As someone lucky enough to grow up in a home with wide clerestory windows in an already bright living room, I’ve always been enchanted by the beauty of manipulated light. However, it was this video of artist Aubrey Borschke capturing the sun that finally led me to explore the concept of dappling light. And what I found was the dreamy Japanese word ‘komorebi’.
Roughly translating to ‘sunshine leaking through trees’, this concept speaks to the interplay of light and leaves to lend that dimpled effect that romanticizes any surface. And since Japanese design ideas tend to be some of the most simplistic yet nuanced ways to envelope a space in calm, it got me thinking about how we can bring this effect into the fold.
Turns out, there are a couple of neat ways to use your home as a canvas for these shadowy bursts of light. And I have a feeling, after this, you won’t ever want a home bereft of komorebi.
What Is Komorebi?
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“Komorebi is a Japanese word that describes sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees,” says Joel Wong, interior designer and co-founder at OWIU Design. “Deeply rooted in Japanese culture and literature, it reflects an appreciation for impermanence, seasonality, and the quiet beauty found in everyday moments.”
If you’ve ever found yourself drifting off in thought while catching the light with your hands, dozing off under a canopy dappling sunshine into patterns on your skin, or taking in the pockets of light that bounce across your home, then you’ve experienced the beauty of komorebi.
Joel Wong is a designer based in Los Angeles, born and raised in Singapore. He pursued his bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), graduating with distinction, and was awarded the prestigious merit thesis prize and Henry Adams prize for outstanding student. Joel has extensive experience in the architectural field. He has worked for firms such as ADDP Architects in Singapore and the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects.
How to Bring Komorebi Into Your Interior Design
Take a look at the fallen streaks of light on those wooden floors. And imagine watching it wax and wane as the day fades.
(Image credit: OWIU Design)
Your home is no doubt already painted with splotches of sunlight. But the idea of introducing komorebi into your home’s design is about amplifying the effect for a more intentional accessory to your visual story.
And while Japanese style decor will certainly weave the tale together, these are some ways to play up komorebi in your living spaces.
1. Allow Nature to Shape Light
Notice the feathered plant standing right by the window.
Image credit: Tom Wholohan. Design: Modify Homes
See the way it casts itself into the design of this home.
Image credit: Tom Wholohan. Design: Modify Homes
“Rather than treating landscaping as separate from the architecture, position trees and planting close to the home,” says Joel. “This way, the light becomes filtered naturally through branches and leaves before entering the space.”
If you live in an apartment, you can mimic this look by styling light-friendly structural houseplants in front of windows. It will feather the incoming sunshine and cast textural shadows.
Patch Plants
Kentia Palm Plant in Clay Pot
Standing tall at around 180 cm, this gorgeous kentia palm will play with light beautifully. And if you’re keen on something smaller, how about this Mini Dracaena?
2. Create Layered Thresholds
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“Elements such as screens, overhangs, sheer fabrics, and covered transitional spaces soften direct sunlight and create a more atmospheric relationship between interior and exterior spaces,” says Joel.
So, consider decorating with sheer window treatments for soft reflections of komorebi. And you can always take this concept to the next level by playing with patterned lacey fabrics and colored treatments, too.
LiBuPlantDyeing
Handmade Ramie Noren Curtain
3. Design for Changing Light
A spacious room with clear space can also be a wonderful canvas for the light as it shuffles in and out of focus through the day.
(Image credit: Eymeric Widling. Design: Mera Studio Architects)
“Dappled light is never static,” he notes. “Openings and spaces should be designed to capture shifting shadows and changing light conditions over time, allowing the home to feel more connected to nature and seasonality.”
Consider using the Japanese principle of ‘Ma’ to embrace negative space and, in turn, allow for komorebi to take on a more important role in the storytelling of your design.
Anthropologie
Lena Sheer Woven Café Curtains, Set of 2
If you have some shorter windows, these curtains from Anthropologie are a lovely touch.
Westwing
Handmade Decorative Object Tia
Something simple like this bubbled glass piece can reflect rainbowed spots of light into your room.
H&M
Large Textured Glass Vase in Brown
I’d love to see this softly twisted glass vase manipulate the light into distorted shadows.
Another endearing concept rooted in Japanese design is this champagne cork housewarming ritual. And if you’re keen to take inspiration al fresco, the concept of hanami is worth learning about for spring.
In the meantime, subscribe to the Livingetc newsletter for more ways to make your house feel like a warm hug of a home.
