rituals and things watch with glittering eyes the world around you...
Alena Kudriashova
year:
2012/13
course:
GD Interior Design
group:
2
mentor:
Janey Sharratt
preface my little world
“Words,” he said, “is oh such a twitchtickling problem to me all my life.” ~ Roald Dahl, The BFG
Today life moves so fast that we hardly notice it. Have you ever thought of how much you miss every day being too busy to take a look around? All these things we miss are always precious, every single one of them. They are called moments. Moments are what our life consists of. Missing moment can never be recaptured. When this idea came to me I could not get rid of that. So I decided why not stop and look around once in a while? What do I like? What is important to me? What kind of a designer could I be not knowing myself in the first place. Who am I? There are many things that matter. No, not those I used to think they were. Something much simpler. Something that I see every day. Things and rituals of my life. Please, be my guest in this story. Witnessing my world you could find something for yourself.
waking up “Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.” ~
Roald Dahl
I know you are smiling while looking at this picture. It is not too architectural, I know. But to me it is more than just a drawing. It is showing one of the most important moments in my life. Waking up. Mornings are fundamental for me to feel good during the entire day. So here I place my bed high under the ceiling therefore I am able to see the incoming light but not the whole room which is very likely too messy to become my first impression of the upcoming day. Good emotions are so fragile at this part of the day. The lovely bunny is my sister’s present which she made herself. It is a little note from childhood reminding me “somebody loves you out there“.
p every morning matters
pick the m “Life is more fun if you play games.� ~
Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald
How do you spend you mornings? Storming around in order to be not too late somewhere? I wish you could stop for a while and think how important mornings are. They are fundamental for the entire following day!
Look at this lovely cupboard. I am going to choose a cup which suits my mood today, then I will sit down and have my coffee. No rush. The world can wait for another 10 minutes before falling plumb at my feet, but by this time at least I will have been well prepared for that, being armed with the right spirit. Hello, the World. Now I am ready to meet you.
mood pick the spirit to live within today
right reflec If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.� ~ Roald Dahl
No, you are not entering this room with me. But I will tell you what so important is going on here usually.
All the mirrors on the wall are not a design feature at all. They are there to remind me that however I see myself in any mirrors of the world, people still see me differently.
But there is a secret adornment that they perceive quite equally. It is a friendly smile. No make up ever would look better on my face than that. This old small pocket mirror, which my grandma gave me when I was a child, helps me to check if my eyes did not loose the spark and reminds me of the people I love. I keep this little thing in my pocket all the time. This mirror have been the first beautiful thing with it’s own story that I still keep as my mascot.
ction which one is right today?
your passi “I am the music maker, the dreamer of dreams!” ~
Roald Dahl, “Charlie and Chocolate Factory”
What do you do for living? No, no, hold on. This is not a correct question. Do you love what you do for living? Is it the only thing you are passionate about?
I have got several things I enjoy doing apart of my proper job (which I love too), but I prefer keeping them all to choosing just one. My studio is a set of workplaces where I can easily move between them. Even if I do something in particular I like to be able to move around taking my work with me. It is so tiring to sit at one place all the day! Look, this is my picture I have started painting a while ago. When I finish it I will keep it for myself, because it reminds me of a wonderful person who taught me how to turn my dreams into pictures.
ion what is your passion today?
your wor “Having power is not nearly as important as what you choose to do with it.� ~
Roald Dahl
Look around you carefully. Take your time. What do you see around you?
Someone sees dirt, scratched stucco and rude sad people. Another one sees sunshine,
beautiful pattern of the cracked surface and smiles. I choose myself what to look at as well as what to see around me. If I am lucky enough I get rewarded by discovering treasures in places I would never expect to find anything worth looking at. So I look around me, searching for wonders. Everybody gets what they are looking for after all. And as anyone else I have got a telly. But it is a special one. Look at this, it finally has something worth seeing on!
rld What are you looking at?
choose a dr “The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives” ~ Roald Dahl, “Matilda“
What is the end of your busy day like?
I crawl up to my lovely bed under the ceiling, choosing a book on my way, which is going to tell me a story today. It is often a picture book, one of many I collected for their beautiful inspiring illustrations. Although many of them have wonderful stories to tell. I should remind myself from time to time how children look at the world around them, because this is the ability I believe all the adults should remain in order to enjoy every day. This old book, which is the first original edition of Roald Dahl’s stories, helps me with that. But before I go there I am going to walk you to the exit. This is my story, remember? Let’s get you yours.
ream which book is to tell the story today?
end and be “The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives” ~ Roald Dahl, “Matilda“
Here we are at last upon the threshold of leaving. A very important moment, the point at the end of any journey when we have to make a directional decision about taking another step.
For me, because when I leave you here, my story is to be continued, but something new might also be in store. See the horsey? One day I will start my own collection of things. I will choose them because, no matter how old they are or what condition they are in, each one will have preserved it’s own story. Well, actually I have already started doing that. And for you, because when I leave you here you are starting your own special journey, very personal to you and different to my own.
eginning ...stop, look around, what do you see?
your journ
ney
- somebody loves you! A starting point - pick up the mood of the day - put your smile on - passion to live
- looking into - a storyteller
- the end and the beginning
your story to begin:
... because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places ~ R. Dahl