Your Own Personal Theatre
A thought taken from my Design and Creative Workshop
A house is a theatre where we play out ourselves; a set in which to create the world where you’d like to live within your own walls
The scenery I create for myself is led by the spaces I long to inhabit; old museums, traditional pubs, a piled high haberdashers
From the museum I want the cabinetry, the dusty stuff, the musty smells, the low light and the quiet contemplation. But I also yearn for the relaxation and atmosphere of a traditional pub; the yellow tarred walls, the hard masculine surfaces, the smokey haze and the warmth of the fire. Another part of me delights in the possibilities of the sewing box; the trims and frills, the mix of fabrics and patterns. My house is my theatre, my box of delights
And while I may not have exactly the right things that I long for to make up these spaces I can still create something of the feelings of these spaces.
Creating this theatre is a sensual approach -Â the smell is important, those smells that take you places, the light is crucial, perhaps also the sounds and certainly the colours and textures.
This set dressing is very much the surface stuff of design, it is endlessly changeable without major upheaval but it works wonders for the soul.
The use of theatre is something that works so well in shops - when you come across a place that creates an atmosphere that enchants us, it can create the urge to buy something in order to own and hold onto a piece of whatever that magic is. You know those places that smell so good you want to linger and be swept along in it. Or perhaps those shops that set the soundtrack so perfectly that they change the rhythm of your mood. We all know those spaces that have enchanted us.
Some of the best airbnbs are those that are playful with their set dressing. As holiday lets become more prolific those that stand out are the ones that tell a story. These spaces are more than a colour scheme and a pleasing selection of furniture, they create a lyrical backdrop to your stay.
If this theatrical set dressing can feel so good in the best shops or on a wonderful holiday I say take that sense home and enjoy it in the everyday.
Think of the smells that enchant you; the things you’d love yours eyes to alight upon as you wake in the morning; the sounds that invigorate you and the light that lifts you; and let that be the starting point for telling your tale in the theatre of you.
** This is a detail taken from my Ridge & Furrow Workshop. If you’d like to join me at my home/studio to delve deeper into the details of design, I have just launched a new date for the next workshop on our website. These don’t happen very often and places are limited.**
Dressing the beam over the bed to create an alcove effect is beyond clever, probably genius.