Yes! Your Interior environments are in the game right along with all the Exterior impacts. What’s that saying? It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission? Maybe it’s better to acknowledge some consequential missteps than to take no strides at all!
You are not alone if you are among the huge percentage of our population group that hasn’t really taken the severe climate variances of recent decades seriously enough – and now find yourself (and them) trying to anticipate solutions ahead of the increasing speed of climate violence. Yes. Violence.
Exterior and Interior environments are rapidly closing their traditional gaps of difference, distance and insulation! Inside/Outside were once distinct and separate areas with distinct and separate design challenges and “personalities!” They were definitely near-by, but quite strictly different. From furniture to gawdy sun colors – to each its own!
Interior designing has smoothly facilitated the important integration of two distinctly different environments into close harmony, balance, compatible beauty and function.
Architectural modifications affecting residential and commercial Interior space have helped bridge differences into flexible, cross-use partnerships. In a simple for instance, a patio typically closed off in late Autumn and Winter months might now, perhaps, be glassed in, air conditioned and heated for year-round use. With unbearably hot Summer months, unexpectedly warm Winter months and unpredictable torrential rainstorms, all environments must serve better, more economically and more reasonably meet the realities of climate’s awesome evolutions…
Interior space design devises new marriages between once specifically and singularly dedicated areas, creating suitable solutions for broader purposes. While a porch is a porch, as a porch, it might just become an all-weather-any-weather, quasi-interior extension! Be the sun too, too hot or the rain too persistent – that lovely porch concept of yesteryear need not languish – waiting – for you to ever get out there and enjoy it. It can become something else!
And there is always the possibility to change that roofline, say, with a push-out, large scale, kinda cupola room – the better to observe the exotic weather patterns, coupled with a residence located mini office, reading room or quiet retreat.
Levity aside (but not abandoned!) meeting the severe developments in Earth’s new climate patterns, i.e. temper tantrums, with COVID added to the mix, can be characterized as a huge and inconvenient burden, or an incredible collection of opportunities. And the opportunities are many.
Circumstances, that used to be quite clear-cut and seasonally defined, once drove dedicated Interior and Exterior design considerations. The accouterments were also quite clearly defined, implemented and timed. Like screen doors that were usually on, then off, then on again as the seasons dictated. When’s the last time you put yours on and off? Nope. On and stays on! We slowly adjust to the most practical use of such fixtures. We don’t necessarily comfortably confront the hard reason why.
Just as Exterior design must now more pointedly consider Interior impacts, Interior design accommodates many considerations traditionally reserved for “outside.” No – it’s not professional double-talk!
One retreats indoors when the sun is oppressively hot, we always have. What’s changed is frequency, duration and intensity. And, singing in the rain is really just a movie fantasy; Gene Kelly wasn’t dancing as his neighbor’s house slid down into the river…
So, where are the solutions? Where are the new compromises for structures in general, Interiors specifically, modified uses and function, practicality and aesthetics — in the context of climate extremes? Shall we drive ourselves defensively indoors, stew in denial, sweat when we should feel cool and chill when the sun should be warming us?
Or can we look at our structures – residential and commercial – with new perspectives? While we work to arrest, reduce and even change this awesome trend, we can also re-think our habit patterns and try on some new ones! And – help is on the way!
Robert Boccabella, B.F.A. is principal and founder of Business Design Services and a certified interior designer in private practice for over 30 years. Boccabella provides Designing to Fit the Vision© in collaboration with writingservice@earthlink.net. To contact him call 707-263-7073; email him at rb@BusinessDesignServices.com or visit www.BusinessDesignServices.com or on Face Book at Business Design Services.
