INNERSPACE
Interior Design: Auditory Decor
Photo by: Milosz Roman
Photo by: Hanvin Cheong
Photo by: Dokyoung Kim
INNERSPACE is an exploration into giving a home personality through sound, the way
one might more conventionally do so through visual decor.
As a venue for meditation and celebration alike, filled with objects both useful and beautiful,
and shaped by what is personal yet shared, the home is as varied as its inhabitants.
The images below are the work of artist Bogdan Gîrbovan from his 2008 project entitled
10/1, which sought to illustrate how 10 different people decorated the same apartment
across ten different floors.
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1st Floor
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2nd Floor
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3rd Floor
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4th Floor
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5th Floor
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6th Floor
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7th Floor
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8th Floor
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9th Floor
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10th Floor
These ten photographs remind me that while the inside application of ‘home’ may
differ, the presence of ‘home’ remains consistent. It is this presence that I seek to
ensonify in the following auditory decor I have created.
The use of headphones is highly encouraged!
Assets:
1
microwave
The line between symphony and cacophony can be as easy to cross as it is vital not to. I preface this section with that concept because on first glance, the running of a microwave may appear to be a prime candidate for what can sometimes be the most pleasant sound of all: silence.
There are two reasons why I ultimately chose not to exclude this product from my redesign. The first reason is that when microwave ovens were first introduced, there were widespread concerns regarding the potential for cancerous radiation amid a general lack of understanding about the product. Though these misconceptions have long since been debunked, I take this mid-century anecdote to be a humorous invitation to rewrite the microwave soundtrack in way that dispels any notion of lingering fear! Secondly, the palpable emotions of a microwave user, (excitement, eagerness, impatience), lend themselves to being a tangible recipe for auditory decor. This pairing of prompts made for a fun challenge.
Featuring startup sound, primary loop during microwave runtime, then post-roll sound to notify cooking completion.
I wanted to incorporate tangible rhythm to the loop as a sonic reference to the ticking effect of old-fashioned toaster ovens.
Full simulation, with in-key button presses.
Loop only, no pre-roll or post-roll.
2
Though the sounds of morning could be an entire section on its own, I specifically wanted to capture the effect of easing into the day. The reversing of some of the tones in these pieces of auditory decor represents the cleaning of the slate, and the opportunity to start fresh from yesterday. In addition to the bird sounds layered underneath, I also employed a subtle tremolo effect to simulate a breeze rolling through some wind chimes.
smart home
The suspension of disbelief necessary to immerse yourself in this project hinges upon the assumption that such a futuristic home where any sound could be ported into any item, and indeed replace any existing sound that currently occupies it, could become reality. Except for the existence of one product that is already entirely real, a staple in many people’s homes today, and subject to the whimsy of sound designers like me: a smart home device.
Despite many convenient features, the current generation of these products satisfy the utilitarian presence of ‘home’ disproportionately more than the emotional presence of ‘home’. For that reason, the pieces of auditory decor below are less so ‘redesigns’ of common sounds you would hear from today’s smart homes, such as a text notification or a Bluetooth connectivity confirmation, and more so new designs of what could fill the ears of a smart home resident.
Coming and going is frequent and rich in sensation. Whether it’s the relief of returning home from a long day at work or the rush to leave to get to where you’re going on time, there is almost always something on your mind every time the threshold of home is crossed.
farewell_1 is a departure sound to play when the doors are locked, the lights are off, and everything is safe and sound. The fade-in of a suspended 2 chord aims to rally for the journey ahead before the twice-hit root note resolution symbolizes the security of the turned-lock behind you.
Coming home can evoke a vast multitude of feelings, as anything positive or negative that you encounter in the world could be brought with you back into the home. The inverse, welcome_1, seeks to greet and reset upon arrival.
I chose diminished chord shapes as the sonic palette for the decompressing and unwinding moment at the end of each day. While powering down the home’s lights perhaps, or setting the thermostat and activating the home security system, I wanted to evoke the feeling of darkness but in such way that felt more like a dream state and less like melancholy. The reassurance and resolution from farewell_1 is referenced in both of these as well, as I tried to maintain consistency across this smart home soundscape.
3
major appliances
Just as with my intentions for the microwave redesign, I aim not to cross over into excess when it comes to the sonic space major appliances like washers and dryers will naturally take up in such an aurally sophisticated home that I am crafting. There are mixed feelings when it comes to the current sounds of these items, with some people treating it as a pleasant form of white noise, while others complain about the mechanical din of a running machine. Where I think we can all agree though, is that the completion jingles, though responsible for some very funny memes when remixed online, can be grating and unnecessary when featured in your own personal space.
I remember fondly my younger self discovering I could hum the dominant frequency of a room, matching it, harmonizing with it. This is what I wanted to convey with these running sounds, the comfort of constancy, and the unaversive nature of it persisting audibly.
The ‘drone’ technique in dance music is the use of a sustained note, often held throughout an entire song, that invites the listener to surrender to the more pronounced rhythms of the genre while still adding subtle melodic vibrancy to the other layers in the track. Just like a drone, I want the feeling of these major appliances running to not necessarily simply fade into the background, but instead to be equipped to complement the other, likely more rich and compelling sounds that fill the home, promoting focus and harmony.