<DIV>Wabi sabi, the quintessential Japanese design aesthetic, is quickly gaining popularity around the world, as evidenced by recent articles in <i>Time</i>, <I>The Chicago Tribune</i> and <I>Kyoto Journal</i>. Taken from the Japanese words <i>wabi</i>, which translates to less is more, and <i>sabi</i>, which means attentive melancholy, wabi sabi refers to an awareness of the transient nature of earthly things and a corresponding pleasure in the things that bear the mark of this impermanence. As a design style, wabi sabi helps us to appreciate the simple beauty in imperfection--of a chipped vase or a rainy day, for example.</div>