Interior Design Questions
Interior Design Tips and Techniques
Le Corbusier, who wrote "Towards a New Architecture", summed up interior design and planning quite accurately. He wrote "The plan is the generator...... Without plan there can be neither grandeur of aim and expression, nor rhythm, nor mass, nor coherence....A plan calls for the most active imagination. It calls for the most severe discipline also. The plan is what determines everything; it is the decisive moment." These thoughts, in essence, tell the whole story. Planning is everything.
Interior designing calls for this discipline. Designers are charged with the responsibility of utilizing 'space' to its fullest. However, at the same time they must attempt to make things as visually pleasing as possible. It is a huge challenge. The best designers go about this process in an orderly fashion. Remember, Le Corbusier said that is "...the most severe discipline also." Often during the process, an intelligent interior designer asks many, if not all, of the following questions:
1. What exactly will you be doing in the room or group of rooms that are being considered? If more than one activity is going to take place, what is the primary activity? List other priorities in order of importance.
2. How does this room or group of rooms interact with other rooms in the structure? Basically, is this room or group of rooms at the center of the structure or off to one side? The location of the room or group of rooms can have a profound impact on its final design.
3. How do you envision the traffic pattern in this room or group of rooms? This is extremely important. Don't forget, just as you often have hallways connecting rooms, you also have 'interior hallways' within rooms connecting parts of the room. You never want to block one of those 'hallways' inside a room. The traffic pattern in the entire structure should also be studied. For example, will normal household traffic enter and exit in this new 'space'? Or, will traffic travel through this room or group of rooms into another part of the house? All of these aspects must be considered.
4. How will this room or group of rooms be lighted? Will it be primarily natural light during daytime hours? How will nighttime lighting be balanced with daytime needs?
5. How will mechanical needs of this room, group of rooms, or other rooms affect this area? Remember, mechanical systems (heating/air conditioning ducts & pipes and plumbing pipes) often require specialized placement. They are not easy to relocate. It is often impractical to relocate these systems due to extreme financial costs.
6. Have you taken into consideration the sound qualities of the room? If sound will be generated in the room, how will it affect other rooms in the house? If the room will have a sound system within it, have the speakers been installed in the proper locations? Have the acoustic properties of other materials within the room been studied for compatibility?
7. Are you taking advantage of natural outdoor vistas in your interior scheme? If the room or group of rooms has a mountain or ocean view, or a view of a simple well-landscaped patio, take advantage of it. Orient the space to the view, or bring the view into the space.
8. Do you want the room or group of rooms to convey a feeling? Do you want people to feel a certain way when in the room? If so, plan accordingly. For example, if you want a wide open feeling, consider light colors, high ceilings, etc.
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