Can design respond to superstitious thinking?

Superstitions have been woven into the history of architecture since the first quiet omission of the 13th floor. An expression of humanity’s enduring desire to appease unseen forces, superstitious architecture might be dismissed as irrational to many in the modern Western world. But many of us are more ritualistic than we might admit, and this is demonstrated in the objects we choose to surround ourselves with.

‘We all take spiritual, superstitious design on board subliminally, whether we actively acknowledge it or not,’ says interiors photographer and journalist Mark C O’Flaherty, pointing specifically to the way we assemble and display our possessions. ‘Everyone arranges certain things in a ritualistic way,’ he says. ‘We create these altars in our homes, little shrines devoted to family, weddings or memories. We create spaces that are sacred and have their own energy, but most people don’t even realise they are doing it.’

So, why do we?

Perhaps, in part, because we’ve inherited ways of relating to the world that predate our modern understanding of it. Considering spiritual significance in the built world around us is a practice that stretches back thousands of years, says property advisor and former Gensler director Juliette Morgan.

‘It’s long been known that churches were built on ley lines,’ she says, referring to the intersecting lines of energy believed in ancient times to mark spiritually potent places. It’s a principle that many still hold true, she says.

‘There are humans — the world’s indigenous tribes — who make up 6% of the population and are custodians of 85% of the biodiversity. They wouldn’t dream of doing something on the land without prayers and permission from the spirits. If you look at how they live, it's usually humble and sufficient rather than ostentatious. That must be what we learn to design and aspire to.’

While Morgan urges us to reconsider our relationship with the land, O’Flaherty points to examples of superstitious design much closer to home — many of which he has detailed in his book Sanctum: At Home with the Uncanny.

While some consumers and designers collect objects with a ‘vibration’ or perceived connection to the spiritual world, O’Flaherty says many people are drawn to mystical items subliminally — often because they feel, or simply even look, good. ‘The thing about objects that are uncanny, haunted or superstitious is that they are often also really decorative,’ he says. ‘You might just think, “That’s really beautiful” without giving much thought to a deeper meaning.’

We don’t always need to subscribe to a belief system to be drawn to its symbols, adds O’Flaherty who has turned the downstairs loo in his own home into a miniature cabinet of curiosities. Painted volcanic red, with red concrete floors, it features feathered voodoo motifs, a ‘witchy’ mask from Sri Lanka and a piece of blood-soaked cloth displayed on a chain. But even here, in a space where the unusual and unexpected are not hidden away, O’Flaherty is superstitious about objects that don’t feel right.

‘I have definitely had things that give off bad energy,’ he says. ‘It really doesn’t feel right when that happens and I’ve just said, “Be gone” and got rid of them.’

While some, or even many, of us might unwittingly live with objects that hold meaning — particularly if they are old and come with their own stories and history — the mysterious and mystical can be part of a more deliberate approach to superstitious design says Anna Burles, cofounder of interiors studio Run For the Hills.

‘We designed one moody apartment that was intended to pose as many questions as it answered,’ she says. A hanging raven symbolises a guardian for the home — superstition at its finest — and a domed, veiled lady on the coffee table adds another layer of intrigue. In the bedroom, cupboards feature skulls’ head handles and on the bedside table is a memento mori — a spiritual reminder of human mortality and the temporary nature of earthly life. ‘It’s not designed to be morbid in any way,’ says Burles, ‘but rather a reminder to live strong.’

From dark and moody to light and bright, crystals are arguably one of the most recognisable elements of mystical, superstitious design. Sitting at the intersection of decoration and belief, a crystal can be displayed both as a sculptural object in its own right, with the added intention of attracting positive energy.

Fashion stylist Albertine Choraria believes that having a large crystal on the entrance table in her hallway protects the energy of her household. ‘It sits under a skylight, and I always think it is soaking up the sun and that good energy is protecting the family — especially when other people bring their energy into the home,’ she says.

A wedding gift from her sister, who is the custodian of Broughton Sanctuary, an estate in Yorkshire rooted in spirituality and wellbeing, the crystal, Choraria says, has awoken her own interest in spiritual design practices. ‘I wasn’t particularly spiritual, but since my sister gave me the crystal I have really taken it on and got totally on board with its energy.’

Superstitious design bridges the rational and the intuitive. It’s not so much about whether we believe in the unseen, but acknowledging that design is, and always has been, about more than physical material. A building, space, place or object has the power to connect us to a landscape, hold a memory or tell a story. Ultimately, the spaces we inhabit shape how we feel. And you don’t get much more spiritual than that.

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