Interior designs
Interior designing is the art of developing a functional safe and aesthetically pleasing space for buildings users. These spaces include walls, finishes, textures, light, windows, doors, furniture or even furnishings. Designing is carried out by interior designs whose specializations range from traditional decoration (aesthetics and cosmetics), architecture, product design and environmental psychology. However interior designing should not be confused with interior decoration as the two are have very distinct differences. Interior designing as states above deals with the architectural integrity of the interior space while interior decoration only caters for the clinic and placement of interior items within a space such as accessories, furniture and layout of the room.
Interior designing can be carried out in any building be it a factory, kitchen, garage, airport terminal or any other interior of a building. As such, it is not amazing on how this profession has grown tremendously over the years with various disciplines sprouting up e.g. specialization in designing of rooms in hospital, and school. In some countries this profession is regulated by the government and therefore designers must meet specific qualifications of competency in specialty and also in the entire scope of the profession. It can be deduced that the rate of growth of specialty in this old profession is limited only by imagination as it is constantly growing now that people have discovered the importance of creating interior spaces that helps to bring positive changes in old peoples living environment.
It can be deduced that interior design is both a less important profession and also a life changing profession. This is so because interior designing has been there since time immemorial with tangible evidence of this from paintings, decorations and various shapes of caves that were used as houses by Stone Age generation of people. But surprisingly enough interior design is yet to hit strongly in the professional business world, and hence the generalization that interior design is a small and a dull profession. Equally it can also be generalized that interior design is indeed a big and rapid growing profession. This is so because the contemporary community has realized the therapeutic importance of interior design especially in improving the living environments of the elderly people among many other reasons for its growth. Also the rapid growth and development of science and technology has enabled extensive research and also cut costs of travel and communication with potential clients. (Industrial Design industry Report, IBIS World, July 17 2008).
The question of how small is small and how big is big can draw various convincing answers depending on the exact context of a particular interior designer/ respondent. But going by the above mentioned facts, interior design is a profession destined to stay and grow positively. It is interesting to note some countries like US putting much emphasis on the protection and support of the industry with legislations that lays down procedures for one to qualify to be an interior designer. The federal government has also realized the economic importance of this industry in the stabilization of the economy (“Earnings”, Occupational outlook Handbook: 2008- 2009 Edition U.S department of labour)
Many big institutions have incorporated interior design related courses whereby industrial training on interior design is done up to bachelors degree. The centre for the study of the domestic interior design (CSDI) is one such multidisplinary funded project by Arts and Humanities Research council and located at the Royal College of Arts is one such institutional program that arm at unearthing histories of domestic interiors and social spaces by integrating traditional architecture and decent architecture. The work of CSDI is to carry out projects that aim at evolving new types of spatial typologies and placing them in a cyclonical historical context. This is facilitated by dwelling on histories of domestic contexts and comparing it with contemporary research in design related disciplines.
Interior design being a form of art has got various principles and elements that guides designers in the choice of designs for different places depending on the customers likes. In other words design (art) elements and principles are the basic visual tools in the toolbox of design categories in all the visual design disciplines. Elements are tools or raw materials while principles are the tangible structures of any design composition. Elements of design are similar to those of other genres of art and they include; line, texture, shape, tone and color. Principles are not definable in terms of their numbers as designers may not be tied to use any particular mode of design. However they may include some or all the following; balance, contrast, dominance, proportion and scale, balance, harmony and unity, rhythm, emphasis, and repetition. Most interior design compositions are a product of combining elements and principles- using the tools (elements) in an artistic manner to bring out a beautiful piece of work. Balance as one of the interior design principles gives a sense of equilibrium in the way objects are placed in a room. This is adhered to through equal distribution of elements in the room. Emphasis on the other hand is the center of interest of any design work; it can be created by an effect use of the five elements of art. Rhythm can be said to be a discipline that controls the eye movement around a room from one point to another, it is created through careful repetition of progression of the elements of art. Proportion and scale refers to how the elements of art relate to the object the make in whole. Harmony and unity ensures that all the elements and other principles of design are in agreement. NB: The sole goal of decorating and designing is to arrive at a space (room) with unity and harmony and rhythmical movement (.http://ezinearticles.com/?Principles-of-Interior-Design&id=92819)
With the knowledge of all the above stuff on interior design the question of how small is small and how big is big in relation to ethics of spatial commodity versus spatial necessity can now be approached in a brighter and sober way. Domestic interiors comprise of the large percentage of potential spaces for designing and decoration. This so because home (house) is the humble hub of every creature (animals included) that offers psychological relaxation and comfort to the inhabitants. It follows that after a boring, stressing or even dull day in a work station, one is bound to yearn for a potentially comfortable and stimulating home environment. Hence the need to design and decorate domestic places for the above named obvious reasons. Therefore the argument that domestic interiors offer a greater potential space for interior design as compared to other spaces e.g. factories, churches, hospitals is solidly supported.
When learning or even reading for enjoyment on issues on interior design it is always wise to begin with domestic interiors as they will offer a rich knowledge base about interior design in general. In interior design, spatial commodity and spatial necessity plays an ultimate role in the employment of interior designing services to domestic interiors. The two factors i.e. spatial commodity and spatial necessity are basically related – a commodity is a product, raw material or anything with great value e.g. sugar and fuel, whereas necessity is anything that is of great importance, useful or anything that one cannot manage or do without e.g. food, shelter, clothing or even education. Therefore these two aspects of interior design play a major role into making a choice as to design and decorate your house (room) or not.
As briefly hinted above domestic interiors are the most designed and decorated as compared with other interiors. There are many other factors that determine the designing and decorating of domestic interiors but this paper will only stick to the instructional part. In due respect to the practical impact interior design has on human beings and even animals (birds design and decorate the interiors of their nests beautifully, ants also design and decorate the interiors of their anthills), interior design can be said to be part of a human’s/ animals cherished life. As such therefore, domestic interiors designing and decoration is a commodity (valuable product) and at the same time a necessity (a thing we can’t manage without). Hence domestic interiors are spatially strategic in as much as the question of how small is small and how big is big.
In a normal human beings life, the quest for satisfaction of the basic and necessary needs is always paramount. Nature on the other hand is sometimes unfair as one of its laws – survival for the fittest demands that one should struggle all the time and to beat the forces of nature or else the forces render one obsolete. This short analogy on the importance of domestic interior designing serves to expound on the utility of interior design of domestic interiors.
Domestic interior designing as a spatial commodity as well as a spatial necessity is bound to be governed by various ethics (principles). Due to it’s increasingly “can’t do without” nature it has taken a broader dimension in the number of “products” in offer in the market. Long gone are the times when domestic interior decoration was the preserve of the rich and the devil worshipers (they usually “decorate” their interiors with a wide range of satanic paraphernalia’s) Nowadays every person is yearning for a superbly decorated living room, kitchen, garage and more importantly a superbly decorated/ designed bedroom. Ethically the satisfaction of human needs begins from satisfying the basic ones to secondary ones up to luxuries or tertiary needs. This kind of order is entirely dictated chiefly by financial position of a person with other factors playing marginal roles. Equally the designing and decorating of domestic interiors is subject to similar factors.
Again domestic interiors when well designed and decorated can be a strategically spatial commodity in the stabilization of the economy in terms of the job creation and revenue creation. It was briefly hinted earlier that interior design is becoming one of the economic mainstays of the developed countries e.g. US where people are turning to designing and reshaping of their domestic interiors. This boils down to job creation for designers and marketers and revenue creation in terms of salaries or wages and taxes or even foreign exchange for the country.
The spatial necessity of domestic interiors design is seen in the sense that people only purchase those things that are of value and important to them. Hence when an individual decides to include interior design in the list of the domestic necessities then it can be said that domestic interior designing is growing bigger and bigger. The ethics of spatial necessities states that there is no limit as to the number of necessities of life of a human being but what matters is the economic position of an individual. As such therefore, the answer to the paper question is answered with the answer being that, interior designing (domestic) can be big and can be small. The diverse acceptance of this important art by folks based on its necessity to their lives is what brings us near to the answer-it is small when not seen as a necessity it is big when seen as a necessity.
Necessities are always limited due to their wide demand by the consumers, domestic interiors decoration upsurge has been brought about by the increasing number of square feet of newly built and old buildings that needs to be given internal face-lift. This affects the scope of work in that, the more customers the more the scope of work. When a necessity becomes highly demanded, it tends to appreciate in value, a thing that has seen domestic interior designing becoming a real valuable, costly and a “can’t do without” spatial necessary commodity!
References:
Principles of interior design, available at;
http://ezinearticles.com/?Principles-of-Interior-Design&id=92819 , accessed on September 22 2008.
