14 Comments
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Victoria Granof's avatar

I am obsessed with the cultural subtext of chromophobia and the draining of color from Western society. (Especially since I've recently published a hot pink and green cookbook that flies in the face of all that).I've been researching and gathering my thoughts and visuals to start writing about it.

I LOVE your pov and MENA design posts. BRAVA and thank you. Perhaps we could collab on a post or you'd be interested in a Q & A for my newsletter.

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Umar Kazmi's avatar

Loved this! 🫶

More of this, Please.🙏

Design needs this level of cultural critique.

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Marieke Neleman's avatar

I love this post! I am so inspired. I love colour, and I love the idea of a house being a reflection of the people living in it, I think that a lot of beige is also because many cultures are very conformist and influenced by calvinistic ideas (especially countries like Sweden and the Netherlands), but it’s also capitalism where everything is generic and it doesn’t show much personality. I recently saw a post on TikTok that showed how influencers at a fashion event in the Netherlands were all looking the same, and it was all kind of bland. And I think it’s similar, real personal taste is less and less visible.

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Coralina's avatar

This is one of my favourite things I’ve read on here, thank you!!

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Jamie (they/he)'s avatar

I love this on so many levels. As an Egyptian who spent alot of my life in european countries and was colonized by the rise of modern architecture and sleek minimalisim i always hated how sterile it all looked and felt, none of the spaces ever looked lived in and all the furniture was as if it was solely for display which now that i think about it might be true but when i moved back to egypt and saw the streets and the buildings and the vibrance of every home even if it had browns and beiges it was not soulless it was warm!!! The way you talk about your culture is sooo beautiful and we should bring back falling in love with your identity🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ thank you for writing this!!

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Nile Muse's avatar

Hello! fellow middle easterner (egyptian) here. I used to be averse to colour too and I always thought the colour of more traditional non-urban Egyptian hosues was not classy & haphazard, chaotic, a sign of ignorance of design & style. Recently I realised how much these views were rooted in classist & colonialist ideas. Thank you for this piece

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aarcha's avatar

I loved this SO so much!!!! 💕💕💕

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Ally Jones | Gracious Ghost's avatar

I loved this so much. I have fallen prey to the beigification of everything as a white lady in America, but recently I've been connecting back to my Polish roots. So many of the design values you mention here (color, patterns, a focus on gathering over consumption) are present in Polish homes, and I am working on integrating those things into my life. Thank you for this piece and for always giving me something to think about when I read your writing!

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Anfisa Nikitina's avatar

I’m so tired of seeing beige interiors and building, we need more colors and textures I swear.

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Bitch's avatar

Squealed with delight at the gorgeously curated interiors.

You can see that all the things are chosen with love.

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SuziL's avatar

This reminds me to hang my plates. I love this and I agree!

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Mektoub Henna's avatar

Long live maximalism!!

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ملكة's avatar

Loved reading this, the older I’m getting I’m decolonizing my mind on what interior design should look like. Abandoning the grays and beige and welcoming home the colors and styles I had growing up. It’s so freeing!

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Serene Issa's avatar

Love this

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