Language is a powerful or, to be more precise, one of the most powerful means of communication. It is a major means through which we convey our intentions, understanding, and emotions. But the role and importance of language goes beyond a mere utterance of words. The impact of language can be paramount, and it affects every facet of our lives. Among other things, it influences the way in which we set up our homes and gardens.
Now, that might seem a bit stretched to some. But research shows that such an influence exists, and it is more important and impactful than you might think. Language shapes our thoughts, worldviews, and perceptions. It also shapes our aesthetic preferences and tastes, which come into play when we start setting things up at home and organizing our gardening space. Let’s delve into the specific ways in which the correlations manifest themselves to influence our choices and decisions.
Word Power
Language has a lot of power when it comes to evoking emotions, influencing other people’s impressions and experiences, and creating various mental images. These are useful factors when you use your imaginative and aesthetic powers to start developing your home design or garden set-up. For instance, you can describe it in different ways.
Similarly, you can refer to your home as comfy and snug or simplistic and tranquil. If you want your home design to evoke feelings and emotions associated with these words, you should choose the design elements, furniture, and accessories that create an environment that exudes those senses. That means choosing the right color palettes to match the rest of your design.
Words and their meaning matter a lot when it comes to translating them into another language. This is irrespective of the field and subject. When you need your content translated, ensure you only hire the best of the best in the translation industry. Top-notch translation companies with excellent reviews are able to provide the best medical translation services, localization services, and proofreading services, to name a few, to meet your demands and needs to the best of their ability.
Design Choices
We touched on how language shapes your design choices. To take a step further, you should familiarize yourself with a broad range of resources to make the right choices. Go online to check out what the current trends and developments are in home design and gardening. Read lots of articles and blogs. Sign up for a membership on media platforms to get the latest in the world of design. Note how specific design patterns are worded and described. See how careful professionals are when naming specific styles.
When you see something described as Scandinavian, you know you are not going to get something flashy, flamboyant, or excessive in colors. Rather, you expect to see a minimalist design, soothing colors, and a simple design. By contrast, if you hear the word Bohemian, you expect something more extravagant and opulent.
Symbolism
As we know, language is full of symbols and metaphors. You don’t always mean things literally. Symbols, metaphors, and other literary devices are often used to disguise meaning or to evoke desired emotions through creative means. You can use your design in the same way. Your design elements could serve as symbols, signifying things that you want them to signify.
The same is true of your garden. Have you thought about the symbolic meanings of different types of flowers? If you haven’t, you should. For instance, Amaryllis is a symbol of pride, while azalea means temperance or fragile passion. If you choose bells-of-Ireland, you wish someone good luck, and begonias are related to caution or warnings. Use these and other symbols to choose flowers and add a flavor of symbolic meanings to your set-up.
Cultural Influences
We know that language and culture are inextricably linked. In a way, language reflects everything that is taking place in culture. This combination has a major influence on our aesthetic choices and preferences. It does not happen by mistake that specific languages use specific words for colors.
Take the time to learn more about the etymology of specific words. You will be surprised by the richness of linguistic implications and history. You will also see how a variety of values and perspectives find their way into culture and language, ultimately getting reflected in the choices we make to set up our homes and gardens.
Take the Japanese word wabi-sabi, for example. It means finding beauty in imperfection. This word made a huge impact on many designers to come up with a specific style in which Japanese gardens are designed. Along similar lines, the Danish word hygge has influenced the world-renowned Danish design. The word is associated with anything that is snug and comfy. So, when you get a Danish design, you know it has to be comfortable and convenient. This is what you find in Scandinavian designs writ large.
Personal Touch
Let us not forget that you can also create your own style laced with your personal touch. You can choose your aesthetic approach based on your use of language. Try to think of the words, idioms, quotes, and expressions that best describe you, your identity, and your values. This would be your starting point. This helps you curate resources for your home and garden in a way that best represents you.
Language is a powerful means and medium, so use it to its full capacity. Bear this in mind when choosing your decorations, accessories, artifacts, and everything else you want to see in your home and garden. Don’t be shy to consult professionals if you so need.
Final Considerations
Language influences us and our lifestyles in many different ways. In fact, its influence is larger than we might think. Among many other things, language influences the way we take care of and design our homes and gardens. As a means of expressing and communicating our ideas and emotions, language is a powerful tool.
Make sure you use language when designing and setting up your home and garden. Take into account all the cultural and linguistic implications and influences. When you do so, you will be creating a unique style that will tell an amazing and exciting story about you as the owner.
Author:
Allen Baez is an experienced writer, popular blogger, and landscape designer. He loves taking off-the-beaten tracks. That is why Allen, several years ago, set out to explore linkages between language and home design solutions. You won’t find many analysts interested in or delving into such correlations, which makes Allen’s observations unique in their own right.
