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Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Window Dressing
By Arch’t. Karl A.E.F. Cabilao, UAP
Looking Back. From Bauhaus to Our House by Tom Wolfe has a lot of interesting revelations. Most cogent is that clients in the years of the International Style (familiarly known as modernist) felt helpless and lowly with their architects. During those times, the architect was in full control of his client’s design and construction.
This strictly functionalist mentality extended all the way to interior decorations. Curtains, throw pillows and other jazzy ornaments were almost discarded as architects considered them as “too bourgeois” and useless.
Now, people who hire architects are thankful that the “Martial Law” years of architecture has already passed. People already have a hand in the design of their homes, most especially in the interior decor. Just like deciding on the dress of the windows.
Not all Frills. Curtains are not that useless after all. Aside from pleasing the eyes of the observer, when one views the outside world through the building’s aperture, curtains help protect the space’s private bubble. These are used to “close” a space from the exterior, away from sunlight and public eyes. And if it’s time to gaze outside, it adds interest to the window frame with its frills.
Hatching a splendid window dressing begins with careful thinking. This should hinge on one's objectives and balancing these with a design based around both the attributes and limitations of the window and the setting. Being realistic about what one wants and what will really work from a design perspective will be the key to one's success. A homeowner in distress can always seek advice from an architect or an interior designer on this.
Complimentary Window Dressing. I can’t entirely blame the International Style architects for being too vigilant over what their clients put into their buildings. People tend to insist on what they think is right when in fact it’s otherwise. When dressing a window, its complimentary attributes with both interior and exterior spaces should be properly considered. In short, it must do justice to the whole building design.
There’s this Filipino trait called “horror vacui” (the fear of vacant spaces). And curtains provide an effective remedy to this uneasiness. Well, it’s very evident in Filipino homes: a corner in a room is useless without furniture; walls are lifeless without photo frames and paintings; a sofa looks unappealing without Thai silk-covered throw pillows; and yes, windows are boring without their dresses.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 6, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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