Best 6 quotes of Amanda Talbot on MyQuotes

Delicate design isn't cutting it for most of us. We are harking back to primitive aesthetics celebrating the imperfections of natural materials, highlighting our current yearning for simplicity and honesty.

For centuries, the Japanese have been a great influence on how we can incorporate nature into our homes by incorporating natural fibers and materials and blurring the boundaries between indoors and out. The Japanese emphasis on connecting with nature comes from the roots of the Shinto religion. Shinto temples incorporated the belief that Kami (Shinto gods or deities) live inside of every living thing, from the mountains to water to rocks and trees. To be closer to Kami the Shinto temples were built around trees, rocks, and mountains in harmony with nature.

Good design adds value

It's as if many of the middle class have discovered aspiration isn't about having a home that is large, showy and full of bling and are instead focusing on the private, unpretentious, and sustainable.

Optimistic design isn't a particular look, it is a movement of residential anarchy. It goes much deeper than using bright colors - it's an attitude displaying self-empowerment, nurturing a more upbeat approach to living. It is about doing things differently, to kick against what is currently on-trend. The only guiding principle is that there is no guiding principle. It is a crusade where a new breed of self-curating, design-smart amateurs who blog about their rebellious design have led the way. They have coined the world 'undecorate.

Simplicity isn't about being a cold, hard minimalist. A different way of looking at simplicity is to take note of the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi. It is difficult to translate it directly into a Western sensibility but it is a way of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature.