Page 107 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2019

Learning for Life

Shelter magazines bring the reader the best of the best, the most
innovative ideas for art and design. Many times, you will find a
source that you would never have seen without the research of the
expert editorial team. Bringing together photographers, writers,
editors and layout artists is a skill and a gift.

But you know all this, right? If you’re reading this magazine, hope-
fully, you are one who appreciates going a little slower, appreciat-
ing the artisan qualities of life here in Southern Oregon, and can
perhaps appreciate that a well-designed space is also part of that
equation, one that steps away from technology a bit.

This brings me to my subject for this issue: What is happening in the
world of interior design? The answer is a more esoteric question. It
does not lie with new paint colors or types of tile, nor does it begin
with brands or bloggers. What’s happening in design right now is
a renaissance. I was recently in New York on a design and buying
trip. My design partner-in-crime, ML Stockwell, and I traipsed the
city and immersed ourselves in the hippest, coolest, latest hotels,
restaurants and shops to see what was happening.

What I saw is a bit of a backlash against technology from what art-
ists, writers and designers are offering. Although the tools currently
in place make things easier and more efficient, it’s the thrill of
searching out one-of-a-kind items that emerges as far more inter-
esting. Just as we all have our own style in our homes, our unique,
individual collecting of art, books, objects and textiles. This is what
is happening. People don’t want their home to look like a boring,
gray catalog!

We stayed in a hotel with a vast collection of art, floor to ceiling. It
was old, new, and everything in between. There were sculptures in
the mezzanine, poetry tacked up in the elevators, shaggy furs draped
over chairs in the restaurant, and rooms with wall murals painted by
art students.

Fabric companies we feature, such as Kravet, Lee Jofa and others,
are introducing graphic patterns, lots of color, lots of texture. The
feeling is so warm, and individual. It feels a bit retro as well. I think
the fact that our politicians are so divisive, and the news media can’t
wait for the next big blowup, it’s influencing how we want to live in
our homes. We just want to go home and relax! People are nostalgic
for the days when things were graceful, and there was dignity on all
levels. So what does this have to do with interiors? In terms of my
research and what I see happening, it’s all related.

We want comfort, we want cozy, we want our art to be original, not
factory produced. We want our home to wrap its arms around us
with warmth, soft light, living plants and textures that are yummy
and inviting. That’s the trend. Are you interested? Does it resonate?
How does your home feel in terms of trends? Pretty good I bet.
Cheers!

Happy New Year!
Go to soptv.org for complete listings.
Feel free to send comments to Krissy at tfh@terrafirmahome.com.

winter 2019 |www.southernoregonmagazine.com 105