Emery Bopp, 1968

Shabby chic is not quite the same as
wabi sabi but both have a worn, quiet dignity.

The weary frame surrounding this painting
is a good example of shabby chic.
To be wabi sabi, the frame would
more likely be less ornate, raw wood,
well used by the passage of time,
the natural effects of weather
and many years of handling.

“Distressed” is the term used by modern manufacturers 
who are trying to give new objects a wabi sabi patina.

Wabi Sabi is the Japanese term for the silent dignity and elegant beauty found in simple, natural, utilitarian things. Visitors to the Wizard Academy campus often find examples of Wabi Sabi in places where we have hidden them in plain sight. We call these little surprises Easter Eggs.

Shabby chic is the wabi sabi of a less ancient, more industrialized society. The subtle distinction between these terms is my own, by the way. The argument could easily be made that wabi sabi and shabby chic are the same. 

Pennie and I are fond of both.

Roy H. Williams
rabbit hole guest of Indiana Beagle