ACTUS Hiroshima store Hiroshi Hashiguchi's first episode
Being particular about your interior design may seem like a bit of a challenge, but why not rephrase it as creating a place that is comfortable for you?
"Everyone's Interior Story" explores the room-making stories of people who enjoy interior design, and offers hints for such room-making. Our first guest is Hirofumi Hashiguchi, who works at the ACTUS Hiroshima store. After a relationship with interior design that began with a lot of "like" and "admiration," what is he focusing on now?
Digging deeper into my aspirations, I found interior design
From West Coast and Hawaiian interiors to modern and the currently popular Scandinavian interiors, Hashiguchi has enjoyed a wide variety of interior styles. He is a member of the generation that spent their youth in the 1980s, when overseas culture was a model for them. Hashiguchi was no exception, and was captivated by overseas fashion and lifestyles.
"It must have been around middle school. I loved music, and that sparked my interest in the backgrounds of the musicians I admired. I remember digging deeper and deeper into their fashion, lifestyles, and culture, asking older people and researching them in books. Looking back, I think that was the beginning of my interest in interior design, and in lifestyle in general."
In my twenties, magazines were at their peak. I would read POPEYE and Hot-Dog PRESS until I was completely depleted, and I even tried desperately to turn my stuffy tatami-floored room into a refreshing California-style space.
Another thing I admired was the interiors in movies: the New York style of Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" and the living room interior in "Kramer vs. Kramer" starring Dustin Hoffman.
Hashiguchi endlessly recites keywords that he once admired and used as reference for decorating his room. The more he learns, the deeper and more fascinating it becomes. After he started working in interior design sales, he purchased various items himself, with the attitude that "you won't understand unless you use them, and you won't be able to convey them to customers." He says that he broadened his knowledge of products and cultures from various countries while incorporating them into the interior of his own room.
Narrow down what you want to own based on what you want to have
On the day we spoke, Hashiguchi was holding a magazine in his hands as he shared his interior design story: a 20-year-old special edition of Esquire magazine on interior design.
"When I read this magazine at the time, I was so excited, and it made me realize that interior design is an interesting world and made me think about it again."
He encountered the magazine before he started working in the interior design industry. He still looks back at it from time to time, and as he leafs through the pages, he continues his story, saying, "But now..." And so, he goes on to talk about his current room, which he arrived at after going through various styles.
"Right now, I feel like I'm drawn to things with older designs, like the ones featured in this magazine. I think older things have more character and often give the impression of being properly designed. That said, I'm not planning on buying anything new. In fact, I'm currently in the process of sorting out the things that don't suit me. I feel like I'd be happy to just have the things I really need, as long as I can pour my love into them."
He has shifted to creating a room that only keeps carefully selected pieces from the furniture he has collected up until now that he "likes" and "aspires to." Ultimately, he aims for a luxurious space where "he has only one thing he really loves in his room." For example, even if that one thing is a painting, he says that it is still interior design.
What Hashiguchi is currently aiming for seems to have a slightly different meaning from the so-called minimalist lifestyle or a life of not owning anything. He narrowed it down because of his love of interior design. "If I had to choose, I'd say I want to own it. I feel like I want to have this, that's all I want to have," Hashiguchi said, not knowing how to express it, as he spoke about the interior design he will keep in his room. His tone was filled with a love and tenderness for furniture that is hard to put into words.
Next time, we will hear from Hashiguchi about his favorite interior design ideas.
Hiroshi Hashiguchi
After working in the hotel and food service industry, she worked in interior design sales and is currently working at ACUTAS Hiroshima store.
Influenced by his father, who worked in woodworking, he was exposed to wood and craftsmanship from an early age.
When I was in elementary school, I even made my own guitar.