About Interior Designing

 About Interior Designing

The power of a positive, aesthetically appealing space is undeniable—we prefer a bright, colourful and perfectly adorned room any given day over one that is dull, dark and lifeless. That’s why converting a regular room into a workspace that might become the sanctuary of all your creative processes is truly a task to undertake.

The art of transforming any space from scratch into your potential haven is the job of the interior designer. From choosing the right colour palette to making sure their designs are not just beautiful but functional, your designer will make sure you receive comfort along with class.

What is Interior Design?

Before we give you a miniature crash-course in everything about interior designing and its proverbial nooks and crannies, let’s understand what interior designing actually is in the first place. Interior designing essentially involves a broad spectrum of skills: from understanding textiles and their workability in a blueprint to making sure that a design adheres to the rules and laws of the locality, an interior designer is expected to know everything that is inside and outside any concrete structure.

These days however, institutes are looking to evolve with the times, with courses that combine complementary fields, such as architecture and design.

Designer Or Decorator—What’s the difference?

The basic difference between an interior designer and interior decorator is that of education. A decorator decides what accessories, artistic pieces, paints, and the like can be used to beautify a given space. A designer, on the other hand, after earning their degree in courses related to the field of interior design has to think about not just the visual aspect of the space but also the structural workings of the building. This involves figuring out where different electricity lines go, which pipeline is connected to which side (this is while designing washrooms and kitchens), etc. An interior designer is, however, usually the decorator of the space as well.

Simply put: a designer can decorate, but a decorator cannot design.

Combining Interior Design & Architecture

Since architecture and interior design are intrinsically related, it’s no surprise that courses that gel the two together are now made to exist. In fact, IIAD, with its courses in the same, explain how the technicalities of constructing a building go hand-in-hand with interior designing. Given the fact that both areas require extensive knowledge of the stream, along with working in conjunction with the other, a course in interior architecture and design makes for an ideal option.

History of Interior Design

Designing and decorating one’s home has been a tradition followed by numerous civilizations for aeons, but where did it really begin? The most commonly agreed upon answer is the Egyptian civilization, the residents of which were known to adorn their homes with beautiful metal artifacts, vibrant paintings, and even furniture with animal skins. Homes were designed according to their symmetry with the other houses in the village, with an intricate water system running through each home. Similar ideas were incorporated by the Romans, who equated a luxurious home to a person’s status in society.

Evolution of Spaces

The same concept evolved into a different fashion during the Medieval Era of Europe. The rise of Christianity saw widespread usage of white, red and purple colours, simplistic wooden panelling and floors made out of marble. Alternatively, the Dark Ages brought with them an overall sense of sobriety, so much so that even the rich and famous were toning down their decor.

Design During The Renaissance

Eventually though, in the 15th & 16th century, with the advent of the Renaissance period (a word that means ‘rebirth’ in French) came an influx of elegant and opulent designs, with intricate carvings on wooden panels and room separators that had scenes from the Bible and other holy texts painted onto them. Items of daily use as well, such as furniture and silverware, would be sourced from the best of materials.

Baroque Period

Stained glass mosaics, frescoes (paintings done on ceilings) and ornately twisted pillars were some of the most noted features that highlighted the Baroque era of design. This aesthetic extended from interior designs to buildings, clothes and art, to name a few. The origin of this style was in the art schools of 17th century Italy.

Modern Art & Design

Painters, sculptors and other artistic intelligentsia eventually began to experiment with pushing the boundaries of design altogether, giving birth to art movements such as Impressionism and Surrealism. Naturally, this vision permeated into the sphere of day-to-day life, finding expression in interior designs that pushed the conventional boundaries of a home.