I wonder
It is no secret that the current turbulence in the international economy has bumped and bounced its way into every facet of life. Those of us in interior design have not escaped being jostled along with everyone else. Indeed, with the downturn in the housing market, we are perhaps more seasick than some within this rickety economic boat. Perhaps we were all in need of being pulled up a little - in need of cooling off, slowing down, reassessing our values. I prefer to think that we will all emerge from this fluctuation a kinder people with more emphasis being placed on the things that truly matter. And that can only be good.
All that being said, as I opened the mail last week and saw my invitation to the closing of a venerable furniture showroom, one I had relied upon for my clients for years, my heart sank, and I wondered .... with all the discount and DIY places sprouting up like nettles, what is to become of the true craftsmen, those men and women who spend the time it takes to create true works of art in furniture; pieces of heirloom quality that are destined to be handed down through generations. Will these artists be forced to lay down their rare and considerable talents in search of alternative means of support, thereby depleting this cadre of artisans, bit by bit, until it evaporates completely? And more depressing still, will anyone notice?
I am a consistent champion of individuality and I cheer when someone interprets their own personality within their home, at any price point. But at present, I look around at what seems to me to be rather trivial, disposable design offerings and I wonder if any of these will be around in a hundred years. Or worse, will our eyes become so accustomed to the pedestrian that we will no longer be able to appreciate the extraordinary? Will there still be those who see the value in the handmade over the mass produced? In the future, will anyone remember Fortuny fabrics or George Smith sofas? - a Henredon four-poster or a Zuber papered dining room? Or will all this beauty disappear into the land of once upon a time.
Will cost finally win the battle over worth?
I wonder.
The image above is from the Zuber wallpaper mural,
It is no secret that the current turbulence in the international economy has bumped and bounced its way into every facet of life. Those of us in interior design have not escaped being jostled along with everyone else. Indeed, with the downturn in the housing market, we are perhaps more seasick than some within this rickety economic boat. Perhaps we were all in need of being pulled up a little - in need of cooling off, slowing down, reassessing our values. I prefer to think that we will all emerge from this fluctuation a kinder people with more emphasis being placed on the things that truly matter. And that can only be good.
All that being said, as I opened the mail last week and saw my invitation to the closing of a venerable furniture showroom, one I had relied upon for my clients for years, my heart sank, and I wondered .... with all the discount and DIY places sprouting up like nettles, what is to become of the true craftsmen, those men and women who spend the time it takes to create true works of art in furniture; pieces of heirloom quality that are destined to be handed down through generations. Will these artists be forced to lay down their rare and considerable talents in search of alternative means of support, thereby depleting this cadre of artisans, bit by bit, until it evaporates completely? And more depressing still, will anyone notice?
I am a consistent champion of individuality and I cheer when someone interprets their own personality within their home, at any price point. But at present, I look around at what seems to me to be rather trivial, disposable design offerings and I wonder if any of these will be around in a hundred years. Or worse, will our eyes become so accustomed to the pedestrian that we will no longer be able to appreciate the extraordinary? Will there still be those who see the value in the handmade over the mass produced? In the future, will anyone remember Fortuny fabrics or George Smith sofas? - a Henredon four-poster or a Zuber papered dining room? Or will all this beauty disappear into the land of once upon a time.
Will cost finally win the battle over worth?
I wonder.
The image above is from the Zuber wallpaper mural,
Mer Glaciale (The Sea of Ice) 1854
Hello!! Your post was very thought provoking..and needless to say that I hope there will aways be a place for the handmade, artisan and unique quality goods..but I think people are runing scared a bit at the moment and the only thought is 'bargain'!!..my next door neighbour bought all her christmas presents last week because there were so many offers on things..how mad it that??? At the moment if I want some gift or special item I look on etsy and there are masses of incredibly talented people out there all trying to earn a crust...I believe the best will aways get noticed and be admired and survive, maybe not always in a way they expect.
ReplyDeleteThat icy picture is lovely.
I was very sorry to see the demise of both Domino & Blueprint as both those magazines spoke to me and my very tiny, next to nothing budget - showing me a way to have an eclectic and highly personal style at home most often by re - purposing many old but neglected timeless and classic good pieces found at flea markets and garage sales.
ReplyDeleteI'd much rather live with fewer things that are all of quality, craftsmanship and beauty.
Hugs from Missy D to Edward & Miss A
Hello,
ReplyDeleteA very interesting post and I hope like you we value our art and crafts for the benifit of future generations.
I think your blog is very beautiful and I will be sure to visit again.
Best Wishes
Michala x
Wow, this post spoke to me. As an artist, I'm facing this as well with so many people not buying original art anymore. It's sad to see galleries closing, antique shops going out of business, and artists taking second jobs to pay the bills or abandoning their crafts all together because people can't afford to buy original works. It's tough, but I'll try to cling to my half-full view of life.
ReplyDelete"...trivial, disposable design offerings" Oh, I hear you. I have always love unique and historical pieces. The antique industry is suffering, as well. Many of my favorite haunts have been forced to close their doors in recent months. Heaven help us.
ReplyDeletePamela, I am a champion of creativity in any form. Nothing is as good as that which comes from the vision through the hands of an artist! Let's hope we hang on to our need to posess that with has truly been created and not that which is mass produced by machines!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! xoxo
I find it so sad when old, local businesses fail. I vote for worth too.
ReplyDeleteHow sad, Pamela. I hope that things are about to change and that the dark times lift. Surely there will always be people who appreciate and value real beauty.
ReplyDeleteI have some of the same thoughts. I try to buy from family owned, small businesses here in our small town and avoid shopping at the big chain superstores. We've had some of our favorite stores and restaurants go out of business and it's a shame. Thanks for putting into words what I would like to say. We can only do things in our own personal lives but when we all take a stand, we can make a difference!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Pamela, I try not to think about this too much. With so many outlets for "good enough" design, it's hard to make a case with clients for "custom" or "unique" design. And frankly, in this economy, I'm happy with whatever a client wants. So yes, we're being dumbed-down and homogenized a bit against our will and of necessity and I hope, with the loss of so many stores and craftspeople, it doen't become a permanent state. Though I suppose when money loosens up again and people start spending on things seen as luxuries (like interior design), there will again be a call for superior craftmanship and original art. I hope it happens soon! My new business didn't get off to much of a start before this economy practically killed it!
ReplyDeleteit does make me angry that in many cases the architects of this crisis are laughing all the way to the carribean while people who only sought to do good work that made them happy and left them comfortable are really suffering.
ReplyDeletei still don't see enough of a change of attitude from money being a kind of God for many people and worry nothing will really change.
it's a very worrying time and i hope crafts people and small businesses of every kind can keep going
I do hope there will always be the demand for the classics. Just the other day I was taking a pair of good shoes to the local cobbler.... he told me if things didn't pick up, he would have to close. I was shocked! I do think some just toss away or give in to whatever is in style for the day.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good post-one to ponder in so many ways.
I think in these harder times people are buying 2nd hand rather than the new chipboard sort of furniture as they are wanting something to last. I have also heard friends speaking out against the Ikea styled home where you go in to someone's house and see a magazine page reproduced. These slowing times are forcing some people to think creatively. Instead of buying new, some are painting their wooden furniture. There is still a place for creativity.
ReplyDeleteI am hopeful that these times will weed out the bad value things. A lot of bad cafes have gone from this town leaving those which are good. Winnowing the chafe.
I didn't realise until I reached the end that this beautiful scene was a wallpaper, I thought it was a piece of art. It's very sad that real craftsmen are a dying breed these days, craftsmanship takes time as well as skill and people who don't understand this are often not willing to pay for what they are getting. There's a new organization in UK called Heritage Crafts which is trying to help support and promote crafts of all kinds so there is some hope at least that they will survive.
ReplyDeleteA frightening thought that all that is excellent in handmade quality craftsmanship could be being deluged by the flood of banal, mass produced rubbish. That is one reason why I never buy mass produced prints but would rather save more and buy something unique. So sorry that one of your favourite stores is closing Pamela. I keep hoping the economic downturn will soon become an economic upturn.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about this kind of thing, as I'm busy arranging and decorating a new room in the house, and going through old things I've had in store. I realise I don't want to keep a lot of things just because they're old, and find clutter that is too precious or with too many associations sometimes oppressive...
ReplyDeleteI dislike the idea of a throwaway culture, but actually enjoy found and/or perishable things that don't have to stay around for ever, this doesn't have to mean waste. Some old treasures I never want to get rid of though.
I think Ikea and the mass market have a lot to answer for in the moderrn down-trend in values. Personally I feel that Bauhaus with its accent on functionality started the rot. In art school it was often exxtolled for ridding the world of the extremes of decoration yet I could never follow the herd and shout two legs bad, four legs good with the rest of them. It was all so practical, mass produced and the same. Give me individuality and a good craftsman any day!
ReplyDeleteHello P&E,
ReplyDeleteThis is an emotive subject. There ought always to be a place for the unique/handmade. But "mass production" came into being in order to allow everyone the opportunity to own a little something for themselves. And, sadly, if it disappeared tomorrow, millions would be left out of work, including designers. There has to be a place for both camps and maybe the current difficulties are making both sides redefine what they do and how they do it.
your questions has been on the minds of many for a number of years - I have felt for a long time that we now live in a disposable society - things are replaced will nilly - I am not in the designer league, but I do have things that have been passed down from at least two generations and each generation has put their own stamp on the sofas, chairs, tables, etc. - but it's not just home furnishings, it's also things like live theatre, original art, books on paper, newspapers, etc.- I remember when the family car, was THE car for years and when a new one was purchased, it was a big event :)
ReplyDeleteI think many good things could come from the current economic situation.....sad though that artisans are struggling, I look at my beautiful old furniture, things I've picked up from second hand shops here and there and I love them, so much more characterful than so much of what is sold in most shops. I also look down my road and am sad that two of my favourite small businesses (a cafe/art gallery/ performance space and a grocers/deli/cafe) have shut recently....
ReplyDeleteWill cost finally win the battle over worth?
ReplyDeleteFrom the bottom of my soul, I hope not. ... and I don't think that will happen. It may to some sectors, but I think there will always be those that appreciate a handmade life, and the quality that goes along with that and will always seek out the pieces and the Artists behind them. It's a mindset and something that runs very, very deep - this hiccup in the economy, althought a big one, won't permanently affect that. It's a short-term vs long-term issue, I think, and it will all be okay in the end.
xo Isa
Really Pamela i think this has been happening insidiously for a very long time. I think it started with the tradesmen - my first husband began as a Painter and Decorator, with an apprenticeship and City and Guilds Exams behind him - took a teacher training certificate and ended up teaching Interior Design. He used to say that the building industry spent a lot of money on developing materials which the amateur could use (emulsion paint is a good example - it is so easy to apply - one coat gloss paint is another). Bit by bit the work of the real craftsmen has been eroded and I think it is very sad. Really good workmanship in any field is so satisfying.
ReplyDeletePamela--
ReplyDelete"Will our eyes become so used to the pedestrian'--a chilling thought. I don't think so. It is human nature to love beauty.
We are in an uncertain period now. Art and artists and style have always survived to inspire us through the centuries. Through wars and nuclear threats and other much worse eras, art and creativity will always triumph. Be optimistic.
www.thestylesaloniste.com
Edward like fellas from Italy
ReplyDeletexo S & Missy D
lifeinitalyandothermusings.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html
Oh Pamela, I have no doubt at all that these things will never ever fade. I think all aspects of life will just shake and shimmy and eventually find some way of resettling side by side again. I just feel that things are in flux at the moment, but will come together somehow.
ReplyDeleteI have to believe this!
Oh Pamela, I have no doubt at all that these things will never ever fade. I think all aspects of life will just shake and shimmy and eventually find some way of resettling side by side again. I just feel that things are in flux at the moment, but will come together somehow.
ReplyDeleteI have to believe this!
I think DSS's comments are insightful that artists have survived through difficult times. However, I think this economy issue is so deep and so global, that the survivors will be much fewer. While it is good to be optimistic, it is wise to view the world with open eyes. We see a cautious step toward recovery, but there are going to be many, many ups and downs and it is quite likely the world will never be the same again. If through all of this we can find our way home: that art matters, that craft matters, that beauty matters, that living in our means but honoring our heart matters, perhaps we can redefine ourselves. Not buy dumbing down, but by thoughtful examination of what is truly important.
ReplyDeleteMy verification was "furizest" so I assume that was a prompt from Edward. If we have to chose pets over some other expenditures, our lives will be furizest!
My son and his partner are setting up home and have been very thankful to Ikea for producing well designed products at affordable prices. They have furnished their first home on a shoestring, like most young graduates have left college saddled with debt.
ReplyDeleteHaving said I have been very affected by the decline in the ceramics industry.Let us hope that soon we will be able to have heirloom pieces of quality craftsmanship alongside the cheap and cheerful.
People have been worried about that since the beginning of the industrial revolution but it hasn't happened yet...cultural values fluctuate but I think the current interest in DIY has actually educated a lot of people about how difficult it really is to make beautiful things that last a lifetime (or several)...
ReplyDeleteoh my, such a thought provoking post! i too am hoping for a similar outcome from this economic shake up, with a hope that folks will return to basics & begin to value the things that really matter. i also have to hold in my heart the belief that we arty, crafty souls can make it through this test of time & that there will always be a place in the world for handcrafted, beautifully made pieces of work. *ruthie*
ReplyDeleteI think that there is always someone who will save to buy the really well-made unique item. It is all a matter of priorities. And the economy, it will turn again. We still have so much to be grateful for. I am in contact with a really impoverished family who struggles on a blue collar family to support three adults and a child. I feel as if I am Marie Antoinette in comparison, eating cake. It is a humbling experience.
ReplyDeleteVery thought provoking & such an important subject. I think that is one of the difficult things of aging. You remember the way things use to be & recognize when the art of things such as manners, fine skills, talents (I could go on & on)fall by the way-side. Incredibly sad. Everything now is for speed. Sometimes you just want to hop off.
ReplyDeleteGreat post as always :D deb
Hi Pamela...thank you for stopping by my blog so that I was able to find you and enjoy your lovely posts....Your dog is beautiful..I have a big Great Pyrenees and Edward reminds me of Boo....Two big white babies...your wedding boxes are really lovely, your very talented.... do you live in or near Atlanta....I'm out here in Marietta.....and it was very nice to find your blog...Sue.
ReplyDeleteThought provoking post Pamela. When I was first married 35 years ago I saved and saved until I could buy the very best furniture that I could afford and it has lasted well all these years.
ReplyDeleteMy children, in the meantime, have furnished their homes with IKEA and few second hand Pottery Barn pieces they bought off Craigslist.
They look at current style as temporary, always believing the newer and better will be forthcoming. Perhaps it has a lot to do with this electronic age where a computer lasts approximately five years, mobile phones are replaced for a new model annually, and cars are leased and not purchased? It seems everything is so disposable to this generation.
The comments for this post are as thought provoking as the post itself. My two cents....art and beauty may be taking a hit currently but they will bounce back as the economy does...we may go through some dark ages, but renaissance will be in the future...craftsmanship and beauty will be rediscovered and restored.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting post and I hope like you we value our art and crafts for the benifit of future generations.
ReplyDeleteI think your blog is very beautiful and I will be sure to visit again.
Best Wishes
Work From Home
While everything you are saying is true, I suppose cycles are inevitable. Things do change, but they also seem to cycle back around. (I'm waiting for the re-advent of the Arts and Crafts movement! :-).
ReplyDeleteIt may not help some of the creatives and artisans in the immediate future, but I am assuming that the long-term prognosis is not dire.
.I believe the best will aways get noticed and be admired and survive, maybe not always in a way they expect.
ReplyDeleteThat icy picture is lovely.
american kobe beef