Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling a single room, you want the finished space to be attractive, comfortable and functional. It needs to fit the way you live, as well as reflect your personal style and taste.
Interior design addresses all these concerns and more. Images of beautifully appointed and arranged rooms are usually what first come to mind when one thinks of interior design. Color, fabric, furniture, art and ornamentation are indeed important elements in the overall design. How the environments we inhabit look and feel greatly affect our mood and sense of well-being.
But interior design also involves many practical and technical considerations that affect comfort, function and safety. Among these are lighting, acoustics, space planning, organization and storage, scale, accommodation of special needs, fire safety and compliance with local building codes.
Interior projects include new construction, renovation, historic restoration and model homes. Specialty areas within the home include the kitchen, bath, home theater, home office and home health care and fitness areas.
Professional interior designers can do so much more than recommend furniture, fabrics and colors. They have a creative eye and artistic flair, but that’s only the beginning. An interior designer has aesthetic, practical and technical expertise in all the elements that make up an interior environment. He or she understands how people use and respond to these elements, not just individually but as the elements interact with one another. Any number of services and suppliers can provide and install items for the home. Some offer advice on selecting colors, patterns and materials or on arranging the furniture and accessories in a room.
When you hire an interior designer, you get the benefit of an experienced professional who can solve problems, help you avoid costly mistakes and, most importantly, create an attractive, affordable space designed specifically to meet your lifestyle needs.
Commercial Designers
Whether your project involves new construction, leased property, remodeling, renovation or preservation, an interior designer can help you get the most out of your investment. Of course, an interior designer will make your interiors look great, but he or she can provide many other services as well. In addition, because client and end-user needs vary among industries, commercial designers tend to practice in certain specialty areas, bringing an in-depth knowledge of markets, applicable codes, products, technologies and trends from their research, education and experience. A designer can work with you to not only address your immediate business needs, but also support your longer-term objectives and goals.Specialty Areas
It is common for interior designers to focus their practice in certain specialty areas, as each has its own unique requirements and design challenges. Within the interior design industry, these specialty areas are generally known by the following names:Office (large or small) / corporate Hospitality (hotels, motels, resorts, spas, country clubs, restaurants) Health care (hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation facilities, hospice care) Medical (doctor and dentist offices and patient rooms, day care facilities) Education (K-12, college, university) Government/institutional (government offices, courthouses, train and bus depots, prisons) Retail Entertainment (night clubs, casinos, theme parks)
Many interior design firms undertake projects in multiple specialty areas, although not usually all. In addition, some practice in sub-specialty areas that have particular technical requirements, such asLibraries (public, academic, legal) Law offices Yachts / cruise ships Private planes
A number of interior designers also practice environmental specialties, such as sustainable design and accessible design that address special needs.
What Does a Commercial Designer Do
Design Services and the Design ProcessAn interior design professional contributes at every phase of your project to ensure that the final result exceeds your expectations and ensures the health, safety and welfare of all who may use or occupy the space. The designer can also assist in putting together the other members of the project team, such as the architect, general contractor, decorator and consultants for lighting, commercial kitchens, acoustics, art selection, etc.
The following is a list of services the designer can provide at each phase of the design process:Defining the Scope Planning and Design: feasibility studies, space planning, tenant development, budget analysis, design concepts, finish specifications, furniture specifications, art and accessory programs, Construction Co-ordination: project management, bid management, move management, post occupancy evaluationsProgramming involving the right people and gaining insight into: the calendar life of the project the strategic plan (as it relates to the facility, people, technology) the work flow the equipment and technology the budgetary and maintenance issuesSchematic combines the insight gained in programming with design expertise to begin a dialogue regarding design solutions. This is typically conveyed through: drawings: proposed space plans, detail drawings, elevations, 3D sketches, animated walk through budgets material samples product cut sheets product mock-ups
Design Development refines the concepts approved in the schematic phase. Finalizing specifications of architectural plan and details, lighting, materials, furnishings, equipment and budgets.
Construction Documentation often involves the most interface with other design team professionals and consultants to make sure all aspects of the project are properly documented.
Construction Administration insures the project is built-out based on the documented design and specifications arrived at from previous phases. Administration may include:Periodic inspection of work progress Review and approval of submittals Punch lists Authorization for payment As-built document production
ASID.org. "Commercial Designer". 17 July 2008. http://asid.org/designservices/whyhire/commercial/commercialdesign.htm
