16/09/2026
What feels charming and nostalgic to one person can bring back uncomfortable memories for someone else.
We were talking about candles and how beautiful and atmospheric they can make a space feel. But for someone who grew up with frequent power cuts, candlelight may be less about ambience and more about remembering evenings without electricity.
Over the years, I’ve encountered many versions of this in interior design:
🚫 No yellow walls, because Grandma’s house and every aunt’s home had yellow walls in every room.
🚫 No exposed old beams, because they remind someone of a childhood cottage in the countryside.
🚫 No white doors, because during communism every apartment seemed to have the same white doors.
Our reactions to colours, materials and objects are rarely just about aesthetics. They are shaped by memories, culture and the homes we grew up in.
Interior design is never only about aesthetics. Our choices are shaped by memories, culture and the homes we grew up in.
Is there a colour, material or object you would never choose because of the memories you associate with it?
