The harmony of materials

In the last episode of Season 1 of Abstract: The Art of Design, the episode features Ilse Crawford. Crawford is an interior designer that had her big stint as the editor for Elle Decoration before becoming an interior designer for Nick Jones with Babington House. Her background of being an editor has made her more articulate in her design decision.

While it was subtly mentioned, Crawford curates a space with the influence of Anthropology and Behavioral Science. There are no mentions of the theories behind why people may feel a certain way when going into a room and I wish Crawford would have talked about it more. Nonetheless, Crawford talks about how the architecture of a building and interior design “can have such an impact on the way people [feel]” She recalls the dreadful feeling of winding hallways of a hospital and strips all feeling in patients as they wait in agony for a doctor to call them. Working symbiotically with each other, I think that architecture and interior design has the ability to invite an audience but also exude a brand.

One of my favorite parts of the episode is when Crawford brings us to the materials room. Initially, I thought having an overwhelming amount of materials would make it difficult for an interior designer to narrow down the materials into 5 pieces. However, Crawford seems to do it so seamlessly based on touch and memory for the Cathay Pacific airport lounge. As a designer, Crawford understands the business and users needs when it comes to using materials for passengers who are jet lagged from a flight or passengers about to board a flight. Considerations such as handling a high influx of people and the high frequency of suitcases, Crawford understands the needs in creating a room that is durable yet inviting. Settling with limestone, onyx, brass and mohair velvet on the chairs to blend the natural materials with luxury. She uses the lexical term “orchestrated” as if she is the conductor that harmonizes materials to comfort the audience, which I think is pretty magical.

Another project I enjoyed was the Ett Hem hotel, when Crawford talks about creating a sense of place to mimic the sense of making guests feel like they are at home. Deliberately making decisions to put an old table by the kitchen to create a communal space for cooking and conversation seems like a far cry from a luxury hotel. She mentions how the items are place influence how guests behave, which I think is really interesting. This reminds me of the concept by Marshall McLuhan, “the medium is the message” in which the medium itself creates the characteristics and shapes the content in which how people react or interact with the space. I think Crawford does a great job of using the medium to create her message to either invite someone to their own home or a spot for relaxing for the time being.