Mansi's assignment on Zen Design Philosophy.

1. Zen
Interior Design Philosophy
Mansi Shukla-Goklaney

2. Zen : Meaning & Origin
Zen /zen/: A 12th century Japanese school of
Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of
meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or
study of scriptures.
Sanskrit origin: Dhyana (meditation)
“Living fully and authentically in the present moment
makes each instant of one’s life a peak experience.”

3. Zen : Principles of Design
Asymmetry
"Uniformity of design was considered fatal to the
freshness of imagination…designs which are
asymmetrical are more dynamic, active”

4. Zen : Principles of Design
Simplicity
Zen eschews gaudy, ornate and over embellished in
favour of sparse, fresh & neat…minimalist design

5. Zen : Principles of Design
Austerity
Reduce everything to the “pitch of essence”.

6. Zen : Principles of Design
Naturalness
Zen is artless, without pretense, or self-consciousness.
It’s bare wood, unpolished stone, and flowers in the
backyard!

7. Zen : Principles of Design
Freedom from Worldly Attachments
Buddhist philosophy not to be bound to life, things or
rules

8. Zen : Principles of Design
Subtle Profundity
within Zen lies a deep reserve, a mysterious, shadowy
darkness…the hint of soft moonlight through a
skylight.

9. Zen : Applied
Simplicity
lack of clutter, minimalist approach, use natural objects eg
stone and wood…low furniture with simple straight lines
Ornament & Purpose
essentials, remove things without purpose and highlight
one or two items and watch them stand out
Mindfulness
conscious and purposeful environment, choose items with
determination eg: retaining plants inside the home
Lighting
lots of it…placing simple sculpting can create an ever
changing dynamic resulting in flow of positive energy
Colours
earthy tones reflect a harmonious palette or possibilities,
colours should be given with decorative objects