UNINTENTIONAL DESIGN...Design That Just Happens

Have you ever had something just fall into place, like it was designed to be there? It may be a parking place opened up near the door when you were late for that important appointment. Or the fabric you chose for the draperies was discontinued and you had to pick something else that worked out to be more wonderful than the original choice. Is it luck? Or is it unintentional design? The key is recognizing it when it happens.

Often there is an opening for unintentional design when you are pressured to make a decision on the fly, giving rise to instinctive decision-making rather than thought-out plans. There is nothing wrong with thinking thru a design project, but there is just so much that can be preconceived. Plans are just that...a road map for a journey, not every pit-stop along the way. Many details should be included in the design process, but do not be afraid when an opportunity arises that alters or embellishes the best- laid plans.

It may be that gap in the tile nosing where the former tile had a thicker bullnose, leaving the exposed portion of the backerboard, as I experienced previously. A quick trip to the home improvement store and some creative thinking can yield an added element of unintentional design...by making a half inch filler from an accent border of pencil tiles.

Think of these situations as opportunities for your instinctive creative senses to flourish. It is critical that you recognize that there is a solution to every issue, so don't panic and interrupt the creative flow.

Take a step back, assess the need, see the opportunity, and look for options. One will stand out and feel right. Go for it. Unintentional design is really part of the plan, just yet to be realized.

Oh, and that parking place, that was just luck.

JST