Interior Design

An Introduction to Interior Design

(Short Course)

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Unit 1
An Introduction to Interior Design
Who is an Interior Designer?
An Interior Designer is a person with education and experience necessary to improve the function and
aesthetic quality of an interior space. An interior designer works for improving the quality of life,
increasing productivity, and for protecting health and safety and welfare of the people.
The professional interior designer:

 analyzes client’s needs, goals and life safety requirements,

 formulates pre-liminary design concepts, that are functional, aesthetic, appropriate and are in
accordance with the codes and standards,
 develops and presents final design proposals by following appropriate presentation media,
 prepares drawings and specifications for interior construction .i.e. ceiling plans, space detailing,
space planning, materials, finishes, lighting, furnishes, fixtures and equipment in compliance with
universal accessibility guidelines and all applicable codes,
 works in a team of other licensed practitioners in the areas of electrical, mechanical and
architectural, as required for regulatory approval,
 prepares and administers bids and contract documents as a client’s agent,
 reviews and evaluates design solutions during implementation and at the time of completion,

Interior Design as a Profession

We spend over 90 per cent of our day in interior spaces. Despite this most of us take interiors for granted,
we seldom notice the furniture, colours, textures, and other elements. But sometimes the design of an
interior does catch our attention, maybe it is the rich panelling of an expensive restaurant, the soothing
background of a religious place, or the charms of a show home, designed by a professional interior
designer.
Interior design professionals provide the owner of homes and businesses, with functionally successful and
aesthetically attractive interior spaces. An interior designer, whether working for domestic interiors or for
commercials, benefits the society, by focusing on how a space and an interior environment should look
and function, by planning the arrangements of interior walls, considering how the design affects the
health, safety and welfare of its occupants, selecting appropriate furniture, specifying aesthetic
embellishments for space- the designer brings life to an interior. Client’s functional and aesthetic
requirements become reality.

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The interior design profession is much more than selecting colours and fabrics and re- arranging furniture.
The professional interior designer must consider the building and life safety codes; understand
environmental issues and the basic construction and mechanical systems of buildings.
An interior designer is able to communicate the design concepts effectively, through precisely scaled
drawings and other documents used in the industry. The professional interior designer makes space
plans for the rooms considering the furniture and everything that goes into them, and knows- all that is
suppose to occur in the spaces. The interior designer manages all the tasks and makes sure that the
project is completed on its allocated time.
The practice of interior design demands a high level of interpersonal skills. Interior designers strive to be
good listeners, so as to better understand the spoken and unspoken needs of their clients. The
professional interior designer is also a good observer and seeks to understand how an existing space is
working and how can it be improved. He can visualize a space which does not exist yet.
The Development of Interior Design as a Profession
Throughout the history, there has always been people- whether users or designers- who were especially
concerned with the quality of interior spaces. At various times architects, artists, craftsmen, and
merchants have designed and furnished interiors. Trade routes and markets have developed over
centuries to supply homes and public building carpets, textiles and other furnishings. Glass, ceramics,
metal and woodworks of exceptional qualities were produced by experienced craftsmen of those times.
Traditionally an architect developed the structure of a building, and the interior was usually designed by
the artisans and craftsmen. Through the nineteenth century, advice on interior arrangement was the
province of upholsterers, cabinet makers, or retailers.
By the beginning of twentieth century, the department stores promoted accessories and the furnishings
to the average consumer, this greatly helped to set the design trends and people started looking for a
help in the design of their homes and workplaces. Historically interior design was regarded as a branch of
fashion, subject to the ever-changing whims of style. Interior decoration was considered an activity purely
suitable for women, whose daily lives focused on minding the homes and the servants. The interest in
interior decoration as a career was developed after the publication of “ The Decoration of Houses” by
Ogden Codman in 1897.During the twentieth century the publications focused on designing and living in
good taste. Good taste was developed by studying past styles. The earliest prominent interior decorators
were usually self taught. By the late twentieth century educational programmes were developed to train
decorators in period styles and the arrangement of furnishings. Trade magazines and digests further
developed tastes and styles and interior decoration was emerged as a full time career. By the 1940s
interior design was developed as a separate profession. Commercial area was then targeted for the
decoration of interiors.

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Divisions of the Profession

Interior designers, rarely work in every field. It is common for them to pick one specific area and enhance
their skills in that particular field. Sometimes designers choose to specialise in residential areas and
sometimes they choose to specialise in commercial properties. Some even narrow their field and choose
to work for certain types of homes and businesses. It is also quite common for the designers to refuse to
pick any specific field at all. There are versatile designers and firms that do many kinds of work. This
makes the field even wider for them.
The most important division is between residential and non-residential interior design. Though many
designers do both, it is never the less true that specialisation in one or the other implies important
differences in temperament, working habit and business conduct.

Residential Design
Residential interior design is for the private places. Residential interior may encompass a whole residence
or only a part of one. It may entail all the functions involved in creating the specific area, or only one or
some. The job may include:

1) Planning, designing, executing and furnishing;

 a complete private house or apartment
 only specified rooms or parts of the rooms

2) Consultation to technical service on:

 painting and wall covering schedules
 colour coordination
 specifications for specially built units
 developing layouts or floor plans
 consultation with architects and craftsmen
 producing other presentations and drawings.

Most designers prefer this type of work because it is less stressful, and the deadlines are usually a little
more relaxed. When the designer is allowed to create something that pleases both- the designer and the
client- the feeling is much better.
Sometimes, the work for residential areas can be quite small also. This type of work suits especially those
designers, who love to express their creativity. Usually a residential project follows a sequence of
working procedures as:
1. Careful interviewing to establish the client’s programme and budget.
2. Developing design concept.
3. Obtaining client’s approval for that concept.
4. Making estimates.
5. Making authorised purchases.

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6. Supervising and installing.

Commercial Design
Commercial interior design includes- hotels, banks, offices, retail establishments- large and small,
hospitals, factories, museums, beauty parlours, gyms theatres and so on. Here, as in residential, client is
not the only person to be satisfied. The designer has also to consider the client’s clients- customers,
employees and the public in general.
This speciality requires an ability to estimate the value of designers own work, this will be helpful when
approving a bid set by a business. Also, a designer will have to work under specific instructions here, to
understand what the client is looking for, good listening skills are therefore very important. This type of
speciality can be very important if the designer is successful in establishing a good rapport with the client.
Doing a good job will lead to a steady, return client, and will often guarantee more work as the client’s
word of mouth can lead the other businesses desiring the service.
There are not only these two branches of speciality but some designers can choose any sub branch to
specialise in as well. There are quite a few and all of them are intended for the designer that has a
particular forte in the field.

Kitchen and Bath

There are a great many possibilities in this branch because these areas of the house are always in the
need of dramatic change. The designer dealing in these specific areas is required to have knowledge in
cabinetry and plumbing also.

Windows and Draperies

Though it seems a small area to entirely depend on it, but the windows of a house or building play a big
role in the overall structure. They are a source of energy and efficiency in every home and they are often
changed on yearly basis. Basic heating lighting knowledge helps, as well as space management.

Lighting
Often, it is the addition of special lighting that can change completely a room’s environment. A designer
can choose this specific field to work also.
Designer- Client Relationships
There could be various roles which a designer needs to fill in the designer- client relationship; all depend
upon the business structure established. These roles may include: a pure designer, agent, merchant,
employee and a contractor.

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Pure Designer
In this capacity the interior designer only provides the professional design services; drawings, documents
and purchasing specifications for the required interior elements and furnishings. The scope of work often
includes the preparation of complete interior plan.

Agent
The designer can act as an agent on the behalf of his client and can place client’s orders with the
manufacturers and showrooms. The monies either go through the designer’s firm or under his/ her own
name.

Merchant
Most of the design firms sell merchandise also in this regard; the designer becomes a merchant when
selling merchandise.

Employee
Some designers are employed by retail stores, where they are usually paid salary plus commission. When
the client purchases anything from the store, the designer’s service may be included or offered at an
extra fee. Sometimes designers work for the companies that manufacture products for interior projects.
The designers are then required to assist in design or for selling these products. Usually the products are
unusual, a designer’s input is therefore required to demonstrate the purpose and relationship of the
products to the market of today.

Contractor
A designer can also act as a contractor, by employing the workers required to do construction, finish
surfaces, and handle drapery and window treatments and so on. Sometimes the craftsmen are employed
directly by the design firms or they work on contractual basis or freelance.
A Designer’s Basic Considerations for Design a Scheme
There are three basics on which the whole building of a well planned room stands up, these are:

 Function
 Mood
 Style

Function
The interior designer, when planning a room scheme, allows it to function at its best. This involves
deciding how the space can be apportioned into different zones; what should be done about the wiring,
lighting, ceiling, floor, walls and windows. What can be improved and how. A complete analysis of this
gives him a framework on which, he can build whatever mood or style is required.
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In order to develop clear idea about the function of a room, a designer will have to know the purpose for
which the room will be used and is being planned for. He will have to ascertain what it is needed for? How
will it be used and who will use it. Function of a room is actually about practicality, comfort and the
detailing which are required in the room.
A good interior design is as much about practicality, comfort and detailing as it is about the mood and
style. However beautiful the window treatments, however original the colour schemes, however splendid
the furnishings, no one will appreciate unless the room is comfortable overall and it functions as it should.

Mood
When people think about the effect they want to create in their homes, what they are often considering
is the mood or atmosphere: whether a room is to have a sense of being relaxed or formal, stimulating or
calming, cool and airy or warm and cosy. Mood relates to how you want to feel when you are in the
room. If a space has several functions, such as a living room which includes a play area or a home office
that converts to a guest bedroom, when needed, it may be necessary to alter the mood also, according to
who is using the room? At what time of the day?
Light and colour have a strong impact on mood. Subdued lights are relaxing and bright lights are
stimulating. If you will use very bright lights in a room which is meant for relaxing, it will not meet the
needs and hence will not fulfil the requirements of the mood that is actually required. Similarly soft
creams and quiet taupe colours send out very different signals to hot reds and rich greens.
Texture is also important. A room decorated with simple cottons and linens is very different in character
from one dominated by chenille and velvets. The same is true of the surface materials; a wooden floor
provides different atmosphere to a thick wool carpet. Mood actually depends upon the function of the
room and the climate in which someone wants to live.

Style
The style is mainly about putting a look together whereas mood relates how you want to feel when in the
room. The style can be traditional, modern, American country, oriental, Gothic etc.
The inspiration for interiors can be many and varied. Travel, for example, has a strong influence today, as
do references from the museums or art galleries. Interiors magazines and books on different subjects
from decorative tiles to Indian palaces, all offer a wealth of inspiration. Inspiration can come from a single
object like an oriental carpet or a painting can suggest a colour scheme for an entire room. If two people
have to share a room and both have different tastes- traditional verses modern, for example- you can
start by creating a neutral backdrop and can then add elements that will appeal to both the parties.

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When choosing a decorative style for a room also consider the architectural style of the room. Look at the
features like cornices, skirting boards, fireplaces, dados, doors, and windows, and then decide if all these
features are compatible with the style that you want to create.

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