

Best choice for a simple design at your home -Wabi-Sabi Kanso. Bring the simplicity of Japanese households to your place with our easy steps on how to make simple home decor.

Do you like a simple design – is a subtle clean look your style choice? Yes, then welcome Wabi-Sabi’s Kanso principle from Japan. Trust me, Kanso is the all-you-ever-need design guide for your home, and also for your style. I can say this with so much confidence because Kanso means simplicity. And if you are the kind who digs simplicity and clutter-free aesthetics, you cannot miss knowing more about Japanese Kanso. So, just for your love for simplicity, right here, this post is written for you! 

Kanso – a Japanese noun;

an elegant simplicity,

an attractive absence of clutter

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simple design wabi sabi home

Today, you and I are living in an era of materialism. The ‘more the merrier’ is easily one of the famous style symbols. Among all the over-the-top trends of routine life, fashion and styles – Wabi-sabi’s Kanso is like a breath of freshness. You see, sometimes, in a life filled with complex and complicated situations at work or home, we tend to look for a calm place – just to rest. This place is your home. Wabi-Sabi’s Kanso is a fantastic way to create a relaxed and clutter-free place. a Kanso home celebrates simple design. Let’s see how.


Haven’t heard about Wabi-Sabi


Wabi-Sabi Kanso for home

What is the Wabi-Sabi Kanso principle?

Kanso is one of the seven parts of Japan’s Wabi-Sabi philosophy. The Kanso approach focuses on simplicity. It suggests choosing a minimal lifestyle as detailed in the ideas and tips below.

What is wabi-sabi design?

Wabi-Sabi is a Zen Philosophy to design that offers seven principles as a guide:
1. Kanso- simplicity
2. Fukinsei – asymmetry
3. Yugen – subtle grace
4. Datsuzoku – freedom
5. Koko – austerity
6. Shizen – naturalness, and
7. Seijaku – tranquillity
You can explore more of each principle here.

Does the Wabi-Sabi Kanso follow Feng Shui?

Kanso doesn’t resemble any kind of Feng Shui art. You see, Kanso it doesn’t involve placing Feng Shui things in the right place to attract energy. Instead, it focuses on reducing and removing clutter for a simpler and neater appeal. Right here, we are sharing the benefits of Kanso Zen philosophy.

Why choose a Kanso home décor?

Kanso is a home decoration practice that intends to make your home clutter-free. The Japanese principle favours simplicity – it follows the rule – lesser is better. In today’s modern compact homes, Kanso is a much-needed guide to make the most of your place. Are you wondering how? Do take a look at the ideas and tips shared below.


Home décor ideas from Kanso

Remove clutter

The definition of simplicity is never the same for everyone. There is a tendency among people, when they plan to décor the home, to buy more and feel more. But according to the Japanese principle, this is against the rules. As they believe, the state of external surroundings directly impacts our inner selves. Kanso is all about the movement of energy in the room. More the objects in the place it is complicated for energy to flow freely. Hence a clutter-free environment is suggestible in Kanso art of living.


Calm colours

Calm colours represent peace so rather than going for bright colours always look for decent ones. Amongst the dedicated organizers, quiet space can only be achieved when you colour your rooms with soothing colours. Not only the colour of the walls matter but also the colour of the furniture, things in the room, décor items also matters.


Hand-picked decorations

Selective items gain more attention. The less you have, the more uncomplicated the decision making becomes; the same principle goes for home décor theory too. Space with particular selective items, allows you to relax and have leisure time from the stressed-out day.

simple home decor items

Kanso Decor ideasKanso Design tipsBenefits of Kanso
Remove the clutterBe MinimalFocuses on Must-haves
Calm coloursBe imperfectLuxury in Small homes
Hand-picked decorationsChoose a soothing décorCreates Relaxing spaces

Simple design tips for home

Kanso brings a simple, sophisticated décor to your home. Simplicity is the central concept of wabi-sabi Kanso Japanese aesthetics. When we think about Kanso, you need to focus on clarity and simplicity. Kanso is not for you if you are looking forward to decorating your home. So to define Kanso, you may call it “simplicity”, and things are just as good as understood. The simpler you keep the décor, the more peaceful you make your home to attract positive energy and maintain the good health of people dwelling in there. Here are our top tips for creating a Kanso home décor at your place.

simple design kanso wabi sabi

Be Minimal

Kanso also represents minimalism, and if you are not up to it, Kanso could never be your choice. By minimalism, it also depicts that you need to get rid of unwanted things as much as possible. The less you have on your table, the better is the Kanso aesthetics.


Be imperfect

Kanso is a state of awareness of imperfection. To follow Kanso, you need to develop an eye to see the imperfection and hidden beauty. Usually, all arts here and everywhere follow the fundamental aesthetic principles – and imperfection is one of them.


Calm decor

Kanso is a step among the principles of Zen philosophy that holds little care for arrangement. When you want to follow Kanso style, try and choose a few unique decoration pieces. For home décor – a focus chair, one simple pendant lamp or one hand-picked hand-crafted table vase. Focus on less stuff – maybe just one like paintings, table or wall décor items. And this is the Kanso secret to bring peace, the Japanese way.


Why choose a Kanso Home décor?

When looking to decorate your home, mostly you find yourself digging into modern concepts. Here, Kanso could be your ultimate choice. It is the timeless art to boost your minimal and luxurious lifestyle – even in small homes.

Focuses on Must-haves

Think about it, our lifestyles today are chaotic and full – sometimes it’s almost tiring. Here, Kanso asks you to focus more on the things that you need. It’s asking how you can make things more straightforward and understandable; how to uncomplicate. In other words, this means choosing and keeping items that are necessary and a must-have.

kanso wabi sabi

Now if you have 12 coffee mugs, which are barely used by your family members, then you can think of throwing them out, and keep the cups that are getting used daily. Once you place fewer items in rooms, it is more likely to get more attention, rather than rooms filled with hundreds of objects just lying here and there. Here is some good Kanso thinking.


Brings luxury in Small home design

Have you noticed, in recent times, our apartment homes are shrinking to smaller room sizes? It’s a truth that impacts our daily lifestyle at home. Smaller rooms bring new challenges to our storage and comfort likings. Just think about functional objects in your room, suppose a chair, or a bed or a table, are they handy? Is there space for a bedside table or a floor lamp?

Don’t worry, Kanso is here to your rescue. Kanso being the Japanese philosophy and is rightly started here in “Japan”. Now, as you may know, Japan is a country with little land. Japanese people need to live in minimal places. Over the years, people have formed a culture to adjust and remodel their habits to compact spaces. Surely, Japan is living luxuriously in smaller apartment homes with one secret – Kanso. Less number of things, less clutter – more comfort.


Creates Relaxing spaces

The outside world is full of dust and noise pollution. People are so busy and are becoming more stressful as days pass by. Our home is the only place where we find some peace of mind and relax. Kanso décor suggestions simplify your home with minimum decorations. So, embodying this Japanese design principle in our lifestyle, we can create a little heaven for our loved ones and us.

Perfect fit for small home designs, clutter-free spaces with positive vibes – now, that’s worth a shot – what do you think? Let’s add the Kanso style of Wabi-Sabi to your home décor now.


It’s very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.

Rabindranath Tagore

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