Interior Design is the science and art of improving the interior of an establishment to make it aesthetically pleasing and a healthy environment for those who use the space. An interior designer is a person who studies, plans, designs, coordinates and oversees such improvement projects. The term “interior” can mean a wide variety of things in different contexts. In this article, we’ll be covering the broadest meaning and applications of the term.
Interior design covers a wide range of disciplines, including architecture, building sciences, and psychology, as well as some popular subdisciplines like furnishing, hospitality, landscape architecture, and construction. In terms of these disciplines, an interior designer would typically study spaces in the home, office, or other place of work. Though this is a broad outline, there are plenty of specific spaces within each area that would best be described by an interior designer. In many instances, an interior designer would also specialize in a certain type of space. For instance, a designer might focus on residential spaces, while an Urban Designer would focus on building interiors around the city.
Though there are many different kinds of interior spaces and many different types of interior designers, there are specific types of spaces that have proven to be very resistant to changes and require specialized treatments. Retail space, for example, requires some amount of room to move around in and to sit down in comfortably. An interior designer can coordinate lighting and furniture within the retail space to ensure that the customers’ needs and expectations are met. They can also provide lighting that is conducive to the type of retail material that is being sold in the space.
architects are considered to be professional architects. Though there are many different types of architectural disciplines under the umbrella of architects, they are specifically known as the ones that design the buildings that we exist in day to day. An interior designer and an architect may work side by side to design the interior space of the office or home, depending upon the specific needs of the client. However, while an interior designer collaborates with an architect, the architect retains ultimate control over the actual layout and architecture of the building. An interior decorator, on the other hand, is a person that brings together the architect and the client so that the client can create a desired interior design.
When working with an interior designer, you will want to make sure that they clearly understand the 7 elements of space that must be considered when doing interior design. These elements are light, color, form, texture, position, proportion and reference. Though this may sound like a somewhat complicated way to explain what seven different aspects are, it is easier to understand when you see them in use.
A good way to get the interior design ideas from industrial designers is to take some time to browse through a few portfolios. Look at pictures of spaces that the industrial designers have designed, take away three or four photos and then bring those three or four photos back to your office and discuss with your co-workers what do you think these spaces would look like and how would they fit into your own office or business. This allows you to ask questions that may not have been asked before. You can also use the portfolios as conversation starters for your architects.