Designing for a Purpose
Apr. 3rd, 2006 11:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebSo, today I cracked up reading the comments about Jaime's Date Ready Pad. Jaime explained:
Most commenters had fun with his description, some seemed to think he was too extreme, then someone felt the need to explain about humor and irony. And then somebody said:
Normally I assume people "design" interiors for looks; at least that's how it appears in the magazines where the pictures tend to be devoid of people and where the kitchen counters always have extremely large bowls of color-coordinated fruit.
(Let's see, in my kitchen, with peach counters, (mostly) white appliances, black and white flooring, and other black trim, that would be, uh, black bananas in a white bowl. Maybe not. Aren't there such things as white bell peppers? Yes, get ten of those and stick them in a wrought iron basket. Well, you can't use marshmallows! They're not healthy!)
Other goals I've heard include usability, efficiency, comfort, ease of cleaning, accessibility (in a wheelchair or for those with arthritis) and even, on rare occasion, safety.
When I'm arranging stuff, I try to figure out first how to fit everything in comfortably, and then, where possible, how to group things together that look good together. I generally do this by color. I only get things that I really love or that are free. You can imagine how fabulous this looks. I like it, though.
And I really like the idea of storing things near where they will be used, even if that placement is nontraditional. One example in my house is what's under the kitchen sink. Most people that I know about store their trash cans and their poisons under there. That's partly because you're more likely to need to store things that won't get ruined if water leaks in and partly because it's usually the only place tall enough to hide a trash can.
We have large flat things (cutting boards, cookie sheets) and pot lids, plus one stack of pots under there. We keep the trashcan out (it's covered) and the poisons in the bathroom.
**
It's one thing to say that something is inspirational, and another to actually use that inspiration to do something. I can now say that reading about and viewing these beautiful and/or interesting tiny apartments is inspirational because I have actually stopped reading, gotten out of my chair, and done something as a result.
Yesterday I did some more organizing of my clothing. I do believe that everything that needs to go into the dresser fits there comfortably now. I got rid of several things that are getting worn and for which there are replacements. Sadly, I also labeled a new bag "spares." This is for clothes that fit but that I haven't worn in a long time and which I therefore should be getting rid of. To be fair, there are a few items that I don't wear merely because I don't have anything that goes with it. It's nice, when I get something new, to run home and see how many things I have that will go with it. And then run out into the garage and see how many things I had forgotten about that will go with it. But maybe the bag is also a crutch for me, a half-way house for the clothes while I am psyching myself to move on.
Today I started organizing things around my half of the bookcase headboard. Although I may be in the middle of reading fifty books and magazines, some I will never get back to, so I can get rid of them. Others I won't get back to anytime soon, so I can safely put them away. Such simple facts, but normally I am not very motivated to act on them.
Good design, at its peak, is about keeping you and your guest (date) comfortable, entertained, therefore
"Design is about getting laid"
Most commenters had fun with his description, some seemed to think he was too extreme, then someone felt the need to explain about humor and irony. And then somebody said:
Why is "design is about getting laid" more ludicrous or ironic than the popular "my home is my refuge" or "my kitchen is the heart of my home" or even Corb's "a house is a machine for living"?
I applaud anyone who knows what he or she is designing *for*, regardless of whether I agree on the goal or love the outcome. At least the design makes its occupant happy.
Normally I assume people "design" interiors for looks; at least that's how it appears in the magazines where the pictures tend to be devoid of people and where the kitchen counters always have extremely large bowls of color-coordinated fruit.
(Let's see, in my kitchen, with peach counters, (mostly) white appliances, black and white flooring, and other black trim, that would be, uh, black bananas in a white bowl. Maybe not. Aren't there such things as white bell peppers? Yes, get ten of those and stick them in a wrought iron basket. Well, you can't use marshmallows! They're not healthy!)
Other goals I've heard include usability, efficiency, comfort, ease of cleaning, accessibility (in a wheelchair or for those with arthritis) and even, on rare occasion, safety.
When I'm arranging stuff, I try to figure out first how to fit everything in comfortably, and then, where possible, how to group things together that look good together. I generally do this by color. I only get things that I really love or that are free. You can imagine how fabulous this looks. I like it, though.
And I really like the idea of storing things near where they will be used, even if that placement is nontraditional. One example in my house is what's under the kitchen sink. Most people that I know about store their trash cans and their poisons under there. That's partly because you're more likely to need to store things that won't get ruined if water leaks in and partly because it's usually the only place tall enough to hide a trash can.
We have large flat things (cutting boards, cookie sheets) and pot lids, plus one stack of pots under there. We keep the trashcan out (it's covered) and the poisons in the bathroom.
**
It's one thing to say that something is inspirational, and another to actually use that inspiration to do something. I can now say that reading about and viewing these beautiful and/or interesting tiny apartments is inspirational because I have actually stopped reading, gotten out of my chair, and done something as a result.
Yesterday I did some more organizing of my clothing. I do believe that everything that needs to go into the dresser fits there comfortably now. I got rid of several things that are getting worn and for which there are replacements. Sadly, I also labeled a new bag "spares." This is for clothes that fit but that I haven't worn in a long time and which I therefore should be getting rid of. To be fair, there are a few items that I don't wear merely because I don't have anything that goes with it. It's nice, when I get something new, to run home and see how many things I have that will go with it. And then run out into the garage and see how many things I had forgotten about that will go with it. But maybe the bag is also a crutch for me, a half-way house for the clothes while I am psyching myself to move on.
Today I started organizing things around my half of the bookcase headboard. Although I may be in the middle of reading fifty books and magazines, some I will never get back to, so I can get rid of them. Others I won't get back to anytime soon, so I can safely put them away. Such simple facts, but normally I am not very motivated to act on them.