​Interactive Décor

Interactive Décor

One great trend in interior design is the incorporation of elements we are meant to interact with in some way. Depending on the setting, these can ease boredom during an office wait, engage children, or allow you to keep your décor fluid depending on the needs of the day. Interactive décor is meant to be touched, moved, and will need to stand up to the wear and tear associated with frequent use. Choosing great interactive décor can allow you to live comfortably and in style simultaneously.

Interactive décor has a bit of a reputation as a desk ornament which is never touched, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Things like kinetic sculptures and miniature rock and sand gardens are often placed in such a way that they are occasionally fiddled with but remain untouched most of the time. There are two easy ways to rectify this. First, you can choose décor which looks great and fits the aesthetic of your area even when it is not being interacted with. This allows it to fade to the background, rather than sticking out as a jarringly different item.

Secondly, you can choose things which fit with your own proclivities. For example, if you enjoy fiddling with something in your hands, choose items which look great, but are also meant to be handled and hefted. This means choosing things which are durable, relatively lightweight, small, and which are not likely to be destructive to things around them. For example, magnets can be fun to play with, but you would not want them near a computer screen. A child’s room can be set up with educational (but fun and interesting) displays appropriate for the child’s age. These can be used to teach coordination, motor strength, and serve as a tool for positive social interaction.

Finally, interactive décor can be meant not to engage directly, but can be a tool allowing you to rapidly change the aesthetic in a room. A great example of this is having multiple centerpieces for a table. Depending on the occasion, you can swap them in and out. Festive, relaxed, or stately, it is easier than you might think to completely change the overall impression one gets from an ensemble of décor by switching out only one or two key pieces. The key here is to identify centerpieces which all fit in with the background décor yet help to present a different message.