October 3rd, 2006
Interiors Abroad
I always find other people’s homes interesting - seeing how they live; what their taste is like; how they organise their life and so on. I’m even more fascinated by people living abroad. Despite the homogenisation of our world - styles, likes and dislikes are different in different cultures. What’s so wonderful about Europe is that you can travel only a couple of dozen miles and see very different architecture, interiors and styles. People live subtlety different lives in different countries, which are reflected in their lifestyles and homes..
As far as interiors are concerned, what’s hot in England may be too naff for the Germans or the Italians. What’s trendy in Germany could be considered cold or sterile for the Italians and Spanish. Although design is becoming international, it is good to see that national identity remains. Perhaps the secret of good design is to be able to accommodate, or blend in, many different styles, cultures and environments.
Seeing other people’s homes abroad is also fascinating on a practical level. Different electrical sockets, toilet bowls, shower heads, sewage systems, gas pressures etc can sometimes be annoying, but at other times rather thought-provoking. I have observed many other interesting details over the years. For example, in Australia, the smallest apartment has a utility area to accommodate a washing machine & drier plus a sink. In Hungary the smallest flat has a larder even if the kitchen is so small that you can hardly swing a cat. In Sweden most, if not all, apartment blocks have a communal sauna and laundry room. In Japan, most small homes still have a formal room with tatami mats. In Switzerland all homes have an atomic bomb shelter. These details reveal quite a lot about cultural diversity and how the customs & habits of different cultures affect the way in which people live in their homes.
Interior design (and architecture for that matter) are therefore not like fashion, despite our designer-obsessed times. It cannot be international nor homogenised because our culture and environment necessarily influences the way we live, the way we inhabit our homes and the way we decorate them. However, when we try to apply one cultural style to another it can backfire. For example, creating a Mexican theme in a Georgian villa in London doesn’t quite work, precisely because the necessary associated cultural elements are not around. So when we decorate our homes, we have to be sensitive to our culture, to our environment, to the building and to ourselves. Only then can we create a truly successful interior.