I heard someone on the radio today say that “people just want to make things.” It’s true. It’s part of who we are and human nature. Even with all that exists and all that technology has brought, there are those of us who still can’t help but make. This runs strong in artists and craftspeople and it is part of what drives many interior designers including myself.

It was satisfying to see that for this year’s American Craft Council Show at Fort Mason, interior designers were featured in the showcase exhibit Modern Design Meets Craft. This is what got me to the event and as I walked through the booths of the craft show, I was so glad I made it there.

Interior Design as an art and a craft, can draw inspiration from a number of elements.  I admire designers that find their vision from pieces of art and artists and I look for opportunities to take this approach in my own designs.  I also often use my clients as my inspiration and let the art follow. People are intriguing and unique. I like to use quirky habits or interests as inspiration. Thus the home itself becomes a work of art, that mirrors the person who lives there. Finding and following the intersection between art, function and the character of the client keeps my work interesting too.

One facet of interior design that makes this all the more intriguing is the lived-in space. Both design and architecture must always consider the utility of humans interacting with the art object. A deck with no guardrail or a ragged steel area rug, while artistic and edgy is not an option. The truth is, this is part of the meaning of craft and the difference between art and craft. The potter and the jewelry maker must also think of the functional human interaction with their work. Like other craft people I balance artistic expression within the constraints of practical use. I enjoy this part of my work.

Artists that Inspire

The exhibit was a pleasant surprise for me as I was expecting to see mostly interior design. Walking through the large open space with the late afternoon light beaming in from out over the water, I was inspired by what I saw and connected to the maker and craft person in myself. Here is a handful of work that jumped out at me.

There is Craft Everywhere You Look

As I walked back to my car across the parking lot and through the old army post I had a connection to all the craft around me. From the crosswalk paint on the asphalt to the red steel stairs, people make these things. I took a long moment watching the wind sculpture outside Greens. It’s so easy to forget that the objects of our world were crafted by the hands and imaginations of other humans beings. As I stood there watching the sculpture dance and sing to the gusts of wind I felt against my face, this relationship between myself and the maker was very clear.