“It is a scientifically grounded strategy for creating emotionally healthy and sensorially restorative environments.”
The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi embraces imperfection, nature, and the passage of time. In interior design, it manifests through raw materials such as untreated wood, rough stone, handmade ceramics, and natural textiles. These elements offer texture, irregularity, and emotional resonance: qualities that evoke calm and authenticity.
According to neuroarchitecture, these sensory stimuli influence the limbic system, the brain region responsible for emotion, memory, and stress regulation (George & Prakash, 2024). Natural materials help reduce cognitive overload and foster emotional balance and comfort (Assem et al., 2023). Wabi-sabi spaces, with their visual and tactile imperfections, activate positive neurological responses, enhancing psychological well-being and a sense of belonging.
Contact with organic textures is also linked to reduced rumination and increased emotional security (Kim et al., 2023). Thus, incorporating raw materials in interiors is not merely an aesthetic choice.