The future of Interior Design

With the help of growing technology, I think that the demand for Interior Designers will increase. More and more design firms are starting to not only use conceptual sketches to show how a space will look, but a lot of firms are using advanced computer modeling programs that show a realistic view of how the space will really look when its completed. I think that the realistic models are ideal for businesses and clients because it'll help clients , mostly,  really be able to feel the space that will be designed, that way if they are not happy with something it can be changed in the early stages of the design process.

I hope in the future that Interior Design will grow in demand so that people can see that there really is a differnece between Interior Designers and Interior decoraters. It is important that people start learning the difference between the two, and I think that once the industry starts to pick back up, then people will realize the importance.

HGTV misconceptions

"I watch HGTV, I know what I'm doing"

A lot of people think that the HGTV shows portray real experiences of how it works to renovate or remodel, when in actaulity it is incorrect. The shows on HGTV have given people an unrealstic idea of what it is like to go through a major renovation. The tv network shows that the work gets done faster than it actually does in real life (for example- the show will say that it only took 7 to complete the project, but really it took a lot more time that that). The designs may look good on the camera but they may not be so impressive in real life.

A lot of the renovations that HGTV claims as "cheap" projects are not so cheap. People need to realize tat you need to include factors such as the cost the of designer, the cost of the materials/fabrics/accessories, and the work crews' time. These factors can tend to rack up in price rather qucikly.

Universal Design

    I love to travel and have noticed some things from the places that I have been that just don't seem accessible to everyone. For instance, when I traveled China this year, I noticed that in some of the restrooms, in the hotel room and in the public restrooms, they were not accessible to someone in a wheel chair. That raised the question to me, do places outside the U.S. have the same universal design needs as the U.S. does?

   What is Universal Design? Universal design refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to both people without disabilities and people with disabilites.

  According to Sheila King, coordinator of Australia For All Alliance Inc., at the end of 2008, accessible tourism was the fastest growing segment in the tourism industry. Even so, the demand for more accessible accommodations and tourism venues still far outweighs the current options. With disability on the increase, other countries are having to increase accomodations of universal design and accesibility.

What do you think?

 " Design is not just what it looks like, Design is how it works" - Steve Jobs.

There has been a lot of controversy over the deregulation of Interior Design. Interior Designers are licensed and required to take continuing education credits to keep up with the changing of times and technology and the growing economy. Designers are meant to protect the health safety and welfare of the public. Without the proper schooling and education many lives could be lost. So how can Interior Designers be differentiated from decorators?

I think one way to tell Interior Designers apart from decorators are credentials. Seeing as how Interior Designers go through a lot more schooling and are required to know codes, acts, and regulations they will be the ones wo will be the most knowledgable.

So what are some good ways of letting the general population know about Interior Designers and what we truely do? I think doing general marketing and spending time out on the streets asking and talking to people will help. Also, writing on blogs and forums I feel could help better educate everyone.

What is Interior Design?

What is Interior Design to me?

Interior design is more than just decorating and making a house look “pretty” and organized as everyone may think we do. Designers not only decorate, but also do a lot more such as lighting, space planning, and selecting finishes for a space. Interior Designers make interior spaces functional, safe and beautiful for almost any type of building; commercial and/or residential.  Designers are responsible for turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities that will take place in the space.

It is a career that protects lives. Interior Designers protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. Interior Designers save lives because of all the acts, regulations and codes that we are required to know. Without designers spaces would not be able to be safe for the general public.