If you have a chance to talk to an Interior Designer, he or she will tell you the same thing: Organizing an interior space is an absolute art, perhaps even a science, which must follow super-precise rules of interior design that they spend years and years of studying in college.
Break them and you will end up with a chaotic and confusing space that just doesn’t make sense.
But, what if you look at the rules of interior design a little differently?
Not as established laws to make your home a copy of a photo you see online, but something else:
A guideline telling you when to push the envelope a little further to add a touch of originality to your space. Or a limit to let you know – stop now, this is absurd!
Here are 5 rules of interior design that you absolutely must break!
1) Art hanging at eye level
Although no one knows exactly where this rule comes from, one theory says that it has practical reasoning behind it. Of course, so that you and everyone else can admire your precious art in all its glory.
So what’s the problem? Hanging artwork at eye level qualifies absolutely on our list of interior design rules that must be broken for the following reason. It just doesn’t work!
Okay, well, maybe you can get away with having two or three paintings or prints in a low room, but that’s it. Let’s say your space has high ceilings and you have great works of art. Hanging them at eye level will create the unwanted illusion that they are diminishing the furniture underneath. They can also end up turning your living room into an involuntary museum!
2) False plants don’t even think about it!
This must be one of the ten commandments when it comes to interior design rules. That you should never, under any circumstances, decorate your space with fake plants. They are cheap, ugly, they accumulate a lot of dust if you don’t take care of them, they just make you look like an inelegant person.
But are they really? The problem here is that when it comes to fake plants, most people tend to think of the old fabric roses that every aunt used to display at the dinner table on Sunday.
The truth is that fake plants are now so sophisticated in design that you can barely distinguish them from real ones. So, try it!
3) Do not combine metal and wood! will be?
Who said? With regard to the rules of interior design that we are absolutely encouraging you to leave, this is the one that makes the least sense. Obviously, this is also a very old attitude. Having a cohesive living room or kitchen or a very famous bedroom was a mark of how well you were in society.
In addition, having an entire home with furniture made of real wood sent the important message that you were rich and could afford such expensive furniture. Therefore, mixing cheap metal parts would be considered sticky and not respectable.
Today is not the case! The trends we love now are just the opposite of the ‘cookie cutters’ of antiquity. As an example, you can mix chrome dining tables with antique chairs with a golden finish for a bold look.
4) Tiny interiors need tiny furniture
Obviously, there is some sense to this interior design rule. For example, if you have a garden room that has been transformed into a guest room, stacking it up with giant pieces will present a logistical problem.
However, this does not mean that you need to take an extremely opposite approach and use only small furniture to make it comfortable. In fact, there are many interior designers who explain that large pieces can work very well in a small space. As long as you use them in a space-saving set, instead of carrying the room.
For example, in your garden room transformed into the guest room, start prioritizing. That means focusing on the bed. With regard to organizers and shelves, you can mount them on the wall. Choose a floating table and two comfortable side tables and you’re done. You can even place a sofa there if you are ambitious enough!
This is a great guide for organizing large furniture in your room
5) Never place the back of the sofa towards the door!
Of all the interior design rules on our list, this one makes the most sense. Not placing a sofa with your back to the door will make your space more airy and larger. However, this does not mean that you should not break it!
It works mainly if you are dealing with an extremely large room. Or too long, for that matter. If left as is, the space can seem very large, uninviting, cold and without a trace of intimacy. Therefore, use a sofa to divide the room into two or perhaps three smaller spaces that are cozy and intimate.
Place a coffee table on the back of the sofa to mask it and you can start creating your interior space based on that. Add another coffee table in front of you, comfortable chairs and smaller side tables for cups and cups!
So, any of the rules we just detailed ‘by the book?’ Of course not! These are interior design rules that you should try to break more often. And when you do, allowing your creativity to run freely, you will be able to discover new ways to organize your space that will really make you feel at home!
What does an Interior Designer do?
What is an Interior Designer?
An interior designer is someone who works with a client to create rooms and aesthetic spaces. Customers range from owners to large corporations. The spaces and rooms that interior designers create are equally varied, from simple indoor and outdoor home environments to luxury hotel and mansion lobbies. Regardless of size, every interior designer works to create attractive and functional spaces. Spaces must also be secure, meeting the specific needs of the client.
An interior designer is usually an independent contractor who must create a customer base. In some cases, a designer works for a larger company. In either case, he or she must stand out to create a positive reputation in the industry and secure future jobs.
What does an Interior Designer do?
An interior designer creates internal spaces that satisfy the client’s needs of aesthetics, security, and function. Using furniture placement, color palettes, decorations, and functional decor, interior designers can create various spaces – from beautiful, functional living rooms to offices in which people want and love to work. Elements such as artwork, lighting, window treatments, and floors must work together to contribute to an overall look that meets a customer’s needs.
There are a variety of areas in which interior designers can specialize:
Corporate design:
Corporate designers create a combination of practical and professional workplaces and incorporate elements of a company’s brand into their design. They work in various configurations, from tiny offices and start-ups to huge corporate buildings. Regardless of the project’s size and scope, its main focus is to create an efficient and functional space.
Corporate designers also work to create spaces, especially work environments, that contribute to employees’ good health and posture confined in offices most of the day. Placement of computers, work desks, and computer chairs is often the focus, as many people use these items for long periods. People who use them can suffer fatigue, stress, and even unnecessary injury if the wrong products are used or adjusted or placed incorrectly. Designers will consider the work (activity) being carried out, the user’s demands, the equipment being used (its size, shape, and how appropriate it is for the task) and then design the space with these elements in mind.
Health care project:
Healthcare designers plan and renovate medical offices, dental offices, hospitals, health centers, clinics, and residential care facilities. These types of designers specialize in evidence-based design – the evidence-based design was first defined as “the deliberate attempt to base design decisions on the best research evidence available” and that “an evidence-based designer, together with an informed customer, makes decisions based on the best available information from research and project evaluations.”
This data and research availability helps interior designers plan positive and welcoming spaces for patients, residents, and facilities.
Design of kitchens and bathrooms:
Kitchen and bathroom designers discuss all aspects of creating, remodeling, or upgrading a customer’s kitchen and bathroom area. They have specialized knowledge of cabinets, utensils, appliances, plumbing, building materials, and electrical solutions for these specific rooms. The themes, colors, patterns, and layout of the room are discussed with the client, which will result in sketches and drawings based on these discussions. Once the project has started, the designer’s responsibility is to keep all expenses within the client’s budget.
Sustainable design:
Sustainable designers generally obtain the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council. This type of certification shows customers the experience of designing buildings and spaces with sustainable practices in mind.
A sustainable designer’s primary focus is to use sustainable products with low environmental impact, reduce energy consumption and waste, improve indoor air quality, improve energy and water efficiency, and design with efficient use of space. Sustainable design projects are also focused on balancing aesthetics and functionality with options that reduce environmental impact.
Universal design:
Universal designers renovate existing spaces and environments to make them more accessible. The term “universal design” was created by the architect Ronald Mace to describe the concept of designing all products and the environment built to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or status in life. Selwyn Goldsmith, the author of Designing for Disabled (1963) and pioneer of free access for people with disabilities, created the abandoned curb – now a standard feature of the built environment.
These projects are mainly used to create functional areas for the elderly and people with special needs. Entrances without steps, or public transport buses (which raise the front to ground level) or equipped with ramps help those who have difficulty getting on a bus. These universal designs are beneficial for the elderly or people with special needs and many others (like someone pushing a stroller).
An interior designer’s responsibilities may include the following:
Advertising for new projects
Bidding for new projects
A session with clients to identify project goals
Visualization of how spaces will be used
Sketching design plans
Choosing materials and furniture
Ordering materials and furniture
Creating project schedules
Estimating project costs
Supervising construction and installation of the project
Coordinating contractors regarding plans and specifications
Coordinating with electricians, painters, plumbers, and other professionals
Ensuring that the customer is satisfied after the project is completed
Are you suitable to be an Interior Designer?
Interior designers have distinct personalities. They tend to be artistic individuals, which means that they are creative, intuitive, sensitive, articulate, and expressive. They are structured, original, and innovative. Some of them are also entrepreneurs, which means that they are adventurous, ambitious, assertive, outgoing, energetic, enthusiastic, confident, and optimistic.
How is the workplace of an interior designer?
Interior designers need to have flexible working hours and varied work environments. Schedules are usually tailored to their clients’ needs, and interior designers often travel to the client’s home or business to discuss plans for the design of the space. After an initial consultation and a few strategy sessions, designers visit stores to buy furniture, artwork, and supplies to create the desired space.
Most interior designers also rent or own office space, with meeting rooms for interaction between the client and the design team and a reception area, office, and design area to create interior elements. Although it is not necessary for an independent designer, an office gives clients the impression of professional service. A positive impression can contribute to the overall success of the design business.
What is the difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator?
We often hear the careers’ interior designer’ and ‘interior decorator’ being used interchangeably, and, admittedly, there are some similarities between the two. However, there are also more than a few differences, and some of these differences are quite significant.
Interior designer
Whether to design a home or a business, an interior designer needs to explore and understand a client’s needs and desires to create a beautiful and functional space. An interior designer doesn’t just enhance the look of space; they also enhance its function. Interior designers often work closely with architects and contractors to help achieve the client’s environment and appearance, while still adhering to regulatory and code requirements. The interior design process follows a systematic and specific methodology that includes research, analysis, technicality, and creativity. Also, knowledge and application of environmental sustainability principles have become increasingly essential in this line of work.
To be an interior designer, an individual needs to undergo specific education and formal training. Here is a summary of the associate and bachelor’s interior design programs: The first year of associate-level programs generally covers the fundamentals of design and necessary skills in manual drawing and digital drawing. The second year’s focus is typically on more specialized topics, such as architectural lighting, color theory, furniture history, and introductory business and marketing concepts. Students who obtain an Associate of Applied Science degree can generally enter the field as an assistant. An associate arts degree prepares students to continue their studies of interior design.
Bachelor’s degrees in four years
These programs include courses that address the complete interior designer’s aesthetic, technical, and business skills required. Students are immersed in design, design, 3D image, space planning, project management, marketing, sales, and business development.
note:
Several U.S. states and jurisdictions and seven Canadian provinces have laws that require professional designers to hold an interior design license. To qualify for licensing, candidates must pass the National Interior Design Qualification Council (NCIDQ) exam. NCIDQ is the most recognized interior designer, credential. Many interior designers learn from a well-established and experienced interior designer before moving on and starting their own company even after obtaining the license.
Interior decorator:
An interior decorator can create an aesthetic environment for interior spaces, adding furniture and accessories. The National Council for Interior Design Qualifications, NCIDQ, declares: “Decoration is the decoration or decoration of space with fashionable or beautiful things”.
Interior decorators can look at an empty room and “see” how it can be decorated with furniture, paints, artwork, etc. They work with their customers and agree on a style that is best for space. Existing spaces can be updated or redone entirely. They usually count on the help of upholstery, furniture rests, and drains to bring their vision to life.
An interior decorator does not need a license to practice professionally and does not need any formal training or education. Therefore, they are not allowed to design, as only licensed interior designers can do so. An easy way to remember this is that interior designers can design and decorate, but interior decorators can only decorate.
Although there is no need for education to practice interior decorating, there are courses, programs, and certifications available for those who want to expand their horizons and learn the latest colors and fabrics, furniture styles, space planning, and room layouts. Certifications from organizations like the CID (Interior Decoration International Certificate) offer courses and certification to help decorators validate their practices.
What is the difference between an interior designer and an architect?
Both interior designers and architects have specific skills that they use to develop design plans for their clients. However, they perform markedly different design functions.
Interior designer:
Interior designers use their artistic skills to reconfigure and decorate interior spaces and work with their clients (owners, entrepreneurs, etc.) to create something aesthetically pleasing and functional. Whether to design a home or a business, an interior designer needs to explore and understand a client’s needs and wants. Spaces can range from indoor and outdoor domestic environments to restaurants, gyms, dental offices, hotels, and spas. Regardless of shape or size, every interior designer works with the ultimate goal of creating an attractive, practical, and safe space.
An interior designer will meet with a potential client to discuss the project’s scope and prepare a design proposal. The design proposal needs to meet the client’s budget and needs, and, most of the time, modifications need to be made along the way to maintain the budget. The interior designer will also guarantee all the materials needed for the project. Designers generally work closely with architects and contractors to help achieve the environment and care for the customer, while still adhering to regulatory and code requirements.
Education:
Most design companies require that designers have at least a graduate degree accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. Those who obtain an Associate of Applied Science degree can generally enter the field in an assistant role. An associate arts degree prepares students to continue their interior design studies and is often sought after by students who intend to continue education in architecture or industrial design.
Architect:
An architect is trained and explicitly licensed to work in the planning and design of buildings. These buildings can be anything that people live, eat, work and play in – from something as small as an addition to someone’s home to a new hotel on the Las Vegas strip. An architect’s role is to bring together his clients’ creative ideas and visions and keep in mind the needs of those who will use the new space. Architects generally work closely with interior designers to help achieve the ambiance and appearance the client is looking for, while still adhering to regulatory and code requirements.
The role of an architect involves a great deal of technical knowledge and responsibility. It is necessary to comply with construction and safety regulations, regulations, and local planning restrictions. Depending on the project, there may be laws around preserving the local environment or any historical part of a building. Once the project reaches the construction phase, the architect will be involved in site visits and meetings, supervising the construction and signing various works, negotiating with contractors, and dealing with and resolving any problems that may arise.
Education:
Architects need to complete a bachelor’s degree program (B.Arch), accredited by the National Council for Accreditation in Architecture (NAAB). A Master of Architecture (M.Arch) is open to candidates who have obtained the B.Arch diploma and wish to specialize in historic preservation, design theory, solar design, or other related fields.
