HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
AN INVESTIGATION INTO HOW URBAN AND DOMECTIC ENVIROMENTS INFORMS IDENTITY
STEP 1:
I asked myself the following question: If the city of London was my living room, what would be close to me and why? My answer was as follows:
A Summary of my living room and associated places:
- My Book shelf is a central feature within the room. It is the first piece of furniture that visitors see when they enter into the room. It displays the books that I like to read and the films I enjoy watching, My Hifi system is situated next to my bookshelf which influenced my final decision to connect it to Charing Cross Rd and HMV in Oxford Street. These places are at the heart of London and I enjoy visiting them on occasion. Charing Cross Rd has a variety of well known bookshops like Boarders and Blackwells, and HMV in Oxford Street is one of the largest music stores in central London which means I can choose from a variety of popular culture items to add to my diverse collection of books, CDs and DVDs
- My coffee table is situated opposite my futon is the place where I eat most of my meals. I chose to associate this piece of furniture with my favourite Persian restaurant in Balham called Dish Dash. Again I used to visit this place often when I used to live in Balham. My experience was heightened by the good customer service, beautiful décor and delicious Persian food.
- My colourful rug is located under the coffee table and it sets the tone for the colours that will grace my walls in the future. Sometimes I move my coffee table and lie down on my rug; I find this experience very relaxing. The colours of my rug and its position on the floor led me to associate it with Hyde Park. I travel there on occasion to be surrounded by its beautiful gardens and I enjoy relaxing on the grass.
- My cupboard contains clothes and cosmetics that I use on a daily basis and my TV and DVD player are situated on top of it. This led me to associate these furnishings and the content inside with Brixton High Rd which is my local high street. The content by itself represents the local shops where I purchase these products from like Superdrug and the Bodyshop as well as the Market which houses a variety of shops that sell African-Caribbean products that I use on a daily basis. The Ritzy is located at the top end of the high street and is one of my favourite local cinemas as it previews independent films which are of interest to me.
- My futon is a place of relaxation within my living room. This led me to associate it with a health and beauty salon in Balham called Gemini. I first visited Gemini when I was living in Balham and I received my first facial and full body massage there. The customer service was excellent and I built up a good relationship with the beauticians. I am connected to Gemini through relationship and experience and as a result, I still visit them even though I no longer live in the area.
- My desk houses my computer equipment as well as my home phone, stationary and financial documents. It is a place where I spend most of my time studying and/or communicating with people over the internet and over the phone. This led me to associate this area of my living room with work (The BFI London Imax Cinema) and my university. These places are where I spend most of my time communicating with people and connecting with world through my studies. They have been the source of my income and my expenditure is tied in with the finances used to fund my degree on a daily basis.
To view photos of my journey click on the following link, click esnips and then click on my private folder entitled: HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
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