What I'm Thinking About Interior Design Now Vol.3

I was already starting to lose track of what to write, so Maeda-san gave me a topic.

Working at an interior shop

The theme is "Working in an interior design shop." When I was writing this, it was just when it was being reported that the Tokyo alert for the COVID-19 pandemic had been lifted.

We were in the midst of feeling like the way we work was going to change dramatically. Work styles were changing with people working from home and online meetings becoming more common, and internet sales were also on the rise.

I've always thought it would be a shame to see interior design shops and other brick-and-mortar stores disappear.
Influenced by watching Netflix's Black Mirror, I had some free time to think about what would happen if we were to enter a virtual reality world with a device attached to our temples and experience all five senses, but I came to the conclusion that such a world would not be interesting!

When I was in high school, I vaguely thought it would be nice to be able to do what I love as a job.

I became interested in interior design and went to an interior design school. After graduating, I worked for a store design company before moving on to work at an interior design shop.

There are many different types of interior shops, including brand-owned stores that only sell their own products, and select shops that sell a selection of a number of brands.
I currently work at a select shop, mainly selling in stores that carry a lot of imported brands.

The reason why I work at a select shop that handles a lot of imported goods is because I believe that it is the place where I can best utilize the product knowledge I have accumulated as a furniture lover, and because I can suggest to customers the space they have in mind from a wide range of options.

And the latest information on your favorite brands will automatically be collected lol.

I don't really have any lofty ambitions like "I want to improve the interior design sensibilities of Japanese people!" Sorry, haha.

Time at home

However, in the Hokuriku region where I live, Kanazawa City, there is a lot of snow in the winter, so I often stay at home, and the three Hokuriku prefectures are ranked high in terms of the number of days with rainfall per year. And the summers are hot too.

People have the impression that Hokuriku is cool in the summer, but it's hot. After all, it's hot everywhere in the summer.

There are so many favorable conditions for staying at home. What's more, there are many owner-occupied detached homes, and many large houses. This is a place with so many opportunities to propose interior designs.
Many people are particular about the building itself, but it seems that few people think about the furniture and interior as a whole.

Sometimes I think it would be better to downsize the house a little and use the budget for furniture.

And since we live in a car-oriented society where everyone has their own car, many people spend millions on their cars, but they say they can't spend millions on furniture.

At times like that, I sometimes use sales pitches that sound like something I've heard somewhere before, like, "There are no monthly running costs like a car, and no vehicle inspections! You won't get into accidents, so you won't need as many repairs as a car," or "You'll probably spend more time sitting on a sofa, so investing in one is a good idea." But I mean it.

I'm not saying you need expensive furniture (although I do believe there is a reason why some furniture is expensive), but furniture and lighting can make a big difference in the atmosphere of a home and how comfortable it is.

I want to tell people that it's great to spend your days in a comfortable space surrounded by things you love, and I hope you'll buy one lol.

If someone says to me, "The sofa I bought is so comfortable, I don't feel like doing anything at home!" that's the best compliment I can receive for recommending it to them.
After delivering the products, I visit the customer's home (one of the perks of working at an interior design shop is being able to visit many different people's homes), and it's wonderful to see that the furniture and accessories they purchased from other stores blend into the space, making it even more beautiful.

Previously, when I was meeting with an architect in Kanazawa, the client told me, "We've created a building just as we imagined!", which made him realize that he still had a long way to go. He said that you're not a professional unless you can say, "The building turned out better than we imagined!", which I thought was cool, and I hope to be able to make similar proposals with furniture.
It's something I always want to hear.

It would be great if the number of people who love interior design increased and Hokuriku became a place with many beautiful interiors like those in Scandinavia.
Northern Europe = Hokuriku. The letters look similar, lol.

(text: Doi)

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