Wabi-sabi style, natural imperfection
Wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic principle, looks for beauty in imperfection, patina, irregularity and the trace of time. Applied to an interior, it becomes an approach to the material itself, choosing what lives, what marks, what is not smoothed. Raw travertine with open pores, irregular glazed terracotta, veined natural stone, untreated wood, washed linen, every material keeps the memory of how it was made and how it has been used.
At Atelier Matière, wabi-sabi is not a surface style but an honest selection. We offer materials that refuse industrial perfection, that let their grain, their variations, their relationship to time show. Here are the families that compose this register best.
Travertine and warm stones
Travertine in Chiaro, Noce or Scabos Romano, in a natural finish with the pores left open, embodies the wabi-sabi spirit almost perfectly. Each slab keeps its small hollows, its variations in tone, its micro-irregularities, and develops a soft patina with use. The Italian travertines and limestones of Petra Stones and Marmi can be laid on floors, as cladding or in showers, provided their living relationship with water and time is accepted.
Glazed terracotta and artisan ceramic
Fornace Brioni, with Cristina Celestino as art director, reissues an Italian glazed terracotta in which every tile keeps the trace of the hand. The Albedo, Cretto and Giardino all'italiana collections play on light reliefs, variations in tone and surface irregularities. Set in pattern on walls or floors, these ceramics draw a living surface that is nothing like industrial production, ideal in a kitchen, a dining room or a living room.
Raw textiles and washed linen
For curtains, cushions, banquettes and headboards, the Pierre Frey, Arte and Thévenon upholstery fabrics offer many pieces in washed linen, hemp, raw cotton and bouclé. Loose weaves, natural beige, ecru and greige shades, the fabrics let their texture show and age gracefully. Our in-house textile team makes to measure in Île-de-France, with fabric books available in the showroom so you can compare materials in real life.
Related selection
Let’s compose your project
Every material needs to be touched, compared and confronted with the light of the project. We welcome you by appointment in one of our two Paris showrooms to refine your selection.