First, what is Wabi Sabi? wabi-sabi, adj. and n. Oxford English Dictionary

An aesthetic or world view characterized by finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, or simplicity.

What is not mentioned is that Wabi-Sabi’s origins are Japanese and it’s rather hard to define, but basically nothing is ever perfect, nor is it permanent so keep it simple. Shedding perfection sounds good to me, especially when designing a bathroom for our son, a teenage boy.

As with all the bathrooms in our main house, the walls don’t have tile but are finished with Tadelakt plaster for the shower/bath surround, simplicity in material form. This plaster finish creates an earthy depth to very neutral color and allows the Brizo plumbing fixtures & accessories #gifted to shine. Links to all of the Brizo fixtures below.

I used a deep brown (fossil) and saturated blue color (azure) on the floor in the Dwell x Concrete Collaborative Collection Strands line to represent the ocean and the earth. I embraced the Wabi-Sabi tenet of imperfection with a random layout of three patterns (“squash”, “pin” & “swallow”) offered in the Dwell x Concrete Collaborative series of ocean inspired tile. As with all Concrete Collaborative lines, these colors are completely customizable. As an alternative option I loved both fossil and azure paired with white for pop, but putting these two rich tones together felt very grounding. Yet the randomness of the patterns give a playful vibe that reflects our son’s personality.

Brizo Kintsu™ Single Handle Monoblock Bathroom Sink Faucet in Brilliance Black Onyx

Another Concrete Collaborative surface I used is this gorgeous terrazzo countertop, Pacifica in Acier with white + grey chip (whispering that I think the “grey chip” has a lot of brown aggregate in it, which is why I selected it!). The Acier color makes a lovely transition from the saturated colors in the floors and cabinets to the light plaster surround. You can learn a bit more about Concrete Collaborative Slabs in the video below.

Out in the Concrete Collaborative Slab yard with Sally! Learning about terrazzo slabs and the ways to show it off, as I did with our under mount sink allowing another place to allow the aggregate in the terrazzo to be revealed.

Now that we know a little bit about Wabi Sabi enter the Brizo Kintsu™ Single Handle Monoblock Bathroom Sink Faucet in Brilliance Black Onyx .

Brizo says it best about their Kintsu collection: “Delicate harmonies come to life in the Kintsu Bath Collection by Brizo. Tranquil contours reflect elegant Scandinavian minimalism, while natural materials and broken geometries channel the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi.”

The shape of these Kintsu faucets not only mimics the interior arch of the shower area but is genius in its simplicity of design. The lever to turn on the water almost hides in plain sight. With a gentle pivot at the back end of the faucet the water turns on and is easily adjusted from cool to warm with just a slight motion.

It is the colorway- Brilliance Black Onyx that absolutely sets this line apart in my opinion. The color reminds me of the glints of mica that live in the rocks on some of my favorite local hikes.

Eye catching it is, right after we installed these pieces they became everyone’s favorite. One friend even referred to it as black chrome… which I love! I keep waiting for a scratch to appear on the surface of one of these Brilliance Black Onyx items since I realize wabi sabi espouses imperfection but not a mark yet… so for the sake of this glorious finish… I’m willing embrace this perfection.

Kintsu™ Two Handle Bathtub & Shower Faucet in Brilliance Black Onyx (Trim Only)

Kintsu™ Handle Kit in Brilliance Black Onyx

Kintsu™ Pull-Down Diverter Tub Spout in Brilliance Black Onyx