Design Time School of Interior Design student Clement Spalding recently visited us for three weeks as part of a job shadowing initiative. The school places students at various organisations to help them implement and apply theory that they learnt during their studies.
Clement soon learnt that job shadowing is more than just “standing in an inconspicuous corner out of everybody’s way”. “What a well rounded experience,” says Clement. “From back of house, meaning the weaving in India, to front of house, meaning PR and all its manifestations.”
“Three weeks is not a sufficient amount of time to spend at any business and know all about it when the time is up. It is, however, sufficient a time to start asking questions and finding answers. I wondered, why have a carpet or rug as apposed to any other floor finish? Different thoughts became apparent. Just as the primary function of a house is to provide shelter, a rug’s primary function is only achievable indoors. Ground becomes floor and here you can design the floor you walk on, giving a strong psychological fulfilment aspect. I feel that a personal need is being fulfilled when choosing a carpet or rug.”
“Perhaps it is a physical expression of something grounding in an unpredictable world and therefore comforting. When an existing concept needs a ‘tying together or holding element’ in the room or if there is a no concept approach, is the carpet then an accent or central element in the room? Not forgetting that function and aesthetics will make their usual appearance in the decision making process. And rightly so. Weaving all these thoughts together, it is clear that at Fibre Designs, your needs and individual decision making process will thus in the process of weaving become manifest.”
Visit Clement’s link off DesignMind.co.za to see what he is up to.