Thursday, June 2, 2011

Everyday Spaces

Interior Design is all about people. The whole idea is to create an environment within a space that set the scene for the next Act. Every space is designed for a specific purpose and most definitely “Designing of the space” is not the purpose. The design has the potential to evoke different emotions from the way it is created and it all depends on the visualization and creativity of the designer. It could make you relax or for that matter make you extremely restless. A waiting space could give you a ambience where you would like to lounge for hours as in a hotel lobby or make you a bit edgy like one feels while waiting for a bus at the station.
One doesn’t have to be a trained in design to be a designer per say to be able to design his space. We have all grown up watching our mothers putting things in particular order to set up different spaces within the household for specific purposes. And now we are getting old watching our daughter do the same with her dolls and toys.
The Quest is “what is a good Interior design for a particular space?” The correct answer is probably no one knows as there is no single solution to a design problem.
Unfortunately the answer that we get is that everyone knows. People tend to fill up spaces with symbols associated with certain style or traditions and try to brand a particular space. More often than none it showcases lack of creativity or purpose and end up being just an imitation.
One morning a couple of weeks back I found myself in one such space as I took refuge from the sweltering heat while I was getting my car washed. I found myself in a traditional Arabic setting and I am sure some people will be comfortable in such ambience. I could only wish GE or their fraternity supplied the local market with accessories that blend with such finishes.
My thought drifted to several years back when I visited a RESTORED fort in Oman and found concealed wiring and modern wiring accessories amidst traditional and heritage finishes.