We live in an era of infinite inspiration. Beautiful homes, brands and their amazing designs are right at our fingertips. We are more visually savvy than ever before. The sheer amount of visual content on the web is overwhelming, to say the least. The more we see, the more we get inspired. However, the downside is that everything starts looking similar. According to Ms. Kirti Madan, Creative & Art Director of Mahima Group, the biggest mistake one makes when designing their home or a space is “pursuing perfection.” She opened up about the biggest mistakes one makes while designing.While talking about how people seek perfection in designs, she shared, “Modern design has turned out to be too perfect. Symmetry, harmonious combinations, and interiors that would look great on a photograph are what we are used to and comfortable with. And it becomes a problem when everything is designed with the idea of looking “perfect” because of something that gets lost in this process – personality.”
How people relate luxury with perfection
According to Ms Kirti, luxury has never been defined by a certain level of perfection. It has always been defined by a combination of attributes that give a product or a space it’s unique edge. She said, “The best and the most memorable interiors are those where everything looks good but imperfect and somehow reveals something about the person who inhabits the space. Luxury has never really been about perfection. Luxury has always been about character, craft and a particular point of view.“
What makes a design special
The beauty of luxury lies in its understated elegance. It is in the material’s richness, the precision and proportion of detail, and the ability to create a sense of space and volume. She shared, “The best luxury brands know this intuitively. It doesn’t have anything to do with always going with the latest trend. Instead, they establish a visual vocabulary that is distinctly their own. There is heritage in their choices, elegance in the way they execute it and confidence in their choice to not change anything.““It’s no different when it comes to interior design. The luxurious interiors aren’t about proving how luxurious they are. It is usually about the subtle details, like the quality of the materials used, the proportion of the room, the finish of an item, or the way light plays on a surface,” she further revealed.
From inspiration to copycats
We are seeing so many similar styles in the spaces we see on social media. While it is true that they all look beautiful, they are all very similar. While talking about how everything today looks like a replica, she said, “Social media has brought inspiration within reach for everyone who is interested in design. There’s a difference between finding your inspiration in a particular piece or a style and reproducing it. Once trends start getting copied too closely, individuality starts disappearing. We will start seeing the same curved sofa, same color palette, same sculptural lamp and same styled coffee table everywhere.”According to her, spaces are becoming less unique since it is so easy to view and copy. As a result, it’s hard to separate them from other spaces, and they all start to blend together.Also read:Simple ways to keep fridge free from stain and bad smellPlants that can grow well with simple kitchen leftovers
Designing beyond time
If you look at a well-designed piece of furniture or a home or the inside of a much-loved boutique, it doesn’t feel ‘dated’. This is because it was designed with time in mind. Ms. Kirti said, “the true measure of a well-designed product or environment isn’t whether it looks current right now, but whether it continues to feel relevant years from now. Designs that are created simply for the sake of attention will always be susceptible to passing fads. Designs driven by purpose, proportion, craftsmanship and point of view will have lasting impact. Trends come and go, and if your favourite piece was designed to look good today, it will most likely look good tomorrow.”j
Why it is important to create something that’s noticed
Ms Kirti explained, “The most beautifully designed products aren’t necessarily the ones that get the most attention. They’re the ones we never forget. Perhaps that is the real art of design: to create not something that is noticed, but something that endures.”
