Rights of Passage

Hugh Masekela – an exceptional man, whom I am fortunate enough to count as a friend – said to Jennifer Crwys-Williams recently, in an interview on Talk Radio 702: ‘If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you’re not going anywhere’. Wise words indeed and particularly so in terms of this youthful country of ours; South Africa.

This manifests in the roots of a person, where and how they were raised and educated, but more importantly; what were the values they were taught? In Masekela’s case it was a township in Witbank, near Johannesburg; in mine, a small North West England seaside resort. Both of us left our roots and travelled far, me to South Africa (permanently) and he to the USA and other countries for many years, as a political refugee from Apartheid.

Undoubtedly, those early roots ground us, are indelibly etched in our psyche. They are the building blocks from which we develop and hopefully progress. Perhaps that is why, however many decades may have passed, we feel comfortable in those initial surrounds; recognised spaces, familiar objects, family food – an overall ‘known lifestyle’.

This extends quite obviously to childhood interiors, how they were furnished, decorated, maintained. Perhaps this is why – despite the vibrant melting pot that is contemporary architecture and interior design – there remains an enduring recognition of the old, the classical, the ‘customary’.

So how best do we design and decorate our interiors? Perhaps the wisest choice is to suit ourselves and not be afraid of what others think of our choices. To live with a ‘look’ that we don’t feel comfortable with, just because it’s trendy or – even worse – acceptable, is not as viable solution ongoing.

I’ve always found that the most successful interiors are those that are correctly balanced, irrespective of the style of décor; thus, symmetry remains a vital factor. In essence, this means that celebrated interiors can indeed be eclectic – comprising various pieces, objects, artworks – even from different periods. The art lies in considering the space and, in placing within it, design elements that complement each other. In the final analysis it’s very much personal taste, sometimes almost an intangible touch; but when you walk into an interior that has it, you recognise it immediately.

Colin Ainsworth Sharp - colin@habitat-mag.com
February 2010

Winner of Admag Awards for 2005 / 2006 / 2007: Best Magazine Décor; Best Magazine Décor / Home