Why Design?
Design by the:meaZure (Me!)
My relationship with Design has been an interesting one - I didn’t start out with a clear direction or desire to be an Interior Designer. Instead, I followed the path I thought I should (i.e. I did what my parents wanted and went to university to get a Bachelor’s in Environment and Development studies), and ended up in design because I loved it enough to chat up a stranger at a wedding who told me he worked in design and a week later, I had a new job.
From there, my 19 year strong love affair began. But despite loving design, interiors, and especially products, I always struggled with WHY I do design. Part of it was due to what I was taught about impact growing up - that it came from “serious” professions like Teaching, Law and Medicine. And part of it was due to the money blocks and frivolity which design has often been assigned - something I was very guilty of buying into (“it’s a sofa, not a life or death situation”). But as I’ve grown (both in age and experience!), I’ve come to really understand my own why, as well as how my mindset prevented me from seeing the immense impact and beauty of this industry that is so popular, but perhaps not entirely well understood.
Design is transformative. It is transformation itself. It is not just simply picking pretty colors or finding beautiful furnishings, and it is certainly not about how much money you can dedicate to it. It is simply about a method through which we can change, enhance and amplify our surroundings in order to create an environment of inspiration, support and joy. Taking the time to thoughtfully curate our homes, the items that inhabit it, the pieces we rely on to support us - from our sofa to our bed to our favorite painting and mug - help to instill in us a feeling of calm, happiness and welcome that then translates further into how we are as people. For myself, the feeling of fulfillment I get from helping someone create a home they love, finding items that uplift them, putting together spaces that inspire them, challenging their perceptions of what they love and want in their life, and seeing the joy in their faces when they see their homes come together - it lights me up and it’s why I do what I do. It’s my ‘Why Design.’ It is also why design integrates so seamlessly with Feng Shui and the essential work of energetic alignment.
When we care for ourselves, for our surroundings, and when we live intentionally, we can tap into a better inner being, one that has more space, energy and compassion for themselves and others. And this world can use more intentionality and compassion, don’t you think? So next time you’re debating what to do with your home, think more seriously about dedicating time (and if you can, a budget) to redesigning your space. Clean it, declutter the items that don’t speak to you, move things around, and replace what needs replacing. Live life beautifully.
For visual inspo, you can follow me on Instagram at the:meaZuredLife