What I'm Thinking About Interior Design Now Vol.9

It's natural to change your clothes according to the season, but it's also good to change your interior decor according to the season.

As I write this, it is September 9th. The hot weather continues and it doesn't really feel like autumn is approaching, but according to the calendar, the beginning of autumn has already passed, chestnuts and figs are on the shelves at the supermarket, and the blue of the sky is starting to fade.
Little by little, I was able to get away from the discomfort of sleeping at night and finally fell asleep without air conditioning.
It's normal for summer to be hot, but the summer of 2020 seemed to last longer than usual.
Looking at the temperature and other factors, I think this may be due to the fact that this year we have not been able to go outside in search of cooler weather.
I hope that in the summer of 2021 I can spend the time lazing around in a hotel with a lovely summer resort interior, doing nothing at all.

In our house, it's an annual tradition to change our cotton blankets to wool ones as autumn and winter approaches.
Not only the texture of the material, but the appearance also makes me feel like the cold season is about to begin.
Even in stores, customer reactions change depending on the season you are serving in. For example, when choosing sofa upholstery, customers choosing in the summer tend to prefer a smooth texture and cool, light colors.
On the other hand, in winter, materials containing warm wool are preferred.

However, the majority of items that are actually chosen are simply preferred materials and colors that can be used all year round, and most of the colors are beige or gray.
This is obvious when you look at the sofa upholstery of foreign and domestic brands. Foreign brands offer colorful upholstery options such as green and blue, while 80% of domestic manufacturers use beige, gray, brown, etc.

Considering the Japanese sense of interior color and actual sales figures, it's probably inevitable that the upholstery will be this way.
At home, I also use a calm navy color that looks almost black at first glance.
Being a typical Japanese person, I don't yet have the courage to paint the entire sofa with a pattern or a bright color.
Nowadays, there are many types of chairs that have removable upholstery, so you could prepare summer and winter covers and switch them out, but this is quite a hassle.
When it comes to sofas, I think it's a good idea to bring in seasonal colors and patterns with the side cushion covers.
This method makes it easy to change the cover and rearrange the furniture.
Even if it doesn't fit the space, the hurdle for replacing it is low, so it's easy to give up if it doesn't work out.
I would like to become able to use the exquisite color balance that you see in foreign interior design magazines.

Also, in winter, if you place sheepskin on a sofa or lounge chair, it will feel like you are being hugged by an animal and will keep you warm.
I asked a certain Scandinavian furniture manufacturer, and they said that the products sold at Costco are the best in terms of value for money.
It's also easy to change the atmosphere of a space by decorating it with art.

It's difficult to change your clothes as frequently as you would with your clothes, but it's fun to change your interior to suit the seasons.

[Kanazawa Information]

This article introduces Shichido Kanazawa, which partially opened in August 2020. Located in Owaricho, Kanazawa City, near the tourist destination Higashiyama Chaya District, the restaurant was renovated from a traditional townhouse that housed a long-established paint shop, once a bustling merchant district. This Kanazawa branch is a creative Taiwanese Hakka cuisine restaurant with two locations in Taiwan. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant is currently operating as a pop-up Taiwanese food stall, offering both takeout and dine-in options. The restaurant is scheduled to have a grand opening this fall, offering dinner options as well.

The food is delicious, of course, but the interior, which makes use of the existing building, is exceptionally cool. Kanazawa is home to many renovated townhouses, but I don't think there are many spaces where the old and the new are seamlessly mixed together like this. I can imagine that the Thonet chairs, which will be used by many people in the future, will gain depth just like the building and become even more familiar.

(text: Doi)

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