In today’s consumerist culture, objects constantly circulate with little thought to their deeper significance. We overlook the rich material, cultural, and historical value embedded in everyday items, reducing them to function. My undergraduate thesis began as a study of objects and their relationship to context and agency, eventually centring on a single plate. This plate became a lens to explore how dishware, central to daily rituals, can range in meaning from cherished belonging to overlooked utility. Traditionally, we assign meaning to objects through their context. However, this project challenges that dynamic by having an object shape its context instead. By designing interiors with an object-first approach where a single plate informs its surroundings, the project reveals the depth an object can hold and repositions its agency in shaping space.

What might be possible if we treated all ordinary objects with this same level of consideration? As designers, it is essential to recognize the transformative quality and relational conditions of objects by challenging conventional perceptions through radical treatments to garner new perspectives.