Post 8: Design Preview

INTRODUCTION

In this post I will describe my process in creating an Organic Modern aesthetic style mirror inspired by natural and sustainable structures. This project aims to bring a functional furniture element into a space while also acting as an interior design piece blending minimalistic styles, functionality of a mirror, and a dynamic lighting design.

MY VISION

The main vision of this project is to create a functional piece of decor that illuminates a space while also acting as a design statement. I am inspired by 20th century interior design — characterized by natural materials combining modern aesthetics and the natural world — and sustainable forms such as wood, neutral color schemes, while  keeping the organic feel.

AESTHETIC

The aesthetic I will be aligning my design towards is Organic Modern. This aesthetic within interior design includes color palettes that are neutral and materials from nature such as wood, stone, leather and many others. This style helped develop this aesthetic by promoting functional and durable designs that serve multiple purposes, while also keeping that organic feel. This design aligns with a natural and sustainable form by creating a more artistic style to a functional piece of furniture. This allows the characteristics of the modern, minimalistic and neutral colors schemes to make the piece centered around this design. This form allows the piece to be centered around the organic colors and shape of the wavy frame, and for the viewer to appreciate the naturalness and sustainability of the design.

INSPIRATION

My inspiration for this piece includes various full length mirrors with abstract and wavy frames. Majority of the inspiration photos I found have this 3D and layered type of frame but as of now in my design process I am unsure how I would be able to achieve this. On the other hand, I also like the wooden and flat frames with cut out curves that overlap over the mirror itself. I like the concept of Organic Modern because I want to create a piece that will fit any space and lifestyle. I believe that by creating a more sophisticated piece of furniture I will be able to use this in the future and promote a more minimalistic style. I am excited to create something with this aesthetic and incorporate a piece that is functional and aesthetically pleasing.

ALTERNATE AESTHETIC

In contrast to my initial ideas, which are more natural and focus on simple natural styles, I also wanted to explore other aesthetics that interest me. For this design, included in my previous post on alternatives, I researched an abstract retro aesthetic and a bloomcore aesthetic in the style of a mirror piece. The abstract retro mirrors I found include more vibrant and pastel colors and also include bubbly and wavy shapes. Bloomcore includes various plants and flowers. A mirror in this style I found included various moss and flowers attached to the frame. By researching alternate aesthetics I was able to gain different styles and perspectives to consider. I gravitated towards the abstract retro mirrors because I think they would be fun to create and are very unique. I do want to stick with Organic Moderns so I can use this mirror in the future and so it blends in with the environment. I do want to consider incorporating different shapes or layers to the wavy frame style in my final piece. 

DESIGN/SKETCHES

Provided are my initial sketches of my idea. These are not finalized but I started planning out the materials I would need and how to lay out the design. I already purchased my mirror that I want to use but now I need to buy plywood that would cover the mirror itself and also fit in the laser cutter. I am thinking I m,ight need to design the frame with 2 pieces of plywood so I can fit the material into the laser cutter. If I have to do this I will then either sand the sem of the two pieces of wood together or paint the surface. The overall idea is to create a frame for the mirror that will sit on top of the mirror itself but have the wavy design overlap over the mirror in some locations (see sketch provided).

PROTOTYPING/FABRICATION

Due to my busy semester, I have not been able to start this phase of my project. I have done research to find the required materials I would need to make this mirror and have bought the mirror itself. In particular, I need to start by creating my CAD design and figuring out how I will incorporate a functional lighting feature into the mirror itself.

I will begin this process by creating a to scale final sketch of each component. I will then go into CAD software and create the design I want to laser cut. Next, I will implement the led lighting into the piece and attach it to the mirror. I will need to figure out how to mount the led light sensor to the back of the mirror. I plan on using this mirror as a standing mirror rather than mounting it. I personally like standing mirrors but I will think of incorporating a mounting system if I have the time. Finally, I will mount the mirror to the frame and assemble the final project.

CONCLUSION

This design project embodies a blend of natural minimalistic styles and the asymmetrical blend of organic forms. The next steps will involve material acquisition, assembly, and final touches to bring this Organic Modern mirror to life.