INTERIOR DESIGN
Interior design is the art of making things easy and assessable while connecting beauty with functionality. Professionals plan and create a space that is convenient and safe that makes sense and considers all human beings. Interior design considers all but not limited to safety, function, comfortability, and style. Adaptive and sustainable design plans are very important to interior designers for the safety and satisfaction of a client.
When I was first looking into studying interior design I thought I was going to be a master decorator! Obviously there is so much more to the profession than what I was thinking. I never knew you could do so much and design things such as hospitals.
The Value of Interior Design
The value of interior design is a very quiet and often overlooked aspect of life. It is a very complex and important part of peoples every day lives. While some might not notice the flow of the walls and the stairs together, others might simply find the value of interior design to be how accurate and how functional the area around them is. Most people find the most value in warmth and comfort in an area. If someone feels comfortable and at home in a space they are most likely to stay there and enjoy it. Aesthetics greatly impact the value of interior design. The value interior design focus on public health, wellness, and safety when looking into codes and regulations. This is a part of interior design many people do not think about. Another value of interior design that people do not think about is having a love for people and having a connection with them. There are many needs that has to be met when dealing with people. Physical, phycological, and sociological needs are very important. When looking at local value of interior design, most organizations view hiring a new interior designer as an extra expense. Professional interior designers can save their clients time and money by being persistent and being efficient. This leads to a more successful business. On a national level of interior design, economy greatly impacts the company .Projects on a national level end up being more affordable because budget allegations typically last a few years. Developing nations in the global industry have a hard time competing with traditional industries when it comes to ideas and recourses. It is also hold differently through different countries. China views interior design as a highly valued profession whereas in Africa interior design holds very little value. Being educated on global, national, and local interior design is very important considering where you get service or provide services.
School Safety in Interior Design
Designing a safe and functional school environment is very important for everyone that accesses the school building. Keeping students, teachers, and staff safe when they come to school is the number one priority when designing a school. These days not only do you have to worry about the outside factors harming the school, but bullying is also a form of harm that is considered when discussing safety. Keeping spaces open and lit to where there is not as many opportunities for a student to harm another student is one tactic that is used for student safety in bullying. When you are in a large school it is very hard to have eyes on every door leading to the outside, less entry points designed into the school really helps this issue and will help you control the corral of who comes in and out of your school. Although you can control who comes in your school most of the time, it is a little harder to keep the privacy of your students secure with large, clear windows. A way that you can prevent this issue is black out windows so the students can see out of them but nobody can see into the classroom.
There are also safe zones that you can implement which is where if there are rooms with large windows or and open area, there is an area that is blocked and hidden wall or black out windows for the students to go to incase of emergency. These areas are normally marked with a different color so the students know specifically where to go. Portola High School in Irvine, California decided to go with large open windows in their main lobby to give staff a good view of the students and what is going on inside and out. A good way to keep your students and staff safe inside the school without building a fence is to build the exterior wall as a secure barrier as seen here at Sylvester Greenwood Academy in Richmond, California. Although there are many factors to include when considering the safety of students and staff in a school, there are so many ways safety in schools is implemented in every interior designer and is applied when designing.
What is Good and Bad Design?
Good design is more often than not influenced by its environment. It solves a problem, functions well, integrates design elements and principals, it uses appropriate materials, it is aesthetically pleasing, it has meaning, and it respects impact on the environment. All of these elements go into good design.
Bad design is exactly what it sounds like… Bad design. Uncomfortable seating and space, loud, poorly lit, not aesthetically pleasing and not functional among other things. Most bad design is due to a low budget and short time span to finish the project.
The image below is bad design in my opinion. Not only is it not ADA compliant but it is very hard to look at. It is poorly lit and if you are not paying attention to what you are looking at you will miss the building all together because of how hidden and block-like the walls are.
The image above is an example of good design. These two study pods are a quiet and chic area for anyone to study. Not only is this design practical for anyone who uses them, it is also aesthetically appealing for the eye and keeps out of the way considering safety. These are great additions to any library or college campus because of how great the design is. This solve the problem if loud environments such as college halls. This sound proof pod is perfect for anyone needing a quiet study place.
PROS
-the master bath and master bedroom correspond very well and are very spacious
-the garage opens to the side
-the fireplace is in the center of the living room
-there is a separation hall separating the kids room from the main living room
-the private areas are away and private of the public area
-the kitchen is easily accessible to the living room
-the bed rooms are an appropriate size for each person
-the second bath is easily assesable for the children
CONS
-the foyer opens right into the kitchen
-there is no laundry sink
-there is no powder room near the opening
-there is no foyer
-guests do not have easy access to a bath room
-you have to walk through the work triangle in the kitchen
Material Culture
-Physical objects defining culture
The object I chose was object number one. At first glance, I see a very shiny, small silver trinket that reminds me of a lighter. This little material is very hard to find and very small. I figured this was part of the Civil War or used for some type of gun powder. With my research, I found that this is Silver Vista match cases to keep matches dry. During the 19th century, these were used every day because of all of the lighting candles that they did. These cases came into the world in the Victorian era, around the 1830’s. These cases were often very fashionable and carried as assesories. Each Vesta has its own unique design, they are even quite know for the wide variety of designs shown on the surface of the case.
Interior Design Interview
The interior designer that I interviewed was Racheal Myrick. She attended USM and got her degree. She started out in interior design in restaurant design working for Newks. She later went out on her own and opened her own practice doing residential design. She said that she became interested in interior design when she took a trip to Italy and fell in love with all of the architecture and decided to go into something in that field. She did her internship in Houston, Texas. She is located in the Madison/ Brandon area doing high-end residential design.
Influential Designer
Syrie Maugham is the designer that I chose. Born in 1879, Maugham revolutionized the new age of interior design. She drew towards all white interiors which I am drawn to and that is why I relate to her. She formally launched her interiors business in London at the age of 42 and called it “Syrie”. She then went on to have shops in Chicago and New York. Although she is known for her white interiors, the only true all white room she ever did was her own drawing room.
