Interior Design: A passion, a solution, a lifetime

You have heard the term on a recent episode of Fixer Upper, or perhaps in the latest Elle Decor Magazine. It seems thrilling doesn't it? Converting a drab space into one with such style and grace can be such a fulfilling experience for many. Keep reading to find out what it really takes to be a designer. Do you have what it takes?

"Details are not the details. They make the design."

- Charles Eames, American Architect & Designer

Define "Interior Design"

When people hear the term "Interior Design", usually the first thing that comes to mind is the process of picking out furniture and colors for rooms to look pretty. However, anyone who has researched or experienced interior design to a deeper level knows it goes much further than that. I remember when I first entered college, many people would ask what I was studying. Once I told them that I had declared my major as Interior design, I immediately had responses like "oh so you pick out paints and furniture?" or "Oh that's awesome, so you can decorate my house?"

I remember that although those things are part of the job, I was confused that they thought that was all the job consisted of. I felt like that description just did not do justice for the career I had chosen for my life. I wanted to tell them that there was more to it, but my problem was that I personally couldn't do it justice myself as a new student. I think that is one of the things that pushed me even harder to learn as much as I could about the field as fast as I could, so I could defend it. I felt the need to because I never for one moment felt interior design was a job, I felt it was a deep heartened passion that inevitably would pay the bills. 

So as my first step to defending this passion was understanding it. I began by looking up definitions, specific careers, and schools that had the program. Through my research I had learned that Interior Design is the process of blending beauty, comfort, efficiency, economy, and durability in a way that engages its users and creates a more functional way of living.

This can be done in more ways than residential spaces. In fact, we are constantly surrounded by interior design on a daily basis, from the lobbies of office buildings and hotels, to the waiting rooms of hospitals and nursing homes, the store front of Macy's, and the food court at your local mall.

Each of these locations all look completely different; however, they all share one thing in common, interior designers were behind the planning of every space. Just looking at this wide variety of design spaces proves the diversity and knowledge it takes to become an interior designer. It takes a lot more than style and color coordination to plan such crucial designs like hospitals since they must abide by so many codes, regulations, and guidelines.

According to the New York School of Interior Design, "Interior design is all about how we experience spaces. It’s a powerful, essential part of our daily lives and affects how we live, work, play, and even heal. Comfortable homes, functional workplaces, beautiful public spaces—that’s interior design at work." 

This is a career that involves so many aspects from art and design, to construction and even engineering. In fact on most projects, Interior Designers are put on teams with other designers, architects, contractors, engineers, craftsmen, furniture dealers, and business and home owners. 

This field is surely not something that could be explained in one post alone. That is why I chose to create the website, as a way for me, and anyone reading, to discover all there is to this field. So please, take this journey with me to learn about such an influential art in this world.

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