The handle is the handshake of a building said one famous architect and in that feel of space, I’d like to add that if architecture is the way the built mass is read, the reason Interior Design is so relevant is that it is how the space is felt, getting down to the basic touch and feel of the building. And hence to use materials that feel fabulous is a great idea while planning the Interiors of a building. In my practice as an interior designer and a person who well, uses a building in many capacities, here are 10 favourite building materials that I choose to employ in the spaces I chance upon.
- Wood
Wood is by far my favorite material to use in interiors, especially solid wood. Reminiscent of nature and the dynamic nature of trees, wood ages, takes the scratches yet it tells the tale of people living in the space or having been in the space. The best way to use wood in my opinion is as flooring, the perfect haven to walking barefoot in a setting! Although that positioning also makes it extremely hard to maintain. If one shies away from using wood on the floor, the other option is to go with solid wood furniture, some thing that one can lay their hands on, when and if!
2. Stone
The earthiness of stone is in its rusticity, rough or polished using stone in the interiors is a reminder of the earth that we build on. While there is a wide array of stone in the market, granite and marble have been used extensively to line our interior surfaces, surfaces that come in direct contact with us, the users of the buildings. Other stones that take precedence is onyx on walls and table tops, kota on the floor, tandur in areas where tandur is a local stone, laterite and resin binded precious stones as accents in walls or floors.
3. Glass
The transparency of glass is a big win in my opinion, and the steely coolness of it! One of the few man-made materials in my list, glass has the power to be opaque or transluscent when the space or situation calls for it. It also is a surface that can be written on, making it again a dynamic surface that records and is pretty much the canvas of a space. Glass also when used as a chandelier, or blown into varied shapes like the works of Chihuhy presents a grand and beautiful gesture, elevating the nature of the space.
4. Linen
Ever ran your fingers through linen, the texture of it is totally brilliant and the soft yet rough look of linen, runs the eye into an array and unlike smooth satin, linen is a punctuation when used in the walls, it is a story when used as dressings for the windows, or simply as art when used in a tapestry. The beauty of linen as a fabric is in its application with a pattern or simply as it may be in a solid block of color.
5. Concrete
If there was one material that makes up for its un-sustainability by its quality and composition, the weather that it can withstand, its got to be concrete. The fact that it can be custom mixed to present a diversity in strength and in appearance, makes concrete such a crucial part of today’s buildings. When making an appearance on the inside of the building, concrete can be polished super smooth or it can be left rough in rusticity. Why even a very smoothened concrete can present a rustic charm like no other. Over time when used in the floor, concrete can smoothen over the years.
6. Brick
The lure of terracotta has spanned across generations ever since the early civilisations have baked mud in kilns to make the first bricks. The strength of brick has facilitated the building of megaliths around the world in the past. Even today a brick lined wall or a brick vaulted ceiling has a beauty that is multifold. The colors of brick can also range from a deep orange to a dark mahogany and many others in between and that adds depth in tone to the space, bringing the feel of burnt earth to the user.
7. Metallics
I am a metallic girl, have always been. I would love to wear metal and also be in a metal space whether it is gold or silver! But the value that the shiny reflective metal can bring into the space is that of glamour. Shiny and sparkly, the glamour quotient of any space is heightened with the use of metallic elements whether in hardware elements or in accessories that are readily placed about in a space.
8. Textured paint
With a plethora of options the main reason I love using textured paints is the break or the break-free elements that they add in a space, and again creating a resting zone to the eyes. Also if the paint is in a lighter tone of cream, beige or greige even better, using the same colour in the wall and on the ceiling expands the space like little else. A big fan of using the same colour in all walls and ceilings I feel that the expanse generated is the best option for a heightened sense of being.
9. Mud plaster
Earth in all its glory, mud plaster does well not only on the walls but also on the ceiling, mostly because it mimics the feel of the textured paint but if not done neatly is also the cause for a whole lot of cracks. If cracks can be avoided then mud plaster is a great option for indoors that are earthy and feel soulful.
10. Fauna
Plants in all their forms when applied in the interior spaces lend charm and literally life to a built space. My favourite to spot in a living space is the swiss cheese plant, a plant is perfect for indoor use in perhaps any weather. The leaf of the swiss cheese plant is calculatedly frayed with fringes to create openings in the leaf. The pretty plant needs minimal maintenance but with its elegant appearance heightens and livens up a space!
Vedasri Siddamsetty 