I am a lucky, lucky woman and have been married for almost 7 years now. That is one soulmate I am NOT searching for.
As much as I love my husband (which is a lot), I am still searching for my Design Soulmate. I know he/she/it is out there somewhere but our paths have yet to cross. Here’s the deal: design is a subjective, subjective world. There’s not always a “right” answer to things. (Green wall? Purple wall? It’s a matter of taste, opinion, PERSONAL PREFERENCE!) Due to each person’s biology, chemistry, history, astrology or whatever, we all have a different design aesthetic. So I have been seeking my design soulmate, who, when I say “Let’s paint that wall green”, not only says okay but also says “And wouldn’t it be amazing with some funky large-scale art” and you both nod in agreement. I’ve yet to have a colleague who is on that same page with me. Maybe that’s a good thing; we bring different ideas to the table and the best one wins. The issue I’ve come across in the commercial design world is with the person who picks the winning idea. If they don’t get/appreciate/understand your design aesthetic, your idea is never going to “win”. That makes for one frustrated designer (wait this is theoretical, right. Right).
So in order to best find my Design Soulmate, I figure he/she/it might benefit from a list of design aesthetics/products/ideas they must enjoy.
1. White
White leather, white vinyl, white walls, white floors . . . .
Image above from the late great Domino Magazine . . .
Juno Chair from Room and Board designed by Vladimir Kagan
2. Gray (grey?) The second most important color after white. I think every color is fundamentally better with a hint of gray in it. Case in point: the color of our living room walls? Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray.
I couldn’t find my source for this photo — probably an Apartment Therapy house tour? At any rate — grey trim, gray sofa, so fab.
3. Lucite – this picture below, from Lonny June/July 2010 pretty much sums it up.
4. Animals – At some point in my life, I fully intend on having my pets at work with me. So Future Design Soulmate had best be allergy free because these two monkeys will be underfoot.
And finally, my Design Soulmate will obviously have impeccable taste in music as we will blast My Morning Jacket as we work blissfully in our shared design studio. I’m just sayin’ . . .
(P.S. I’m Just Sayin’ is now a segment on one of our local news establishments. Not so great. There’s also a “Cornbread” segment. Because the guys name is CORNBREAD. No. Thank. You.)
There’s a lot more to expound on for the one and only Design Soulmate. I think it best to keep the rest private so I’ll know the real Design Soulmate when they show up. Hopefully that’s any day now . . .
Living Analog 