” Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein

In today’s housing market, a well as in many other aspects of our lives, things are in a flux.

Housing prices are going up. Mortgage costs are low. There is a shortage of lumber for building.

Which brings up the old saying that change is the only constant.

What is one to do in this flux for one’s personal and business concerns?

Often times, over the history of the history of civilization, severe changes in the normal way of doing things, shortages, financing, a crisis, et cetera have been the catalyst that brought about new, improved, healthier, financial advantaged, and better ways of doing things.

When things are going well, we don’t always use our thinking in imaginative and creative ways.

When things are in a flux, of which much of life always is, it can be wise to not think of such as a problem, but as a challenge to newer, better, and higher levels of existence.

Food for thought.

The most important aspect of the human experience is light without which our species would cease to exist.

This same aspect of light is the most important for the aesthetics of a residential environment.

The second most important aspect necessary for the aesthetics of a residential interior is proportion.

Proportions for residential interior designs are the sizes of things in relation to other things including all that is the space from the rooms individually and their relationship to each other to every thing in the rooms from the largest to the smallest of things used.

Most of us are capable and very aware of sizes in clothing. It is easy to see when articles of clothing are too big or too small or too short or too long for the person wearing them to which we generally react instantly and correct.

Many people are not as sensitive to this situation when viewing residential interior designs or as quick to correct unless the proportions are greatly exaggerated according to their knowledge, standards, customs, culture, et cetera.

It is a universal truth that the laws of physics and the principles of aesthetics apply to all physical manifestations regardless of period of history, culture, status, finances, politics, or any thing else.

Which, of course, makes it applicable to residential interior environments.

The observation, appreciation, and study of beauty in all of it’s manifestations, natural and man made, is the best way to learn, become aware, and apply sensitivity to proportions in aesthetics.

Food for thought.

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” is an expression that has come up various times over the years and, even if it is not mentioned, it is manifest in much of residential designs.

Why would you want to flaunt any thing? Do you need validation from others to be confident in what you have and where you are?

The uses of flaunting run the entire range of social, economic, and prestigious life styles from the lowest to the highest.

There are those who use enormous amounts of expensive materials put out for the world to see what they have to those who use old used faded materials to express how long they’ve had them which supposedly make for more status and prestige.

Deliberately flaunting, regardless for what reasons and by whom, is usually met with various opinions about it’s being done.

The laws of physics and principles of design are not affected by the intangible, which flaunting is, so that you need to keep both of them in minds when you are doing any project for aesthetics.

Food for thought.

Today across my desk came the results of a survey about the styles of houses home owners prefer: traditional, contemporary, modern, transitional, et cetera.

There was no style that won a majority of responses.

What does this study show about the status of residential style in this country today?

In the houses seen most by me in my life time, the traditional style seems to be most seen as it represents a certain comfort, familiarity, status, popularity, et cetera.

To achiever the highest level of art and design in any aesthetic manifestation, it is necessary to express the times in which it is built. Copying the past, regardless of the quality and money involved, is simply a copy.

Generally, people will choose what they like and want for the type of style of the residence in which they live which makes for a good emotional and psychological relationship.

The highest level of beauty in any style of residence can only achieved when the principles of aesthetics and laws of physics are used.

Where are you in what you choose as your residential environment?

Food for thought.

During my time in this profession there have been many people who have lessened the results of their residential interior design environment because of their arrogance.

It is a trait of their personality and many times a result of how they practice their professional lives.

The way your run your business, so to speak, is not necessarily the best way to approach the manifestation of your residential interior design environment.

The quickest, most efficient, least expensive, and most productive approach, which is desirable for business, is not necessarily the best for your home.

The supposed end results should not have the same goals.

Your home should be a physical sanctuary from the outside world and where your emotional and psychological self can be expressed.

The “profits” for your residence should be the satisfaction, comfort, and functions of your personal life and not financial.

Be not quick to make a decision. Look at options. Think in terms of longevity.

Most importantly, accept and practice that being knowledgeable and successful in your line of work does not necessarily mean that such can be applied to all other situations in life.

Have the where with all to accept what you don’t know and seek the best guidance there of.

Food for thought.

During the years of my profession when I inform some one of what it is that I do, the most often response is their telling me about the source of their furniture.

There are many in the furniture industry and profession who identify themselves as interior designers.

Furniture in and of itself is not interior design.

Furniture is a small, but very important small, part of an interior space of about 6-7%.

Look at your entire interior residential space including walls, floors, ceilings, etc. and evaluate how much of that cubic space is actually furniture.

Look at all of the design elements in the space: lines, forms, colors, masses, and textures. How much is composed of furniture?

The level of consciousness with which we look at life, as well as our residential environments, determines what we see, the depth, width, and and height of what we see, and the quality there of.

What is the level at which you choose to look, see, and experience your residential environment?

Food for thought.

What is the most abundant, most often used, least costly, most varied, and most freely used commodity for the human species?

Opinions.

Many people unsolicitly feel compelled to express what they think about your residence even when it is not a factor in their lives.

You paid too much.

You’ll never get your investment back.

It doesn’t belong in this neighborhood.

I don’t like it.

Some times, if you listen carefully at all of the opinions expressed, they come from many and some times opposite positions.

So, “what is a mother to do”?

Smile gently, look them in the eyes and say “really” and go your merry way.

The only opinion of merit about your residence is yours.

” Unto thine own self be true.”

Food for thought.

All of my life cars have had rear view mirrors. Now, they have cameras and screens of which the purpose of both is to see where you’ve been and what’s behind you.

When you drive, you look through the windshield to see where you are going and what is ahead and not into the rear view mirrors.

This same approach can be used, and would be intellectual in doing such, in the approaches we use for the designs, interior and exterior, of our residences.

During my life time cars always had rear view mirrors. Now they have cameras and ‘screens the purpose of both is to see where you’ve beenWhen we drive we look through the windshield in from of us to see where are going and what lies ahead and not into the rear view mirror to see where we’ve been.The same approach we have for driving could be, but generally is not, used for the designs, inside and outside, for the houses in which we live.

If you look at the majority of houses and their furnishings in this country, you will see that they are based upon designs of the past. Designs that can be seen in the rear view mirror.

Civilizations only make progress when they move forward and not remain in the static and comfort of past designs.

The best and only authentic designs reflect the times, materials, life styles, and intellectual level of their day.

The choices you make in the designs, interior and exterior, of your residence as to whether you remain stationary depending upon the past or choose to go forward is a personal one. You may not be interested in or comfortable in going forward.

You make the choices with which you live.

Food for thought.

Spring is in the air and out side plants are beginning to bring forth manifestations for the season.

All of which is a welcome change from the indoor restrictions required by the winter weather and the virus restrictions.

In the information that comes across my desk about trends happening for the housing industry a relationship between indoor and out door spaces is prominent.

Observing the history of housing over the course of civilizations, this desire for a good relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces has basically always been present.

The evolution of housing for the human species has been a relationship of shelter requirements and the out doors.

Thusly, there is a basic human need for some outdoor spaces in our lives. People are less healthy and psychologically balanced in a primarily closed environment.

We once again come around to the basic physical laws of the universe and their roles in existence.

The principles of aesthetics are also manifest in our relationship with the outdoors as we experience the beauty of nature, upon which all beauty is based, which adds joy and completeness to our lives in tune with the universe.

Food for thought.

Examples of human beings decorating the walls of their interior dwelling spaces going back thousands of years can be found in different places around the world.

While their reasons for doing such may be different from why people might do it today, there is still a desire to decorate the interior spaces in which we live.

Spices have also played an important role in civilizations for thousands of years from their uses to enhance foods, their commercial value, their status, their financial value, et cetera.

For much of the current world’s population, many types, kinds, and examples of art are plentiful and easily available for our personal use and spices from around the world are readily available in grocery stores.

So what do art and spices have to do with each other as the subject of this blog?

As spices enhance the flavor of our foods and offer almost unlimited options for different recipes, so can art have the same effect on our residential interior environments.

Think of art as the spice for our homes.

Including art as a part of our lives greatly enhances our day to day existence and offers us many different available directions as to the ambiance we choose for our selves.

While art on and for walls generally offers the most available spaces for the placement of art, art can be manifest in many elements for home furnishings.

The choices you make in art are a reflection of who you are.

Think about it.