
Zen lesson: Exclude items which are not absolutely necessary or have nothing to addģ. At first, looking at it, the area may seem sparse, but limiting decor to the core gives room for limitless potential of the space to emerge. Here, the space has a sense of focus and clarity as it drills down to the bare essentials. The concept of koko emphasizes restraint the error of omission is non-existent here. Zen lesson: Remove the clutter to make room for things that matterĢ. By sticking to a simple value proposition that people could understand and have fun with instantly, Instagram was able to grow faster than Facebook and Twitter. Before Instagram, the first iteration was called Burbn – a feature-laden app that was difficult to use and thus, was not a hit. In design, as in life, kanso exemplifies the tenet of clarity, freshness and orderliness by not gloating or being exorbitant.īy eliminating the non-essentials, the space is given room to show clean, unobstructed and natural beauty giving way for what matters to shine forth.Ī real life example is Apple products. The principle of kanso dictates that beauty comes out in a simplistic and natural manner, not needing to be excessive or overstated. Beauty in imperfection that can’t simply be put into words.Īrchitect Sarah Susanka wrote: “When something has truly been designed well, it has discrete beauty that is manifested effortlessly and works. In Japan, design that follows the essence of zen culture embodies the idea of shibumi (渋み) – an elusive, hard-to-define term that alludes to effortless and underrated perfection through the natural state of things. To begin, these principles of zen relate to all dimensions of life, including of course, design and architecture. In simpler words, zen equates to simplicity and elegance.Īlthough as a concept, zen has been widely used and many are familiar with its broad meaning, only very few are knowledgeable of the key principles that constitute the ‘ zen of design’.

The zen design epitomizes the minimalist philosophy through the use of simple, clear lines.Īvoiding complicated and excessive details, zen uses natural elements, materials and patterns to create balance and harmony in a space that is meant to bestow a feeling of warmth and relaxation.

Originating from Japan, the concept of zen has become an increasingly popular approach of interior design.
