I never start my articles with a quote, yet this one is too evocative to pass: “The color blue is associated with two of Earth’s greatest natural features: the sky and the ocean. But that wasn’t always the case. Some scientists believe that the earliest humans were actually colorblind and could only recognize black, white,…
Author: Adriana Mot
My 2 Cents on Design is a lifestyle magazine focused on promoting the positive impact of design and creativity on living an impeccable life.
Founder and editor in chief Adriana Mot is the owner and lead designer at Dochia Interior Design, Toronto, Canada
Selftropy Manifesto – We exist beyond skin
As the universe expands, so does our mind, our time on earth, and the complexity of the life we lead. We spill over beyond skin. We exist outside of it in the space that surrounds us, in the knowledge we have and the experiences we sense, and in the people we interact with. We’re all…
Getting your cottage ready, my three big steps
Selecting the perfect cottage is a complex feast. It requires spending a reasonable amount of time thinking about where to buy, what you want to do while there, whether it is on water or next to trails, whether there is a quaint little village next to it, or are there grapes involved? Or maybe you’ve…
What you need to know to work well from home
We now know that health was impacted by excessive work-at-home pressures, with social and behavioural factors being in the lead. It turns out there are many measures we can take that would improve previously unmanageable conditions. Start with the basics, air quality and light, and adjust your interior climate to suit Air pollution is prevalent…
Lessons from design: mental health in condos
Globally we find ourselves in what is now called the cognitive revolution where the recognition that self-fulfilment, social health and the fight against loneliness are at the core of chasing personal wellbeing. Their importance is as high if not higher than nutrition, exercise, and amassing sufficient wealth to ensure a comfortable life. While all of…
Quote of the month
A home should be fun, relaxing, comfortable, and, both: personal and sustainable. Read on in Land of Dochia, Issue #2 (monthly digital periodical)
What interior design really is and the value of great advice – part 2
Why does everyone think they can do this profession of ours? Why is it that, to the public, it appears so easy to practice that almost anyone with a bit of aesthetic eye can do it? That all interior designers do is nudge a few things just a bit better than the able amateurs? And…
SHARING, Monthly Focus
Winding up the hill in the fairytale of winter where forests filled with the chirp of sparrows line up the long, asphalted roads peppered with few cars and happy ski-goers heading for the slopes, the pure, unadulterated experience of nature only slightly adjusted by humanity, not enough to pollute but good enough to get us…
The Eggs of Easter, Egypt and the cosmic myths
The beautiful tradition of colouring eggs is laden with meaning. Its history can be traced to the very beginning of creation. Spring is a flame that took the shape of myths, legends and religions across time. Believers hold it as the reaffirmation of faith. Non-believers cherish charismatic rebirth customs in many of its forms. In…
On reinvention and true innovation
When Stephen King wrote, “Sooner or later, everything old is new again,” he captured one of the most useful starting points of creative thinking: the past. To the general public, reinvention and novelty are tricky because true originality is seldom welcomed. Although most of us long for something new, we tend to associate an idealized…
Design and science are equally important
Reality is systemic, inter-connected, and ever-changing, and it does not take place in a vacuum. Design methods produce solutions that reflect that. They are environment-sensitive, bio-responsive and non- destructive to both the human subject and the environment. Science, in an unnatural way, validates everything through experimental isolation. Equally valuable truths stem from both approaches; science…
Keeping a little sparkle going in the relationship between you and your house
Like with any kind of relationship, when things are too familiar and uneventful, things get stale. The culprit? A phenomenon called hedonic adaptation. If you look at your kitchen for a long time and you’re there all the time, you will likely not notice its beauty, no matter how beautiful it is. Having mini-adjustments continuously…