Recently, I immersed myself in a project quite different from my usual endeavors as a set designer. A friend approached me with a request to design a concept for her beauty salon. Armed with little more than blurry photographs of the space, I embarked on a journey that would unexpectedly reaffirm the interconnectedness of my two worlds: set design and accurate space layout.
With a limited timeframe of around 8 hours, I turned to my trusted tools, Revit and Enscape, to breathe life into my vision. The result was a 3D walkthrough that offered a tantalizing glimpse into the potential transformation of the salon’s interior.
While this project had unique constraints and considerations, it was striking how the fundamental principles I apply in set design seamlessly translated to the task. What had started as a favor soon became a reminder of the profound parallels between designing for a narrative-driven set and a functional real-world space?
Set design is an intricate dance of storytelling through spatial arrangement, and it was enlightening to recognize how these same principles apply to the layout of a salon. In both cases, the design should guide people through an experience, whether a film’s narrative or a salon visit’s journey.
Considerations like flow, accessibility, and the arrangement of key elements play an essential role, just as they do when crafting immersive sets. The real-world functionality of the salon mirrors the practicality that underlies many of my set designs. The salon’s layout must cater to the needs of its clients, just as a film set must facilitate the seamless execution of scenes.
This endeavor was a reminder that, at their core, set design and real space layout share the same foundation – the understanding of how humans interact with and move through spaces. In both worlds, it’s about creating environments that evoke emotions, enhance experiences, and tell a compelling story.
This experience affirmed that the skills and insights gained in one realm can be seamlessly applied to the other. Whether it’s crafting the perfect scene for a film or optimizing a salon’s layout for clients, the art of spatial storytelling remains at the heart of both endeavors. My journey with this beauty salon project served as a delightful convergence of my two passions and a testament to the power of multidisciplinary creativity.
