Monday Postcard #227 – Picture-Perfect Workspaces
I have been meaning to finally decorate my office, but it has stayed on my procrastination list for a very long time. Fact is that I need a functional and nice workspace to be productive and creative, who does not? But when life is busy, my smallest problem is how I can hide my printer in a nice way. (For months, my giant printer – which I am very proud of because I can finally print my photographs and illustrations in A3-format – lived its life on the floor.)
Yesterday, I finally dedicated some time to this “project”. I tried to use Pinterest for some inspiration and I have to say, I was more than just underwhelmed. When you enter “functional office” or “stylish and functional office”, all the pictures looked the same. Airy whites, neutral rugs, rose-gold accessories which claim to keep your things in order but actually can only hold a tiny photo. All of these office designs centered around a big iMac telling displaying time and – not to forget – blush pink peonies in a neutral/white/blush vase next to it.
Furthermore, nothing of these offices spoke “work” to me. Most of the desks were tiny and I wondered if those people ever had to come up with a concept for a presentation or a publication or if these “creatives” ever drew or painted on them. It felt like these office just served one purpose: look good on camera. But utterly useless in real life. (Do not even get me going on the chairs – how am I supposed to spend the majority of my day in an uncomfortable chair just because it looks good on Instagram?)
Even the “looking good on camera”-part is debatable. While the internet and social media should have made us aware of so many diverse things, styles and objects, it feels like these channels only promote conformity. Everyone wears the same “it-bag”, the same brands and now they also decorate their houses and offices in the same way. I think it is sad, it feels like there is very little creativity and individuality. (Or, the algorithms of Instagram and the likes do not promote them.)
Our houses and workplaces are reflections of us. Just like we dress in a certain way to express ourselves, we decorate these spaces. When I see the neutral interior trend, I always wonder what the people owning the houses are like? Is there nothing exciting going on which they would like to show? Are they too scared to be different? It seems that we have to conform in so many ways.
After a few minutes, I gave up on Pinterest and went to my old-school methods. I own multiple notebooks which are full of snippets from magazines, photographs and small little things which inspire me. It was such a nice feeling to flip through the books, some are from the late nineties and early 2000s and, interestingly, many of the things I liked back then are still really beautiful.
I still have not made a decision on what this office will really look like. And knowing me, it will take probably another year until I really get started with it. But I know that it should reflect me – and not some “trends” dictated by social media and so-called “influencers” (I still cannot get over this term, shall I dedicate a Postcard to this?). When I enter my office, I want to be inspired, I want to be taken to faraway places and different times, see things and people which inspire me and feel productive. I love to see textiles from other countries, people like Iris Apfel, designs from Fortuny or Matthew Williams. I want to have fun! A bland desk with some run-of-the-mill accessories is just nothing which can give me that feeling. Sorry, Instagram, my desk will be “too” colourful, dark, bold, bright, patterned and creative. Just like me, it cannot be put into a predefined box or design just to please an external audience.
If you have any interior design websites or experts you would like to recommend, please comment below, send me an email or DM me on my social channels. I always enjoy discovering new sources of inspiration.
Have a bold, creative and colourful week ahead!
More Monday Postcards
Monday Postcard #226 – Just Don’t Ask
Monday Postcard #225 – Road Rage
Monday Postcard #224 – What I Learned on My Midsummer Trip to Denmark