The overall style of the Women’s Club is the combination of Art based on Gender Inequality and Japanese Zen Vibes. I wanted women to be calm yet feel empowered however, I did not know how to go about it at first until I realised that each room has a purpose and a kind of feeling.
Libraries are usually either very old or very new looking. I wanted the library to look timeless. Something people can never get tired of seeing the seasons change. One on the seasons that makes people emotional is the autumn season. I have been to a Japanese temple at Kyoto in Autumn and it feels serene and peaceful. In that environment alone, I wanted to be alone and read in nature, making it as comfortable as possible, like jumping on a pile of leaves. That is why I put a trampoline looking hammock with lots of bean bags and stuffed toys. I want to recreate that feeling when I was in Japan so I used a lot of wooden materials in there to represent the trees. The colours surrounding the library are autumn colours from the fallen leaves. I incorporated some textures like a velvet wall to bring some warmth and depth to the room. I made a collective decision not to put books inside the library but outside of it because too many books put pressure on people to read it all. Focusing on one book is better that being distracted with all the unread books. With that, I utilised the bookshelf area into being, the design, an artwork if you will.
The Living Room has a different vibe compared to the library. It follows more along the lines of art on gender inequality. I was more so inspired by Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe pop art. Although Warhol was not eco friendly in mass production, Marilyn Monroe was a strong, powerful woman. Instead of focusing on artworks of gender inequality and putting it into different parts of the room, I wanted the living room itself to be an artwork as well as be equally sustainable. Marilyn Monroe was a woman who had a hard life as a woman. She was sexually assaulted and harassed by her mother who was mentally unstable. She rose to stardom despite all she had endured in the past and is still remembered greatly. With Marilyn Monroe, I wanted to use the colour pink for the room. People either hate or love pink. There is no in between. This is mainly because pink is associated as a feminine colour. The social stigma of girls liking the colour pink is quite often frowned upon because it makes a woman too girly. I want to prove that girls can like pink and should not be unapologetic to themselves. Marilyn Monroe is like the colour pink. Everyone remembers her as a sex icon but not as a strong woman, actress and survivor of sexual abuse. Like the colour pink, people choose to say she was just a sex icon instead of unravelling who she was as a person and what she overcame. I chose different tones of pink to give the living room some depth. The usage of marble brings out the pink and balances the room. While knowing that marble is not sustainable due to it’s high energy manufacturing, it can be recycled. Malaysia is a mineral rich country which contains lots of marble back in the day. This is why, in lots of old houses, marble can be seen on the floor. Marble is a stone which can be reused. With that, it adds a hint of sophistication to the living room. Glass is incorporated in the room so it does not feel too trapped or tight since glass is transparent.
Often at times, restrooms are too plain and monotonous which is why I wanted to create something fun yet demure. Privacy is needed in a restroom, even among girls. So, additional walls are added into the toilet because I believe everyone has a right to their own body. They should feel comfortable with it. I wanted to give the toilet a pop of colour. In contrast to the pink room, I felt like a blue room would remind the women that they could be what they want to be even if they want to be a bit masculine or not be labelled at all. Privacy was the main concern in designing the restroom.
The dining room is a place where people gather together, eat and converse. This is why I did not feel obliged to put a TV there. I added the colour red as it invokes hunger. Not to mention, red is a sexy colour which could really empower women. Women believe that red is too strong a colour when deep down, they are strong too. The room is a mixture of a cafe, a bar and a restaurant because different girls have different intentions to start up a conversation. Everyone knows people will open up with alcohol in their system. The room should feel comfortable and be well suited to what they want to talk about. I wanted to create something like a mini bar in a bar house because memories are often made at bars when people talk it out together. That was the feeling I wanted them to have.
I wanted the rooms to tell a different story so women could try to be empowered while they try to find a peace of mind too. Women need to feel good about themselves rather than taking care of other people once in a while. Self love is the most important love to give yourself and women should realise that rather than be taken advantage of.
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