Interior Design

Part of an Interior Designer's work is to be able to successfully meet the clients needs. Sometimes an Interior Designer must be able to extract information when a client does not fully explain their wants and needs. Interior Designers must be able to communicate graphically to explain their design to other professionals working on the project. 

Interior design contributes to society in many ways. Spaces have the capability to influence users psychologically. Acoustics are important to consider when designing because if done wrong it can distract and irritate those in the space Examples of spaces where acoustics are important are libraries and public restrooms. Temperature and lighting are other aspects in the design that may irritate the users when they are not appropriate for the space. Proxemics can change the comfort level of an area.

Social and cultural ideas of space between others will determine how many users will comfortably fit in the area the designer has created. When a sofa is placed in an area, people won't likely sit on it with a stranger. Back to back chairs can cause uncomfort because the seats against each other do not give the users enough space to move around without being worried about hitting the person behind. The position of chairs can inhibit or suggest conversations. Chairs placed straight across from each other and chairs placed at a right angle make it easier for people to start a conversation.  

Mary Beth Robinson Lecture

Design can make a difference in people's lives by addressing their needs. Several factors should be considered when designing a space in order to make it more comfortable for its users. A major factor that should be taken into consideration is culture. Other aspects that need to be highly considered are lighting, acoustics, and temperature. 

Interior design and architecture have the ability to help people imagine they are in a certain environment. 

Hogwarts Castle at Universal

Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom

Avigail Sachs Lecture

Mies Van Der Rohe believes space is something that you can experience by moving through it. His intention is to represent the way design should be. Mies Van Der Rohe shows an understanding between art, science, and technology. His style is minimalistic and completely thought out. Mies used the saying less is more to describe his view of what good design is. Mies Van Der Rohe has a logical reason for every aspect of his design and has the philosophy that anything that is not needed should be removed.  The Farnsworth House and the Barcelona Pavilion he designed are good examples of what Mies is achieving through his architecture.

Barcelona Pavilion

                                                     

Farnsworth House

Robert Venturi believes design should make people feel good. He thinks that historical references and comfort are important for good design. Venturi thinks that design like Mies Van Der Rohe's is too machine like and cold. Venturi also believes that design does not have to be completely rationalized. He blends old with new and contrasting styles together in a way that is the most comfortable for the person/ people using the space. Robert Venturi aimed to make complex designs opposite of Mies's minimalistic designs. Venturi puts emphasis on making people respond to old ideas, history, and tradition. An example of the way Robert Venturi designs is the Vanna Venturi House he built for his mother.

Vanna Venturi House Exterior

Vanna Venturi House Interior

Color and Light Lecture by Barbara Klinkhammer

Light is a form of radiant energy and it is the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. White light contains all colors. If there is no light there is no color. In the color spectrum violet has the shortest ray and red has the longest. Sunlight contains all colors from the light spectrum. It is the perfect white light.

 Different light sources have different distributions of color.

Incandescent

Fluorescent

Low Pressure Sodium

Interior spaces are effected by both daylight and artificial light. Natural light is different throughout the day so the orientation of spaces can effect how light looks in the space. North daylight is good for color matching because it has less red, orange, and yellow. Afternoon light has more red, orange, and yellow giving a glowing appearance. 

No two surfaces are the same color because light hits them all differently. Floors get the most light then the wall facing the light source gets the next greatest amount of light. After those comes the wall perpendicular to the light source then the ceiling. The wall with its back to the light gets the least amount of light in a room.

Lighter surfaces are more reflective than darker surfaces and shiny surfaces are more reflective than dull surfaces. Both light illuminating and light reflected can be measured with a meter.

There are three ways to measure light:

1.) Color Temperature- Describes the color of a white light with kelvin. Light with a high color temperature has a bluish light and is greater than 5300 Kelvin. Light with a low color temperature has an orangish light and is less than 5300 kelvin.

2.) CRI-  is the Color Rendering Index. It uses a rating system of 1- 100 with the higher number being better which is more able to reproduce colors similar to the colors produced in natural lighting.

3.) SPD- is Spectral Power Distribution. SPD differentiates by measuring the power in a section of a wavelength of an illumination.  

General Interior Guidelines

 Interiors with warm surfaces look best with warm lighting.

Interiors with cool surfaces look best with cool lighting.

Areas with much sunlight look best with cool artificial lighting.

Don't mix warm and cool lighting.

Colors Can Evoke a Mood

Red-Stimulating, and raises heart rate

Blue- calming

Green- warm and cool, relaxing

Yellow- sunny, cheerful, happy

White- Neutral, brings out form

David Matthews Lecture Number 2

In the profession of interior design, it is important to be open to many options and have back up plans if your specific area is struggling. Fields not commonly thought of  that those with an interior design degree may work in:

Exhibit Design:

Trade Show Design: 

Mill Work:

Lighting Design:

Video Game Design:

Certain aspects of interior design are more used in different areas of the profession. In residential, the decoration is typically more important than with commercial. A residential space can also be more taste specific because there is a smaller audience. The relationship with the client in a residential setting is more personal than with a commercial project because the client is also the user of the space. Commercial spaces cost more to build because materials have to last longer and stand up to the wear of many more users. Although efficiency is important in both residential and commercial, most of the time it is more strict in a residential setting because the client is paying out of his or her own pocket rather than a larger company budget.


 

Ryann Aoukar Lecture

"It's not what we do but why we do it."

Ryann Aoukar spoke about the process of working with professionals in other fields and other important information relating to the entire design process. The Broker and Architect are the first professionals the Interior Designer will work with. In order to properly plan the designer must be aware of furniture standards. The designer must take into account the building class when starting their design. Furniture Builders and Model Builders can assist our designs. Then designers work with Contractors and Engineers to further the design process and get it physically started. Having  contact with many Product Designers and Artists can give a designer more options when choosing furniture and artwork. An Interior Designer may also work with a Graphic Designer if the design requires signage. The well combined effort of these professionals will result in a more successful space.

Yabaco chair by Ryann Aoukar

Architecture Field Trip

Sewanee: I was interested in the smooth, reflective glass with the rough wood and stone textures that were repeated often at Sewanee.

Hunter Museum: Most of the materials in the Hunter Museum were a similar finish but the warm wood color contrasts the cool grays.

David Matthews Lecture

Integrated Vs. Applied

Integrated: Combining or coordinating separate elements so as to provide a harmonious, interrelated whole.

                 EX: Windows, Walls, Doors

Applied: Of or pertaining to those arts or crafts that have a primarily utilitarian function, or to the designs and decorations used in these arts.

                 EX: Wallpaper, Paint, Textiles

                                          Integrated Example:

                                          Applied Example:

Sustainability

Sustainable Design is focusing on products and processes that protect the environment while conserving energy for future generations.

Part of an Interior Designer’s profession includes trying to design spaces that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also environmentally friendly. Lighting is one major source of energy that an Interior Designer is responsible for. Energy can be saved by using compact florescent lighting (CFL) which not only uses less energy but also lasts longer than traditional household light bulbs. A Designer can also save energy by utilizing natural lighting when designing a space. LED lighting technology is currently improving so it can be more widely used as interior lighting because it is even more efficient than CFL.

The lighting controls can be just as important as the actual lights when trying to be sustainable. Movement, sound, and infrared sensors can save energy by automatically turning off the lights when they are not in use. The daylight switching plan is a way of saving energy by turning on and off lights based on where natural sunlight is in the room. 

Interior Design 101

Interior Designer: a person who specializes in designing architectural interiors and their furnishings. - Merriam Webster Dictionary

In general, most interior design can fit under one of two categories, commercial and residential.

Acronyms associated with Interior Design:

ASID is the American Society of Interior Designers. It was created in 1975 in order to join student and professional Interior Designers to advance the profession and more successfully be able to change the lives of people in a positive manner.

Source: www.asid.org

NCIDQ is the National Council for Interior Design Qualification. It sets a minimum standard for Interior Designers. An Interior Designer must pass the NCIDQ examination  in order to be a card holder telling the public he or she is a competent professional.

Source: www.ncidq.org

IDEC is the Interior Design Educators Council. IDEC is a non- profit organization that advances the profession of interior design by improving resources for educators and students.

Source: www.idec.org

CIDA is the Council for Interior Design Accreditation. CIDA was created in 1970 in order to set a standard for the education of interior design.

Source: http://accredit-id.org

IIDA is the International Interior Design Association. IIDA was created in 1994 to join together the most talented Interior Designers around the world.

Source: www.iida.org

AIA is the American Institute of Architects. AIA began in 1857 to serve society by being the voice of professional Architects.

Source: www.aia.org

What’s the difference between interior design and interior decorating? According to NCIDQ, Interior Designers use their knowledge of human behavior to make interior spaces functional and safe. An interior decorator’s job is to make a space look attractive. An interior designer is also able to be an interior decorator but a decorator is not properly qualified to be a designer.