Selfhood: Interior Design

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inter des gn or issue 1

what is selfhood?

Self hood

noun

the quality that constitutes one’s individuality; the state of having an individual identity.

65% of surveyed college students said that self expression is extremely important to them. We are dedicated to understanding the ways in which people in their early 20s, who are actively discovering themselves and developing their identities, express themselves. Whether someone considers themself to be a creative person, or very much the opposite, we all outwardly express ourselves one way or another. Almost 70% of students said that they don’t fully understand who they are, and consider themselves to still be in the process of self discovery. We are looking to answer the question: how do we express ourselves when we don’t fully know the extent of who we are?

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why interior design?

We conducted a survey of college students and found that when asked to list the ways in which they express themselves, over 50% listed the design of their bedroom as an integral part of their identity. What is it about interior design that resonates so much with people in their early twenties? For a lot of students, college is the first time they have their own space and the freedom to organize it in any way they choose. For some, their rooms become a physical representation of their identity, filled to the brim with items from their past and art that resonates with them. For others, their room is less so a creative outlet than somewhere to rest their head at night.

Through this issue, we explore the rooms of six distinctly different college students to understand the ways in which interior design can be approached and serve as a representation of someone’s individuality.

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65% of college students say self expression is a priority

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Over 50% of college students listed interior design as a vital form of their self expression

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Caroline: Sunny:

a collection of self hosting serenity

Grace:

manifesting the future

Gene:

form follows function follows form

comfort in chaos

Ellie: Max:

it’s not that serious

table of contents
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01 02 03 04 05 06 06
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CAROLINE: a collection of self

To Caroline, a fifth year graphic design student, interior design is the most pure form of self expression. Her room is crowded with various posters, trinkets, and unexpected works of art: rugs that hang on the walls and not the floors, a hubcap used as a piece of decor, a ceramic head that’s really a vase… Even empty space is filled with the light from her disco ball, sprinkling light so that no part feels untouched. It is clear that there is no one style that can represent the space, but rather it was curated into a collection of various items that bring her inspiration or excite her in different ways. It is also important to note that the room is filled with artwork she herself created. Not only is this room a source of inspiration, but it has become a display of the result of that inspiration.

Her eclectic approach to her bedroom intends to reflect every aspect of her personality, but poses the question of who is the audience she is trying to reach? Ultimately, the answer comes in the form of herself: “Interior design doesn’t have to be performative because it serves mainly myself. Unlike in fashion, other people, especially strangers, don’t usually see it and therefore do not perceive me through it.” How someone chooses to represent themself in private can be completely different than how one would expect. Is interior design a private form of expression? For Caroline, the design of her space has served as a form of experimentation, evolving as she comes to terms with her own identity. Her bedroom exists to bring herself (and no one else) inspiration, safety, and most importantly, joy.

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who i? am who i? am who i?
"interior design is how I express myself to myself. My room is a space for me and should exist to make me happy”

What does interior design mean to you?

Interior design is how I express myself to myself: it is rarely seen by anyone other than me at this point in my life, and therefore my room has always existed to make me happy. I don’t need to worry about how I am outwardly expressing myself to the world because it is such a personal medium. Interior design doesn’t have to be performative because it serves mainly myself. Unlike in fashion, other people, especially strangers, don’t usually see it and therefore don’t perceive me through it.

What inspires your style?

I don’t have one style inspiration. I find art and artists I love on pinterest or social media that inspires me, but I think the most inspiring pieces are things I make or collect myself. I love using art I made to decorate my walls. I tuft rugs in my free time and have started hanging them on my walls as display rather than function. I found a hubcap on the street and gave it a new life next to my bed… I want my room to be filled with art that inspires or excites me each day.

who am i? who i? who am i? who am i? who am i? who am i? who i? who am i? who am i? who am i? who am i? who i? who am i? who am

How would you describe your personal style?

I would say my style is very eclectic. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person to define their style, and be able to say this room is mid-century modern, or this room is minimalist, but I’ve found that I have so much love and appreciation for so many different textures and patterns and objects that I can’t limit myself to just one. My room is a collection of every part of me and how I see myself. Not everything may make sense or look cohesive all the time, but together they tell a very important story of who I am and how I got here.

of

who i am

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story

of every part COLLECTION of me

What is your favorite part of your room?

Anything I’ve made myself. Whether that be artwork, the rugs hanging on the walls, ceramic dishes I’ve made or coloring pages I’ve finished, I love being surrounded by objects that I poured love into. It makes me feel so creative and reminds me of the things I love to do.

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hosting serenity Sunny:

Sunny sees his space as a public space. The bedroom itself makes that feel even more true, as the lofted room lacks the privacy of walls, connecting his room to the main living space through only a ladder. But it isn’t necessarily privacy that Sunny is looking for: “I wanted to create a space where I felt like I could be here by myself but also wanted to make sure I made a space where people can come over and have room to talk and hang out. I’m a huge hoster.” Abundant seating options, natural light, and balcony space transform this bedroom into a space meant for hosting, directly disagreeing with Caroline’s philosophy that interior design is an entirely personal or private form of expression.

While this space is not created only for Sunny, it is still a space that is defined by him: “I got all of these pieces because I feel like they represent parts of myself that I feel at peace with.” With his minimalistic background, this room is the first time Sunny has ventured into the possibility of outwardly expressing parts of himself through his space. His room is carefully curated with objects from his past or from home that represent a peaceful side of Sunny’s identity.

Paintings done by his mom, delicate chess pieces, a tea kettle - the room is able to reflect Sunny’s idealized self, not necessarily the whole of the person, starkly contrasting Caroline’s eclectic collection of every side of herself. This distinction makes sense when you consider the audience each person kept in mind: Caroline designing only for herself, and Sunny designing for the masses. Most importantly, Sunny’s love for hosting is indeed a crucial part of who he is, and successfully represented in this peaceful public oasis.

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“I think this room hits every element of myself... It has become a combination of all these di erent aspects of my identity.”
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“I got all of these pieces because I feel like they represent parts of myself that I feel at peace with.”

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: I got all of these pieces because I feel like they represent parts of myself that I feel at peace with. I used to have a bare room with literally just a bed and a desk. I was just very military like... I think I’ve never been able to really express myself. I’ve always been so minimalistic and only went for the bare bones and essentials. at’s how I grew up. And I never really got the chance to explore ‘what do I like?’ I had always instead been thinking ‘what do other people like, how do I make other people comfortable here’ but this is the rst time I feel like I have a space where I feel super at home, was able to decorate it myself for the rst time, but it is still a space that is open to other people... I think this room hits every element of myself. I have areas that are organized to host and represent my extroverted and social side, but these books and oating shelves are a way for me to put on display the things that I myself like. e room has become a combination of all these di erent aspects of my identity.

Q: Do you see this room as something only for you? Or was the design of this room in�luenced by who else was going to see it?

A: I had both in mind for sure. Even the way I set it up, I wanted to create a space where I felt like I could be here by myself but also wanted to make sure I made a space where people can come over and have room to talk and hang out. I’m a huge hoster. I’ve had a lot of people here before. I like having people over and just hanging out in this room.

Q: How does this space make you feel?

Q: How does this space make you feel?

A: It makes me feel super at peace. And creative as well. I love having the giant windows and the balcony space, I love the idea of feeling connected to the outside. is space makes me feel creative and happy. is is my safe space for sure.

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03

grace:manifesting the future

While Grace may be a fourth year college student working in the fitness industry, you wouldn’t know that from her room’s first glance. Grace’s room, like Sunny’s, is a space dedicated to a carefully curated aesthetic that focuses on feelings of peace, balance, and harmony. Everything in this room feels as though it belongs together: the warm color palette, organic shapes, and inspirational imagery not only visually connect, but also serve as a great representation of the energy that Grace gives out. Grace is known for her positivity, expressing herself through other forms like a social media page dedicated to inspirational quotes, affirmations, and self love. This room is less a representation of her professional pursuits as it is her mental ones.

Everything in this room was selected for its comfort: “I am definitely drawn towards the comfy cozy. I want the things in my space to be comfortable and functional.” Therefore her space has become an area that focuses on the feeling it brings people who enter it. Grace has been able to capture the comfort and familiarity of home without copying the spaces in which she grew up: “I think the things in this room are less symbolic of where I come from and more so symbolic of the places I want to spend more time in and where I see myself in the future.” Grace introduces the idea that interior design can balance symbols of where we come from, while embracing our future goals and manifesting the energy we see in our futures. In this way, interior design has become more than a form of self expression, it has become a form of self visualization.

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“Interior design to me is about creating a space that feels warm and inviting, where people can come in and have appreciation for it, but at its core this is my space. I want a space to be a balance of aesthetic as well as comfortable.”
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“now, my room is more of a manifestation of where I want to go.”

Q: What does interior design mean to you?

A: Definitely self expression, but also functionality. I don’t love modern, sharp edges that are more sterile and less cozy. I am definitely drawn towards the comfy cozy. I want the things in my space to be comfortable and functional. Interior design to me is about creating a space that feels warm and inviting, where people can come in and have appreciation for it, but at its core this is my space. I want a space to be a balance of aesthetic as well as comfortable.

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Q: Would you say your room has changed with you as your identity has grown and developed?

A: It’s definitely developed over time. I moved in last year and my gallery wall has grown as I’ve collected things and visited new places. I feel if I had seen this room four years ago, I would’ve thought ‘oh she’s so girly’ and not identified with the room at that point in my life. Now, my room is more of a manifestation of where I want to go. My room at home is totally different, and I think the things in this room are less symbolic of where I come from and more so symbolic of the places I want to spend more time in and where I see myself in the future.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: I don’t know if I have a specific personal style. My old bedroom design used to be blues and oceans and things like that. It was very symbolic of where I used to live and what I grew up around. When I moved to California my vibe changed in the way I express myself in that now I’m more into pinks and flowers, and everything in my space is a representation of the places I’ve been and people who’ve touched me. It’s a collection of pieces of me. I’m multifaceted and I don’t have one specific style. I’m really proud of this space because it is a calm space that shows my personality, and I feel like it’s the first thing I’ve been able to design myself. It very much feels like my room.

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G E N E : FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION FOLLOWS FORM

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Gene, a fifth year architecture student, takes a more rudimentary approach. His studio apartment is based in functionality, and represents the common college concept of doing the best with what you have. “I was working with a limited amount of stuff. I really just used things I had from home.” That’s not to say that this is how he would prefer his space to look. Gene’s room makes an important point: while college students may want to use their room as a form of expression, a lack of money and resources can create obstacles towards that goal.

While Gene may be doing the best he can, he never saw his room as an expression of the things he likes. “I don’t personally have a lot of posters or anything about myself and the things I like because I already know what I like, I don’t need to remind myself.” To him, interior design is a matter of form follows function, or rather in combination with the notion that function follows form. Gene’s room serves as a series of programs organized where they fit in with the architecture of the space. “At the end of the day I want everything in my space to have a purpose. I’ve never been one to clutter my space. I feel like more of my self expression comes out in my architecture.” Maybe interior design is just a room that serves you, and self expression can be saved for other areas.

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Q: When you were designing this room and picking what to put into it, what kind of thoughts went into that process?

A: For me it was, a lot of this stuff is from home. I was working with a limited amount of stuff. I really just used things I had from home. These dividers are from home so I used that to divide the space between my bedroom and living room. I didn’t want to fill it with things, partly because I didn’t want to spend the money. Everything is just kind of temporary. I’d say my room is mainly just me doing the best I can with what I’ve got.

Q: What does interior design mean to you if anything?

A: It means a lot. It’s how you represent yourself to other people, and how you arrange objects that mean something to you. I don’t personally have a lot of posters or anything about myself and the things I like because I already know what I like, I don’t need to remind myself. But having an aesthetically pleasing place filled with natural light and greenery is more important to me. It’s a question of if you want it to be geared towards other people or be more representative of yourself, or a combo of both.

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to

the space that

that form. But

fit

at the end of the day

I want everything in

my space to have a

purpose. I’ve never

been one to clutter

my space. I feel like

of my self ex -

more

pression comes

out in my architec -

ture and designs.

terms of

In

home, instead of having aesthetically pleasing stuff I prefer to have areas of program. I like to fill my space with functional programs that I care about.”

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“I like to keep it rudimentary. Having a base form to create a space around. Sometimes function follows form for me. Having a base form and adding functions
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Q: In what ways do you think your personality is shown through this room, if at all?

A: There’s not a lot of fluff. I wanted to keep things simple and clean. My personality shows more through my work as an architecture student. In terms of my home, I have a lot of tables and surfaces where I can do my work or lay out floor plans. My space is more functional than anything else. Pretty much everything in this room and every area I carved out in this space has its own purpose.

Q: Would you say as a future architect, your space has been developed around the architectural concept of form follows function?

A: I think so. I like to keep it rudimentary. Having a base form to create a space around. Sometimes function follows form for me. Having a base form and adding functions to the space that fit that form. But at the end of the day I want everything in my space to have a purpose. I’ve never been one to clutter my space. I feel like more of my self expression comes out in my architecture and designs. In terms of my home, instead of having aesthetically pleasing stuff I prefer to have areas of program. I like to fill my space with functional programs that I care about, like ideally having a coffee bar or a garden space.

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ELLIE comfort in chaos

Ellie, an engineering student, has a room that is anything but rudimentary. The walls are plastered with collages, pictures, and an out of date calendar that work together to create a wildly expressive, albeit chaotic, environment. Ellie aims to create a space that serves as a creative respite from her more rigid professional environment. To an outsider, the space looks like a mess, but to Ellie everything from the heap of clothes to the shelves of trinkets are right where they are meant to be: “Even when my room is chaotic I know where to find things. It is organized in a very chaotic way.” In a way, the mess itself is the greatest expression of her day to day life. A room that is lived in displays an even more intimate side of someone’s reality.

Themost interestingpartof Ellie’sroomis undoubtedlythe collectionof trinkets displayed onevery available surface:“Iliketohave things everywhere.I collect thingsand display things.I holdonto things longerthanI should.”Herroom hasbecomea museumof sentimental objects, witheach figurine representingan intimate partof Ellie’s identity.Whatshe describesas borderline hoarding,isreallya manifestationof herfavorite momentsfromherpast. Collagesof herown creativity,aboxof lettersgiventoher overtime, hundredsof imagesand dozensof trinkets,allcome togetherto createa chaoticbut personalmapinto Ellie’sinner world.

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Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: I would say very chaotic. Chaos, but somewhat organized chaos. Everything in here has a home but isn’t necessarily always there. Even when my room is chaotic I know where to find things. It is organized in a very chaotic way. I also love lots of color, in fashion or in my room. A lot of the correlation between my clothes and my room is the amount of color, and that most things I wear and most things in this room don’t traditionally ‘match.’ They match in the way where you would say ‘oh I guess those kind of go together’ and not in a curated, expected way. I like to be around color, which is interesting because when I was growing up I wanted a black room. But today I am drawn towards colorful chaos. I like things to be thrown together in an aesthetic-ish way.

A: Recently it’s been pretty akin to this, however typically there is sh*t everywhere. That pile of clothes for example is very normal. They’re all clean clothes, I just need to fold them and I am too lazy. I know exactly what clothes are in there right now so in that way it’s organized. Typically my room is an explosion of clothes everywhere. I like to clean my room once it is not manageable. Having a clean room isn’t necessarily a priority to me. I feel a little more of a reset when my room is clean, but when it is chaos it doesn’t necessarily bother me. My room is more so a reflection of what is going on in my life.

Q: How messy is your room usually? How important do you think it is to keep an organized space?

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Q: What does interior design mean to you?

A: I put pictures up because I wanted to cover the walls so it is full of color and you can’t see as much of the stark white walls. Interior design means something in the way that I feel like I can express the people and things I love through it. It’s nice to look at the walls and have things on them. I am definitely not a simple interior design person. I like to have things everywhere. I collect things and display things. I hold onto things longer than I should. I have a collection of every card, letter, anything that has ever been sent to me. That’s probably the most sentimental thing in my room. My collages are things I made and display to express my creative side, especially as someone in STEM I want my room to be an expression of the creativity I don’t express in my career or studies. It balances out my everyday life. I like my room. It makes me happy, And to me that’s the point of my room, to bring a little joy at the end of a long day and help me relax. It feels very much like home.

Q: What draws you to color and chaos?

A: I like the way it looks. I like to observe people and things, so I feel like the more things there are the more interesting a room is to look at. Color to me is chaos and I love that. I like to look at the details within the chaos that create the full picture. The more contrast in a room, different colors, textures, random sh*t, even if they don’t go together I love how they come together to create a big picture. This rug for example is so cool to me. It pulls everything together, brings so much color to the space in a chaotic way. This room is a display of things I like, and if they match they match and if they don’t, such is life.

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“I like to have things everywhere. I collect things and display things. I hold onto things longer than I should... It balances out my everyday life.”
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max it’s not that serious

Not all college students see interior design the same way. For Max, a second year student, interior design is far from a creative outlet. Perhaps a bedroom can be a place for rest and nothing more? “I feel pretty indifferent about my room. I sleep here, that’s about it.” With nothing on the walls and limited decor, it is clear Max does not share Ellie’s eclectic and sentimental approach. But he does not realize that his lack of purposeful expression is an expression within itself: you don’t need to carefully curate a specific design aesthetic in order to tell visitors something about yourself through your room. Above his bed is a series of post it notes, with messages ranging from “ Kick the Sheets” to “Fugg You” to “You R the SMALLEST BIRD.” Below them, an empty corndog box, which without him realizing gives a big insight into his personality, however you want to interpret that. His desk may lack the trinkets found in other spaces, but in their place is a series of protein powders, a pirate’s hat, and some school books. All of which create a bigger picture into who Max is and what is important to him. While design may not be something he prioritizes, it is impossible for a bedroom to be unexpressive.

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Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: I’d say pretty relaxed, comfortable. I don’t take my room too seriously.

Q: How did you decide what to put in this room? Was that something you thought about?

A: I initially put “kick the sheets” above my bed, telling myself to wake up and start the day. I think it was a Tik Tok trend. And now whenever my friend comes by he adds a note above my bed and it’s become this weird collection that kind of stuck. The rest of the things in my room are just little trinkets, like the cowboy hat and the glasses, just little mementos I’ve collected at school.

Q: Why did you never decide to hang up a poster or anything on your walls?

A: It’s something I’ve thought about, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a poster in a room before. I’ve had a couple ideas but I never pulled the trigger. It’s hard to find something to commit to. To put something big on the wall it would have to be something I really want to see every day. But this is fine as it is, I like my room like this.

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I feel pretty indifferent about my room. I sleep here, that’s about it.”
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Q: Do you spend a lot of time here?

A: Not a ton of time. Usually 11pm to 6am and then I’m out of here. I do all of my work in the library, so I’m pretty much just here to sleep.

Q: Has your room ever been representative of your personality in any way, or do you not see this as the space for expression?

A: I think the cleanliness of my room is a huge part of who I am, I’m a pretty organized person and my room represents that. Besides that, I feel like my room is mainly made up of useful things, like chargers to use or hats I wear. But there’s not a ton of personality in this room.

Q: How does this space make you feel?

A: For the most part I feel pretty indifferent about it. I sleep here, that’s about it. My stuff is here but I could hypothetically pack this all up in a few bags and go home really easily. It’s no big deal.

Q: Would you say that interior design means anything to you?

A: I’d say a little bit. I want to live in a space that feels more like home. Not that my room necessarily does. It could be more homey in here but I think right now it’s a good mix of clean and comfortable and minimal.

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so... what now?

Regardless of your design philosophy, your bedroom says something about you. It is inevitable. Who you design for, what you design with, if you design at all… these factors are unique to each person and can be interpreted in thousands of different ways. There are some forms of self expression that are optional: dancing, creating art, decorating your body with tattoos, but none as intimate and universal as how and where you choose to live. For some, their bedroom is a culmination of memories, a gallery of sentimentality, a peaceful alcove, a public space… For others, a room exists to serve activities: a place to sleep, an area to sit, a desk to work. Whichever way you resonate with, your room is a reflection of who you are and how you choose to see yourself. What about yourself you choose to represent is entirely up to you.

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