Zen Decorating Style For The Home
Evoking a Zen decorating style in home decorating is an exercise in
restraint and minimalism. As such, in spite of its recent reputation
for austere luxury, it’s the sort of style that can be done on a
budget. Zen as a religion and philosophy, is an emphasis on simple
utility and elegance; when a noted British philosopher met with a Zen
master, and asked question after question after question, the master
had him look at a teacup, full of tea, to study. Then dumped the tea on
his visitor’s lap, saying that he could not learn Zen until he
had emptied his mind as the teacup was emptied – one must make
space for the Zen ideals to come to fore.
By that same line of reasoning, focus your Zen re-decorating on one
room at a time. Stand in the middle of the room and look around and
perform addition by subtraction. Look for things that clutter the focus
of the room – repeating patterns, knick-knacks, pictures on the
walls and such. Think about having one focal point for the room, and
focus your efforts on drawing attention to that focal point. As a
consequence, the first step in Zen Decorating is to remove things from
the room and your life that are non-essential. Anything that is
essential in your room should have a storage space so that it’s
put away when not in use.
This works remarkably well for making austere and interesting family
rooms and parlors, and less well for children’s play rooms, but
even in the latter case, having clearly defined storage areas for toys
and books to go into when not in use will help.
For accents and colors, look for neutrals to warm colors. Zen brings an
emphasis on connection and simplicity – so solid tones are better
than patterns, and walls should have one or two paintings or portraits
rather than be covered in a kaleidoscope of imagery. For furniture,
look for clean lines. Natural materials, such as bamboo and oak, are
emphasized over manufactured items, and austere comfort over heavy
padding or construction.
Above all else, remember, that the focus of a Zen-themed room should be
calm contemplation. It’s a retreat from the pell-mell world of
modern life; a simple water fountain with the burbling of water over
stones can help with this, as can art in a spare and simple style. When
you can come into a room, immediately see its focus and exhale, letting
the stresses and tensions fall away, you’ve achieved Zen
decorating.
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