If you’ve been following along for a while, you probably know that I’m down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to understand if we have a modern West Indian design style and, if so, what it is. I’ve argued in a previous post that we don’t have a recognisable design style that is uniquely ours post-independence.
So I Googled ‘what makes a design style a design style’ and I got back the following key points. This is what Google said, so if you’re actually educated/knowledgeable in this area and want to weigh in, please comment or send me an email so we can all learn together.
- A design style is a consistent, recognizable combination of elements - colour palettes, furniture shapes, materials and overall mood - that creates a cohesive aesthetic. Design styles tend to reflect specific principles or historical contexts.
- Component 1 - Visual Consistency. The repetitive use of key elements that make the style recognizable, like clean lines and warm tones in Mid-Century Modern or apron-front sinks, panelling and open shelving in Farmhouse.
- Component 2 - Thematic Principles. The idea that there is an underlying goal or concept behind the design choices. Examples would be natural/raw in rustic designs, exposed functionality/utility in industrial design or simple/almost sterile in minimalism.
- Component 3 - Context and History. The cultural movements or geographical considerations that are being factored into the design. Here in the West Indies, the easiest one to think of is colonial style, which was forged from combining European aesthetics with local materials to create homes that made sense in the tropics. Other popular geographical examples would be Mediterranean, Japanese and Scandinavian. Art Deco is an example that is less focused on one particular country or region, though it first emerged in Paris. The movement caught on around the world after World War II for a number of reasons: it symbolised progress and freedom, the world economy was growing and industrialising which in turn led to more wealth and opulence, it was popularised in media at the time, and it was a stark departure from previous design styles that were more ornate and intricate. The historical context is what drove the Art Deco movement.
- Component 4 - Feeling. Think of this like the vibe of the style. Should it feel warm, airy, luxurious, unpretentious, sleek, bohemian, rustic, etc. I think the West Indies and the wider Caribbean region might to be associated around the world with a relaxed, upbeat joie de vivre.
- Component 5 - Specific Details. Many design styles are characterized by finishing touches like textures, moldings, hardware and materials that cement the overall theme. Older Caribbean homes tend to have intricate decorative eaves and beaded curtains dividing rooms. Traditional Western homes tend to have pretty large baseboards and crown molding. Japanese homes tend to feature shoji screens. And so on.
One final comment I think should be considered when thinking about design styles is that they often were featured in ‘regular’ homes just as much as they were used in luxury homes. And it is not only the ones with a strong geographical context, like Scandinavian or Mediterranean, which emerged in response to that context and then evolved as the societies evolved. Architects that designed homes adhering to a specific design style - like Mid Century Modern, Californian Mediterranean or Art Deco - often did not just design the homes of the wealthy. Many were hired by developers to design homes for middle income families, or by governments to design multi-tenant housing. Some even extended the aesthetic to commercial buildings. Furthermore, furniture designers were influenced by the design style and created pieces that became just as symbolic of the style as the architecture. In this way, the design style spread and solidified as a recognizable aesthetic, irrespective of building size, location or budget.
When we are trying to imagine a modern West Indian aesthetic, it’s worth bearing these ideas in mind.