What Is Interior Design (And How Can It Truly Improve Your Mood)?

If you dislike a particular musical style, find theater boring, or are otherwise uninterested in works of art, you may nearly always ignore them. However, architecture is distinct. A poorly thought-out project will hurt many people’s lives regularly and for an extended period. This impact is enhanced much more in interiors.

The aesthetic of the Classic Interior Design style embodies many of the most significant elements of modern interior design, mixing simplicity with historical features to produce clean and beautiful environments that are timeless in our memories. Having historical things such as decorative moldings above entrances and corners is a simple method to merge the original classic design with contemporary flair.

The human race is spending an increasing amount of time inside, which directly affects our well-being and health. During times of forced retirement, like the present Covid-19 epidemic, we acquire an appreciation for the critical role interior spaces play in our well-being and even illness prevention. A professional’s duty when designing an interior setting is enormous. An interior designer must plan, study, organize, and manage these projects to create a healthful and visually appealing atmosphere for the individuals who utilize the area. However, what is interior design?

The interior design company is often mistaken for decorating – a misperception that carries many biases and misconceptions. Indeed, selecting coverings, colors, and finishes is a critical element of interior design. However, this is not its only distinguishing feature.

It is critical to understand human behaviors and aspirations to design practical and visually appealing environments. The arrangement of movement is a beginning point, which may be accomplished by manipulating the layout in simple ways. This spatial separation may be achieved via the use of walls but also through the use of furniture and even items. Simultaneously, interior design must consider comfort (thermal, lighting, and acoustic) and ergonomics, determining the optimal proportions for furniture and items. Finally, although selecting coatings and materials are the most apparent and surface aspect of interior design, it is not insignificant. This last touch creates the project’s face, conveying both the designer’s vision and the consumer’s wants and requirements.

Below, we examine in more detail the primary problems that interior design must address:

Layout

A project’s layout is, in a nutshell, the arrangement of equipment, furniture, and items, whether permanent or movable, inside the area being created. A well-designed distribution may help manage the flow of space, establish permanent locations, and establish spatial hierarchies. Interior layouts are critical for the efficient running of a project, even more so in open architectural designs, where the designer has greater flexibility. Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe were the first to question traditionally hierarchical designs by minimizing circulation spaces and dividing space using structural components, furniture, and moveable panels rather than walls.

To create a functional plan, the interior designer must take accessibility requirements, fire escape routes, and room minimum measurements into account. There is a wealth of literature outlining the dimensions that are suitable for each kind of space usage. Ernst Neufert’s 1936 book “Architects’ Data” collected best practices for the dimensions of various facilities, ranging from industrial kitchens to train carriages. However, as cities get more congested and real estate becomes more costly, micro-apartments and tiny homes are starting to violate these minimal requirements, demonstrating that laws may be deliberately ignored. The most critical aspect to comprehend is the space’s and user’s requirements to offer practical and suitable layouts for each unique situation.

Furniture

Whether permanent or movable, furniture directly impacts the quality of any interior design project. It is the designer’s responsibility to guarantee that the choices made in the project would benefit the space’s regular operation without jeopardizing fundamental issues such as circulation.

Mainly (but not only) when it comes to tiny rooms – which are becoming more compact – attention to the selection of each piece of furniture is critical. As a result, it is often more beneficial to create unique products that maximize the usage of each square centimeter. Flexible furniture that stacks (like stackable benches do), collapses (as collapsible tables do), and can be used for many purposes (as a closet or an interior divider, for example) is regarded as the future of the furniture business.

Following this trend, several companies are now producing products for these types of small residences (micro-apartments or tiny houses), which consider the smaller dimensions of these internal spaces and challenge established standards to create smaller pieces more compatible with the contemporary user and space. This furniture includes more compact couches and dining sets in which seats fit precisely under tables, allowing each item to take up less room in its immediate vicinity.

While plants are not considered furniture, they are an essential element of interior design to consider since they help bring health and quality of life inside. They cleanse the air and absorb harmful substances in homes and commercial environments. A medium-sized plant is typically recommended for every 10m2 of area.

Convenience & Ergonomics

We’ve spoken a lot about comfort in interior settings for several years. Indoor environmental quality is critical in an increasingly crowded and populated world, and an uninviting, dangerous, or unhealthy interior space may be very detrimental to people’s physical and mental health, given how much time we spend there.

The term “comfort” refers to a variety of factors, including the aesthetics of the space, the aroma of the environment, the breeze that enters through the window, and the temperature felt upon entry, as well as its accessibility and the use of technologies or passive strategies to facilitate and improve the inhabitant’s quality of life. When a place is occupied, how is it visually perceived? Its color, brightness, depth, and height all contribute to whether it is comfortable, safe, exciting, calm, adaptable, or the polar opposite. Is it acoustically sound? Appropriate acoustic therapy enables you to converse with people without raising your voice or to listen to a speech without straining your hearing. Is it too hot or freezing? Temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius are considered comfortable, whereas extreme cold or heat not only annoys but also promotes the incubation of many illnesses. Is the ventilation system designed to make the interior air as clean and healthful as possible? Toxic substances such as foul smells, mites, fungi, and other material components endanger human health.

While ergonomics may seem unrelated to architecture, it is the science that enables us to create places and technologies well-suited to the physiological, anatomical, and even psychological features of the residents and users of each area. It is the connection between the artificial environment, the human body, and the mind’s actions and behaviors. Thus, the success of an excellent interior design is inextricably linked to thorough ergonomic analysis, which must begin with an examination of the measurements and proportions of the human body in all its diversity. Some anthropometric studies classify the population according to these characteristics, enabling us to provide adaptable and practical solutions to the broadest possible audience.

Components & Coatings

Similarly, not all finishing materials are created equal. Although aesthetics, function, and cost are often the deciding considerations, examining each material’s composition and its impact on the environment throughout its useful life is essential. Today, the supply of finishing materials is extensive and varied, enabling us to consider their origin, durability, recyclability, and sanitary or environmental characteristics, all linked to the future comfort of the created space. Thus, the selection of a coating or finish is complex and must take into account the following factors:

• The space’s function. The materials must consider the space’s purpose and the variety of prospective users. When selecting, examining the area’s traffic and usage, cleaning conditions, wear, and environmental exposure is prudent. Other elements, like textures and color, may aid in comprehending space and the dispersion of light, thus influencing the residents’ moods.
• The material’s composition. The material’s composition dictates its resistance, flexibility, malleability, and variety of uses. Chemically speaking, it is prudent to examine the composition of paints, plastic coatings, binders, and other additives that may have long-term detrimental (or positive) impacts on indoor air quality.
• Systems of installation. The finishing process includes fasteners or adhesives, which should also be finished to save money and prevent mistakes throughout the building process (especially if it is new construction).
• The epidermal layer. The final finishing layer has a significant effect on the space’s comfort. Non-slip, non-stick, and waterproof coatings may be applied to surfaces. Elements such as joint covers, edges, moldings, and handles have been created to ease cleaning, prevent accidents, and assist mobility, among many other possibilities as varied as the potential uses of space.