Man-made naturally

The use of earth tones in design and interiors is a common practice. Hues of teracotta, beige or a warm off-white may seem soothing, but after careful consideration, the application of natural finishes artificially is far from natural. Think painting soil green to mimic grass, or colouring ceilings with clouds. These ideas may be kitsch and gross, but that is exactly what we are doing when we stain our hardwood furniture to a rich brown, or build bamboo screens along our walkways, or have an artificial orchid on the table. (the entire plaza of One Raffles Quay is lined with fake bamboo plants) Raw concrete walls and screed flooring may seem too cold, and unstained timber flooring may be too rough to the touch, so where exactly does the artificial stop? Perhaps going all out systhetic is a more honest approach to design, since we are going to paint the walls, go with silver, since we are going to cover the floors, use corian. To me, balance is key, as always. Room finishes should be left as they are, if not covered the way they should be. The human touch within, is where the man-made counts.