Creatrix

Concept

Concept is extremely important to the design community. Without some unifying idea it is hard to create a design that is cohesive and attractive. There are several ways to go about this.

One is to find some sort of inspirational image to draw from, whether you do it figuratively and use the feel or idea of the image or you literally take colors and shapes from the image. This is probably one of my favorite ways to go, but sometimes it can be hard to find an inspiring image.

Next on my list is finding words that sum up your ideal. This is also a good idea and tends to help you from everything from basic overall aesthetic to what kind of finish you want to use.

Last, and my absolute most hated is to draw up a concept statement. This is supposed to be somewhere around four sentences that sum up your design. While doing this (at least for my current teacher) you are supposed to be extremely vague and make it so it could apply to ANY design. So you aren’t allowed to use phrases like “This room” or “this space”. You aren’t even really allowed to mention materials because that’s too specific. This tends to result in what I can only describe at bullshit. The type of bullshit they expect you to write in literature classes.

For example, my current project is designing a skybox for BMW. Now what I’d like to say is something along the lines of creating a space that is dynamic and exciting, but with luxurious furnishings. I’d also like to mention smooth materials and bright, vivid lighting. Instead, I’m turning in this spectacular piece of bullshit.

“Sit back and experience luxury. Comfort and energy join into one pleasant whole that contours around you in streams of light and sleek, modern forms.”

Now it’s a nice bit of bullshit, I’ll admit. It sounds nice and dreamy and like it comes from a commercial, but I don’t want to write commercials. I want to design beautiful, efficient, modern interiors and put George Nelson’s Coconut Chair absolutely everywhere. I should not have to spend an hour and a half trying to take my ideas and words and spill them into a vague bit of gloop that in the end doesn’t say any more than the keywords I picked out does.

Evening Glow

The kitchen project was the second to last project I did for my residential class. I was given clients in their mid-forties with two sons in their late teens. I chose to interpret the couple as very socially active, with a tendency for throwing get-togethers for friends and coworkers several times a month.

I was having a bit of trouble trying to come up with a concept for the kitchen, but as I walked with my friend on the way to her dorm after class we saw a completely spectacular, vibrant sunset. The clouds were bright and fierce, but the sky was dark blue and purple. It was this sight that became my concept.

I decided to go with something fiercely modern, with sharp lines and big blocks of color. My idea was so strong I only ended up with three pages of sketches before I decided I had enough to start modeling.

This kitchen is truly a monster. It’s huge and filled with large expensive appliances, not to mention several custom pieces. There’s room for two people to cook, with a large island for setting out buffet-style food that includes a convenient warming drawer so the food stays warm while waiting for the guests. Across the way is a wet-bar/coffee-bar that’s easily accessible from the kitchen table. The bar area has it’s own refrigerated drawers for everything from coffee creamer to special booze and mixers, as well as a tall temperature-controlled wine rack.

Over the bar is a large skylight. This not only enables you to see and grab your coffee in the morning without worrying about turning lights on and off, but it lets evening guests get a good look at the kitchen’s inspiration. Only a few steps away is the door to the patio and the great outdoors. 

I modeled the room in Google Sketchup and then rendered it in the free program Kerkythea. The shapes and colors of the various custom elements in the kitchen were all inspired by pictures of sunsets. The ceiling is painted black, and most of the lighting was bundled into the custom soffit. You can see the shape of the soffit better as the dashed line on the floorplan above or…

In this view! I’ll admit there were some things on this side of the kitchen that weren’t modeled 100%, but it’s a much more dramatic view.

Overall I have to say this design is ridiculously bold. Other than my usual clean lines and modernist attitude I’m not sure it reflects anything else I’ve ever done. Now if only I could find someone to live in it.