Balancing Life in HD

Take a glance through the most desired spaces today, and you realise that the spaces that call out to us more when we build a home, are spaces that aren’t filled with outstanding bursts of contrasting colors, but a color palette that speaks of peace, calm and serenity. 

During a recent photoshoot, while our team and photographer pranced about capturing the home owner’s awesome interiors, I had a chance to catch up with them to speak about their recently completed project. I shared that we seldom receive requests for such a visually stimulating interior to design and build. That sparked a conversation about the recent digital revolution within the past decade and how the human body seems to scream for balance, and this can be seen within the physical space. 

We seem virtually plugged into our mobile devices and web platforms that when we are called to picture a home, or a place for rest, that physical reality will naturally mimic a quiet sanctuary. Recently in this age of digital dominance, it seems that our entire eco-system of body, mind and soul requires organic-looking soft textures, soothing colors, and a comfortable layout sprawled within an interior resting space. Translating these aesthetics through a home, we get very popular recent trends- dual toned colors for walls, desaturated woods, minimalistic layouts, less synthetic materials and of course- cries for natural lighting and volumes of space. 

Marketing experts preach to business owners : Attention/Awareness-> Interest-> Desire-> Action. These principles of marketing will stay true through time. Digital platforms and their applications sole purpose of existence will then be to grab and retain our attention. What better way than sharper definition? loud and deafening colors? huge motion graphics and bolder fonts? When you enter through that threshold called home, seeking rest, do you still need such stimulation? After gazing into the sun all day, will your eyes pray to look upon the soft moon against that deep night sky? Some balance please?

Before the dawn of the smart phone, retro interiors of the 70’s were hugely popular for their stark red patterned wallpapers and their groovy lava lamps. After a boring day at work, I would definitely want to hang out in lively basement with my friends (enter- that 70’s show). Now we have music, motion, movies, and memes right there in the palm of our hands (enter- smart phones). I’d rather a blank space when I get home, thank you very much.

But hey, everyone deserves an opinion on what balance means for them. Interior designers should respectfully investigate our client’s habits, livelihood and maybe even screen time to understand how to invent personal spaces. Interior tip - Introduce some balance into your life, starting with your environment.