Zen Interior Design: The Dos & Don'ts
Of Zen Design & Zen Decorating

Zen interior design is not what most people think.

So if someone tells you that decorating Zen style is all about bamboo, bonsai, or minimalism with a Japanese twist ...

... don't fall for it!

This page is a guide to simple, fuss-free, 'culture neutral' Zen home decor.

Of course there's nothing wrong with either bonsai or bamboo, and a Japanese touch might be just the ticket for your home. Japanese design goes beautifully with Arts & Crafts architecture, and looks great in a modern 'white box', too (click for Japanese 'Zen' decorating examples!)

But ultimately, a 'Japanese touch' is not what Zen design / Zen interior decorating is all about.

Strictly speaking, Zen interior design doesn't actually exist ...

... but that shouldn't keep you from using Zen principles in your home ;-)

So What is Zen?

As a non-Buddhist, maybe I shouldn't make any bold claims here. But I do have some experience of Zen meditation, so it's probably OK to pass on my 'tourist' understanding of Zen (for all it's worth):

Zen is a style of Buddhist practice. It is sometimes called a 'teaching' or a 'philosophy', but its core is the practice. As a Zen practitioner, this is what you do:

1. Throughout your daily life and work, you cultivate a calm, clear, pure, wide open attitude of mind.

2. You practice conscious awareness (with mind and body) in everything you do - all day long. (They say it gets easier once you really start doing it!)

3. You practice loving kindness toward all beings (not just the human ones).

4. You meditate in the zazen style, sitting quietly, emptying your mind of thoughts and focusing on your breathing.

It's a lifelong quest (and there is much more to it than this - but since you're here for Zen interior decorating and Zen design, let's stick to the ultra-quick shortcut version).

Applying Zen principles to home decorating is, of course, a very good idea (and lots of people are doing it).

So let's just pretend for a while that Zen interior design actually does exist.

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Applying Zen to Interior Design

1. Calm, clear, pure, wide open - you can create these qualities in your home as well as your mind. In fact, creating them in your home will help you create them in your mind as well!

Decorating Zen style will turn your home into a sanctuary, a place of soothing tranquility and respite from the rush and busyness of the outside world.

If you're not already doing this anyway - imagine what your home would look and feel like if it had these qualities.

Here are a few ways you could apply this aspect of Zen interior design to your home:

• Reduce the color palette to calm, 'quiet' colors (like neutrals, water and earth tones)

• Gradually take away all clutter, including
• small decorative items (visually, they are clutter as well)
• things you don't actually use
• things with an obvious pattern
• area rugs (particularly if they're colorful and eye-catching)

• Clear the space (walls, floor, tables and other furniture).

When you look at this list, you might find that Zen interior design is a very radical concept. But it doesn't have to be.

You could, for example, start with one area, even a very small one; if you have a home office, it could just be a part of your desk.

Decide that nothing is going to disturb this free, clear, calm space. No decoration, no things, nothing.

Is there a part of your home that would be suitable as a Zen interior decorating test space? Just experiment a little. What color(s) do you want to have here? What materials? How would you like to express calmness, clarity, purity and openness?

2. Conscious awareness.

To give you a very rough idea of the experience, here is a 'non-Zen' example:

I remember how my Dad once had to go on a low-salt diet. After two weeks of no added salt, he said ...

"Now I'm beginning to appreciate what this food really tastes like, the nuances, the subtle flavors. I eat less and enjoy it more. I don't think I'll ever want salt again."

Reducing the decor in your home can have a similar effect. The less there is to stimulate your senses, the more you will notice what is there, and how it affects you. Which brings me to the next aspect of Zen interior decorating ...

3. Loving kindness. Some people think that Zen interiors have to be sparse and spartan, that it's about denying yourself creature comforts.

But that's not how I understand it. You could express loving kindness through the materials you use, and the things you surround yourself with.

• Are they pleasing to the senses?  (What do they look, feel, smell, sound, and taste like?)

• Is your furniture comfortable?

• Do you feel at ease with the things around you? Do they feel welcoming to others?

Zen interior design really isn't about living in empty rooms. It's about creating true well-being, for body and soul.

4. Meditation, therefore, has a place in Zen interior design as well. Maybe it doesn't need to be zazen - there are many ways you can focus and calm your mind.

For example, pictures or natural objects can help you enter a clear mind-state, and they definitely have their place in Zen interior decorating. The fewer and simpler they are the better:

• pebbles
• a piece of driftwood
• a flower
• a picture of a waterfall
• a seascape ...

All these can work beautifully in Zen interior design.

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The Look of Zen Interior Decorating

Let's take another look at the idea that Zen interior design is more or less the same as giving your home a "Japanesey" appearance. After all, you've read this far, and hardly a word about Japan yet!

Well, Buddhism originated in India and then 'traveled' north to China. Zen as a practice was first established in China, about 1500 years ago (it was called Ch'an). It spread to Vietnam, Korea, Japan, later to Europe and the USA, and is now practiced in many parts of the world.

Sure, the word 'Zen' is Japanese, and the first Zen teachers that came to the West were Japanese. But there are many non-Japanese 'schools' of this type of spiritual practice.

And while traditional Japanese interiors are exquisitely stylish, pure, and gorgeous, Zen interior design really doesn't need to 'look Japanese' at all.

Here are two examples of decorating Zen style, both fairly extreme, but that helps illustrate the point ;-) The room on the left is in Denmark, the one on the right in Switzerland.

They both look clear and clutter-free, and you could easily make them more inviting without losing the Zen 'spirit'. For example, add loads of seat cushions to the Swiss room and simple, long white linen/cheesecloth curtains to the Scandinavian one.

Notice how in both rooms, the decorative elements really stand out against the low-key background? Zen design makes you choose your decor wisely.

Take-home rule:
Any style that is not ornate or frilly can work for Zen home decor. If you pare it down enough to fit the following list of Zen design criteria, you'll be fine. So here are the ...

Elements of Zen Interior Design:

• Clean lines: nothing that's visually busy

• Open, clear spaces (zero clutter)

• Natural, beautiful but unfussy materials

• Quality but simple furnishings: nothing 'bling', no high-maintenance stuff, nothing that screams for attention or tries to impress

• Low-impact colors taken from nature, a minimum of (subtle) pattern

• Quality rather than quantity

• A calm overall look (you get enough stimulation when you step outside the front door!)

By using Zen interior design you'll create a peaceful, inspiring home that looks good without looking dressed up.

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Now, if you're here for some insights into strictly Japanese interiors, here's a glimpse into a traditional Japanese house:

In the next video, the owner of a traditional Japanese house near Kyoto gives a guided tour through some of the rooms of her home:

If you would like to add a traditional Japanese touch to your home, check out this treasure trove of inspiration:

For non-Japanese Zen home decor ideas, you can't go wrong with books from this collection:

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Oh, and just in case you're curious about Zen, meditation, and spirituality, here are some books I have found very useful and inspiring:

Have a browse ... Enjoy!

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