by Ryan Eklund
Interior design is often misunderstood by the general public. Many believe that designers choose only paint colors, furniture, artwork, décor, and finishes. Although we can do this, we also do so much more.
All these selections matter, but in reality, these are not the main focus of what we do. Modern day interior designers are involved in early phases of the construction process. We collaborate with architects, contractors, engineers, and most importantly the people who will be using the space. Good interior design is more than how the space looks, but rather how the space functions, feels, and how people experience it.
From Aesthetics to Strategy
Historically, interior designers were viewed as decorators and were often brought in during the mid-phase or late-phase of construction. Their main priority was to make the space look polished after the overall concept of a building was already formed together.
Today, the profession has evolved significantly. Designers now think about how the space functions, how products perform, and study how the end user uses different areas.
This means interior designers are not only selecting what looks good in a space. Instead, we are solving issues, such as – space planning, acoustics, lighting, accessibility, budgets, schedules, project managing, and the overall experience for the end user.
Beautiful materials that can’t withstand the demands of the space, are not considered a successful selection. Some spaces can photograph well, but can leave the occupants uncomfortable, or confused as if something important had been missed.
Design isn’t something that happens at the end. It involves problem solving throughout the whole process.
Where Design and Architecture Blend
The boundary between interior design and architecture has become more blurred. Architects often create the framework of the building, while interior designers focus more on the human experience. This overlap utimately creates a stronger project.
Interior designers often reconfigure floor plans, develop custom architectural features, aid in puttng together construction documents, and define the project outcome.
Working alongside architects and other industry professionals in a project team allows us to ask certain questions early in the project.
Architecture and interior design are not competing disciplines. When fully engaged with one another, they complement and empower each other.
More Than Aesthetics
A successful interior is not just based on looks and beauty. The interior is supported by comfort, movement, ergonomics, and overall connection. This helps people understand where to go, what is private vs public space, and how the space is to be used and supported.
We influence whether or not an employee can concentrate, whether a patient feels less anxious, whether a restaurant feels energetic or intimate, and where a family naturally gathers.
The Current Day Interior Designer
Modern interior designers are planners, problem solvers, and are highly technical. Our overall goal for each project is to create a space that functions, performs, invites, and creates a specific feeling. We work with drawings, specifications, codes, technology, budgets, and schedules.
Interior design correlates to architecture more than most of the general public realize. Most firms are both architecture and design, for the fact that we both rely on each other equally.
The next time someone says that interior designers only pick out paint colors and “pretty” materials. You don’t have to tell them they’re entirely wrong, since we do provide those services. But behind every beautiful space are drawings, codes, specifications, coordination, and problem solving that a designer has been an integral part of.
