The Little Things
"Good" Design is in the details – but often it’s the details that you may not even notice.
That is the difference between ‘good’ design and 'great' design – the things you may not exactly be able to point out, but you can definitely feel. Great design, like all art forms is emotive - and, like all art forms it is often the things that can’t be immediately pinpointed or articulated that make something magical.
Tim, our commercial director (and my husband), is really into cars and motorbikes. In his free time – of which there is little – he restores, modifies and customises cars and (Motor)bikes. When he finishes a project and goes for a slow and deliberate ride through town, there is no missing the eyes that follow. When he stops people gather around – asking questions - trying to pinpoint the source of the ‘cool’ - the thing that make his projects so well designed. Few people – even petrol heads – can pick it, because the ‘it’ is not one big thing. It is many small things and it’s all in the little details. It’s in the subtleties and the most miniscule of modifications.
Often, when it comes to his cars and bikes, it’s a simple thing like the ‘stance’. Tim will lower the suspension, upgrade the wheels and tires, trim the guards, widen the handlebars, polish or colour-code the engine etc. etc. All these little things add up to something special – something show-stopping and something very few can put their finger on. This mystery is part of the allure of really good design in all forms – the fact that not everyone can point to it but everyone can certainly feel it.
Great design is great design - and whether it’s a car or a kitchen – what it comes down to is the detail.
Just as you wouldn’t leave design decisions to your mechanic, the same holds true for your tradies. At D+D we are invested in the detail, in the minutiae, because we know that is where the magic happens. We are all about the detail. We don’t just whip up a rough sketch and hand it off to the builder to figure out.
The word ‘just’ is an interesting one when it comes to renovating and interior design. You don’t ‘just’ re-tile a kitchen splash-back or a bathroom – you measure the tiles and the grout line and the height of the door and the wall and you work out how many tiles you need so you don’t have a silly little bit of cut tile at eye level or around the door frame. You don’t ‘just’ install a product ledge in the shower or behind a vanity – you mitre the tile edges to avoid an ugly aluminium angle or unsightly grout line. You don’t ‘just’ paint a room white – there are a million whites to choose from and they aren’t all created equal (although personally I would be looking at something other than white for most spaces).
Great design is not about doing what everyone else does either. Just because you see a lot of curves and arches in interiors these days doesn’t mean its automatically good design. Some are great and will stand the test of time, some not so much. That’s the other thing about quality – quality can outlast a fad or a trend. Quality and great design can stand the test of time, and even withstand the passing trends.
