Interior designers are responsible for creating both indoor and outdoor spaces, focusing on the aesthetics and functionality of a home or building. They work alongside customers to meet their everyday needs, adhering to health and safety rules, and meeting accessibility standards. They often consider views and connections to the outdoors when creating interior spaces, as they help to create continuity and provide context.
Interior designers do not typically do exterior design work, but some exceptions include glass artists or those who specialize in outdoor spaces. Bringing the outside in is essential in interior design, as it roots your home in the surrounding landscape. Connecting indoor and outdoor spaces creates continuity and provides context.
However, commercialization has hindered this quality, with more emphasis on luxury, aesthetics, mechanical, and industrial built form rather than user benefits, surrounding environment, and overall design. Interior designers can help clients with both indoor and outdoor environments, combining features of a space’s interior into an outdoor setting to create a unified look and feel.
Interior design deals with how a building or structure looks and feels within, while landscaping focuses on boosting the exterior beauty of the same. Designers are mostly located in urban areas, where jobs are more plentiful, and may work from home, an office, or a studio.
In conclusion, interior designers can be used for both indoor and outdoor spaces, depending on their interests, skills, and goals. They can work on both indoor and outdoor projects, ensuring a unique and cohesive design experience for clients.
📹 What Does an Interior Designer Actually Do? | ARTiculations
… IBC, accessibility, ADA, finishes, what do interior designers do, office design, retail design, hospitality design, residential design, …
Is it fun to be an interior designer?
Interior design is a rewarding profession that allows designers to express their creativity and improve style by incorporating clients’ ideas and learning from them. Interior designers often influence a space’s mood and functionality, creating beautiful and functional environments using colors, textures, and layouts. The job can change a client’s lifestyle and improve their life, increasing the value of their home.
High-end projects and a robust portfolio can lead to lucrative contracts and commissions, making it a highly rewarding career. The financial rewards in interior design can be substantial, especially for those who establish a strong reputation and client base.
Do you have to travel a lot as an interior designer?
Interior designers work in offices and on-site, often traveling to meet clients and source unique furnishings. They require both soft and hard skills, including a strong artistic eye, communication, and interpersonal skills. Clients seek professionals with solid communication and collaboration with architects, designers, and engineers. Hard skills like design software programs and computer-aided design help earn their license.
Project management and business knowledge are also essential, as many interior designers launch their own firms, requiring training in negotiation, finance, and business. Overall, interior designers bring a unique blend of artistic and technical skills to their roles.
Can interior design be outside?
An interior designer can bring their skills to outdoor spaces, creating a unified look and feel that matches the rest of the house. They can design a patio that maintains a great flow, making it ideal for socializing regularly. However, their eye for creation will differ when working outside, especially in terms of furniture. They must consider elements such as weather, selecting durable items for high winds and weather-resistant ones for rain. Lighting is another important aspect a designer can help with, as outdoor spaces are constantly dependent on the weather, with some parts only being in sunshine at certain hours of the day.
A designer must consider how to light a space to ensure it can be used all day/night and in all weather conditions. Overall, an interior designer can bring a unique and functional touch to any outdoor space.
Is interior design stressful?
Interior Designers face stress due to balancing creative design with project management, client expectations, and tight deadlines. To manage stress, clear communication, effective time management, realistic goals, staying updated on design trends, and maintaining a unique style are essential. Regular self-care and professional development are crucial for long-term success and job satisfaction. The proportion of Interior Designers working from home has increased due to post-pandemic shifts, with many adopting remote or hybrid work models for planning and creative processes. Although the exact percentage varies, a significant segment of the profession now enjoys the flexibility of working from home.
Can I be an interior designer if I can’t draw?
Students starting an Interior Design Diploma or short-course often ask if they need to be able to draw, but it is essential to have some level of ability and confidence in their sketches. Sketches are the first starting point for planning room layouts and finer details of the scheme. Learning perspective and scale is crucial for the success of a sketch, and computer software can help, but hand-sketching is the best way to grow confidence. Naqiyah, a hand-rendering pro, shares a guest blog to help grow confidence in sketching in interior design.
The process starts with a dot and then a line, often overlapped with multiple lines to create forms or spaces. Lines are honest and represent what the student imagines. Before sketching, it is crucial to be sure of the objective of the idea.
Is interior design a stable job?
The demand for interior designers in residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors is increasing in response to the growing demand for personalized and functional spaces.
Is interior design a good side job?
The pursuit of an interior design side hustle can prove to be a fulfilling career path, albeit one that necessitates a considerable degree of dedication and compromise. To gain insight into the process of establishing an interior design enterprise, we recommend consulting our comprehensive manual. For your convenience, we have provided a link to this resource. The endeavor towards success is undoubtedly worthwhile.
Do interior designers work outdoors?
Interior designers assist clients in creating both indoor and outdoor environments of homes or buildings. They can integrate interior features into outdoor settings, such as patios, or integrate outdoor elements like gardens with indoor spaces. Collaboration with or lead by a landscape designer may be beneficial for exterior projects. With their training and experience, interior designers can provide valuable input in beautifying exterior spaces.
What are the disadvantages of being an interior designer?
Interior design can be a challenging and rewarding profession, but it also comes with its own set of disadvantages. It can be stressful, challenging to meet client requirements, and may not be suitable for all clients. Additionally, the initial income may be low, the work may take time, and the hours may be long. Despite these challenges, interior design can be a lucrative and secure career, with clients trusting qualified designers for their skills and expertise. The profession requires continuous learning and staying updated with new trends and designs, making it essential to continuously learn and improve oneself.
How stressful is an interior design job?
Interior design is a highly project-based field, with high intensity work cycles that can disrupt personal life and lead to burnout. Designers often have a strong attention to detail, leading to extended work hours and perfectionism. This can encroach on personal time and hinder the ability to disconnect from work. On-site work, including travel time and hands-on problem-solving, is integral to interior design and can extend beyond typical business hours.
This can result in fatigue and make it difficult to find time for personal rejuvenation. Therefore, designers must balance their work with personal life to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Is interior design a low stress job?
Interior Designers face stress due to balancing creative design with project management, client expectations, and tight deadlines. To manage stress, clear communication, effective time management, realistic goals, staying updated on design trends, and maintaining a unique style are essential. Regular self-care and professional development are crucial for long-term success and job satisfaction. The proportion of Interior Designers working from home has increased due to post-pandemic shifts, with many adopting remote or hybrid work models for planning and creative processes. Although the exact percentage varies, a significant segment of the profession now enjoys the flexibility of working from home.
📹 10 Home Design Mistakes to Avoid
Designing custom homes you see many mistakes that a homeowner might make, especially when they are not working with an …
Hey there – thanks for perusal – if you have come to the comments to make mention of the music, I’ll save you the trouble and yes, I know the music on this article is too loud and monotonous, several people have already informed me. I hope that didn’t take away (too much) from the messages Im trying to share with you. As I learn, I hope to get better at editing. Thanks – Chris
I live in an old home and don’t have a powder room. But the bathroom is nicely tucked away off the hall (builders took these things into consideration back in the day). What I like to do when I have company is have music softly playing in the bathroom. This gives guests the impression that whatever they’re doing in there can’t be heard outside the bathroom and actually makes the bathroom more soundproof. Guests feel comfortable and relaxed.
Currently looking into floorplans (might be buying/building in the next couple of years), and so many of them have 2 of my pet peeves. A stove in an island or in a coutertop facing a living area. There’s nothing to keep splatters (grease, etc) from going into the living area. And a laundry room in the middle of the house with no easy venting to the outside for the dryer.
Great article. We were literally designing a floor plan last night for a new build and we spent hours trying to make the bathroom location work so it is tucked away. Also, appreciate you talking about the light. My husband has an app that shows the sun’s path so when we are looking at lots we can see the exposure to various rooms. I agreed 100 percent about the messy roof lines. It seems as we drive around and look at new construction the roof lines have gone crazy. We like some peaks, but generally the classic roof lines look best. We will need to hire an architect but for now we are using floor plan software to get our ideas/desires in place. PS. I didn’t even notice the music. I was focused on the content.
Great article Chris, aka my hallway-loving, door-hiding brother! Thought some timestamps might help people out: 0:45 – Bathroom/Powder Room locations 2:36 – Proper Depth and Width of Home 3:56 – Views 5:55 – Roof Forms 6:53 – Sun and Daylighting 9:02 – Storage 9:55 – Acoustics 12:20 – Furnishings & Access 14:38 – Kitchen Pantry 16:05 – Correctly Prioritizing Finish Materials
Yes, function over form! Every time! This is what always drove me crazy on all those HGTV shows. It was all about the cosmetic aspects of a house and not the actual function of the house. So load baring walls were knocked down, storage eliminated, and banks of windows added! Yes, I’m looking at you Chip and Joanne! I’ve lived in Texas. I know what a bank of windows will be like in the heat of an August day. It will render that room unusable. So it’s so important to be practical and not just think of that instagram photo. How you will actually be able to live in a house ( and not just whether your family/friends are impressed) is so important.
Totally agree with last point! Trying to do deep/moderate energy retrofit on an older home is SO hard where I am! To find a contractor to do the unseen, but extremely important things necessary in climate zone 6 usda zone 4 is almost impossible-they give lip service, but then want to do outdated, 30 year old techniques so the can hire untrained labor and can hide sloppy work . When the homeowner is more aware of the building science, there is something seriously wrong! Not having outrageous heating and cooling bills, having a draft free, well balanced HVAC, a house that doesn’t leak or stink, one that breaths and drains well-PRICELESS! Everyone here wants to sell some lick & stick curb appeal look for resale instead of helping us obtain carbon neutrality and age in place! So sick of it! I wish it were easy to hire New England or Canadian building companies to do work in the Midwest! They need the competition!
Excellent suggestions and I appreciate the fact that you talked about building science toward the end (prioritizing air sealing, using a rain screen behind the siding, etc). Those are vitally important points in the build that most people would skip or skimp on to afford the more expensive fixtures and eye-catching items that could be upgraded at a later time.
My 3 big mistake list. 1) Never turn a bathroom into a hallway that leads to a clothes closet. 2) Never have one bathroom service in two bedrooms unless the bathroom door is in the hall. You do not want to connect two bedrooms via a bathroom. 3) Never make a kitchen part of the living room or family room. If you do, you will smell all the kitchen smells and listen to the refrigerator and dishwasher motors. Your big entertainment room with a television and stereo should be acoustically isolated from other rooms. Do not make the living room/ family room into a hall that must be walked through to get from one side of the house to the other.
A bathroom off the mud room isn’t a bad idea. I generally don’t like for bathrooms to be off the foyer, though. The foyer is your statement entry into the house and should be appealing and bathrooms just aren’t. So if you’re going to have only a single half bath on the ground floor, I’d consider either placing it in a hallway away from the view of the living spaces, or I’d put it off the mud room. Personally, I’m fine with houses that are excessively deep or wide, so long as the rest of the layout is sufficient to compensate for the lack of natural lighting. I can always design in a suitable amount of artificial lighting into a design, but sometimes you can’t get the layouts you want in narrower house designs with better light penetration. I do like the idea of an entry view that allows you to see all the way through to the yard behind the house. Makes it feel both intimate by making the space seem smaller, but also expansive because you’re seeing out into the yard and nature. The house designs I’m seeing little segments of do look rather charming. I disagree a bit on the roof forms. I actively prefer houses that have some character to their roof designs. A house with a single ridge roof just looks weird and dull to me. Should you add complexity to the roof just for the sake of it? Absolutely not. If it doesn’t serve a purpose then don’t include it. Dormers should be functional. If you’ve added additional hip and valley structures then it should be because they were necessitated by an extension from the main body of the house, etc.
I’ve lived in many homes/apartments over my lifetime and learned the importance of storage. Master really should have walk-in closet. Secondary bedrooms need closets that don’t have “dead ends”. In other words the entire length of the closet needs to be accessible. There needs to be a large pantry as well as a large linen closet that can hold all the necessary bedding. That would be all the sheets, extra blankets, pillows, etc. There should preferably be coat closets at each exterior door. Bathrooms should have their own towel/toiletry storage. Laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms. Nothing more annoying, or to my mind dangerous, as having bedrooms on the 2nd floor and laundry in the basement. Carrying laundry baskets that limit your ability to see where you are walking up and down 2 flights of stairs is inherently dangerous. Last, but not least, a utility closet for mops, brooms, vacuum, cleaning supplies, etc. And don’t get me started on kitchens! Or “open concept” ugh.
1. Locating bathroom/powder room near the entrance, kitchen, dining or living room 0:47 2. Having your house too wide/deep 2:35 3. Not thinking about the views 3:57 4. Complicated/overdone roof forms 5:55 5. Not designing for the sun and daylight 6:53 6. Not thinking about the storage you actually need 9:03 7. Not thinking about acoustics 9:55 8. Not thinking about how furniture is going to be moved into a space 12:19 9. Not giving enough priority to a kitchen pantry or back-of-the-house kitchen 14:38 10. Prioritizing finish materials over the performance of your house 16:05
Thank you for raising this very important and crucial point that what goes behind your drywall and the material that determines the performance of your house is so much more important than for example your stone countertops (which can be changed at ant point down the line) and other superficial items in your house. Unfortunately a lot of builders don’t want to bother with these critical details and even more unfortunate is that most consumers (home owners) are not aware of these details and important criteria.
Great advise! Sound control? You nailed it. You left off one of my don’ts. Windows are getting too big and too many. Floor to ceiling windows are expensive and the view they offer is limited by what the ground looks like right next to the window. Oversize windows can create drafts in winter and hot rooms in summer. They consume needed wall space for furniture or art. Bedroom windows should start 48 ” up from the floor and only 1 large window is needed by fire code. Picture windows need to actually frame a nice view. Bay windows need to be limited to areas where sitting in front of the window is planned like breakfast rooms. Dark areas can be illuminated with roof mounted solar tube lights. Every window does not need to operate for ventilation. Fixed windows are more energy efficient and cost less. Rooms with too much sunlight will make you want to wear sunglasses indoors. Sun light angles can help or hurt you. Large windows with direct Southern & Western exposure are not needed as much as large windows on the North wall because there is no direct sun. Plan your windows very carefully & you will get the most bang for the buck.
Really enjoyed perusal this article. Your first point about bathroom placement resonates. I’ve a similar one that is hard for me to understand. I prefer a house plan with living and sleeping spaces separated. On top of it, security is paramount to any homeowner. I do not understand why architects keep coming up with plans that have bedrooms facing the street (less sense of security) and often next to the foyer (awkward). It looks so random that plans often have a den/office/dinning area on one side of the foyer and a bedroom on the other side. We live in a cookie-cutter starter house, but it took us a while to find this because many listings had a bedroom upfront.
Excellent presentation. It is a pleasure hearing from a building designer with real-world experience. You know what needs to be done, but then you need to get the client to listen. That can be a problem. After the house is built they come back and say “I wish I had listened”, a little too late??? 😂❤
Every single thing you listed is exactly why I hate my current house and why I’m hiring an architect to design the new house. I have an east-facing bay window in the breakfast nook and a west-facing window in the dining room, which are connected by the same walkway through in the kitchen, so no matter which room you’re in, you’re being blinded while you eat. I have a living room in the middle of the house that has no direct windows; it’s always twilight. Furthermore, you have to walk through it to get to the kitchen from any of the bedrooms, which means no matter where you put the furniture, you’re always walking into it. On top of that, while sitting on the couch facing the only wall where a tv can go, you can see both the master bedroom and the guest bathroom. The only upside is that the lot is glorious with minimal building restrictions, the property was reasonably priced because the house is terrible, and we knew when we bought it that we’d be tearing it down and replacing it anyways.
Never build overhangs like everybody does make them come out about 4 feet so your walls and windows don’t get wet and rot. make downspout water travel over 10 feet from house to keep sump pumps from turning on. For storage check codes your crawl space can be 6 feet or more before you get taxed on a basement. build your house so it won’t burn down. If pouring concrete foundation wait until concrete is dry and apply hot tar.
Great article – thank you. We are currently designing our retirement home and I am happy to say we considered much of what you shared. I am concerned about acoustics though. I would have liked to have seen some solutions in your article. My husband is hard of hearing (genetic) and will become more so. Loud rooms are difficult. Our designed kitchen is open to the family room with a shed (skillion) roof 10’ on one side and 16’ on the other side to side. We had planned luxury vinyl tile flooring for all but the bedrooms. After perusal your article, I am rethinking it. Is there an architectural solution for “hard” surfaces being more noisy in a large room?
Cool! Thanks for showing plans and pics. Appreciate the points to consider. My dream house will definitely be a collaboration with an architect. THEN comes the interior designer. I know what I like when I see it, but couldn’t put it together myself. Moving into an apartment, we had issues with the turn in the stairs and the queen box spring – until I suggested to the guys that they should tilt it the other direction. It worked just fine. Call it the X factor!
What if not doing an open plan? I want my kitchen and living rooms separated with a fireplace should I still have a view to back yard? Is it better to think for the future for halls, doors and bathrooms how wide should they be for like walkers and wheelchair? Where is the best place to put the mic? I’ve seen them in the island and the pantry.
The stairs and entry are particularly poignant because I worked as a medic for years. Consider egresses if you ever need to get a gurney out of your home. I can’t tell you home many people got grumpy because we had to move all their furniture or scuffed their walls because we had to get a family member out. Also the injuries I and my colleagues sustained over that time trying to get people out of narrow spaces that didn’t allow for proper lifting techniques.
In fact I specifically want a bathroom right next to the front door. I don’t care about guests – I don’t have people over that often. But I care about being able to clean up without going into the house. This is mostly my dogs, but not just them. If I’m dripping wet, I want to dry off before walking into the house.
I do NOT want stone countertops; I LIKE Formica. I wish all homes were well designed. YES, build a good “envelope”, then change counters later, if needed!! Developers buy up the available land, and then fill it with poorly designed and poorly built houses. Home buyers have little choice. Why are builders allowed to ‘design’ if they are not trained?? A good floor plan is a must!
Wow, greta tips! Had an architect design my last huge 5400 sf house 17 years ago, and still ended up with a powder room in the transition from foyer to kitchen! Right where everyone stood at parties:(. Thanks for great tips for this design! Downsizing, and prepping for architect interviews, and looking for strategies to multi-use rooms, looking forward to more of your articles!
I’m not an architect but it was my dream to become one. Now I have desgined a house but I’m not really sure if it’s designed correctly. is there any ways I could figure that out. I’m talking about the size of the house. the place of walls and doors and widnows.. Is there any ways I could figure that out? or can anybody help me with that.
What we love about our build choices… 1. Invest in top quality structure and triple pane oversized European windows, even if that means going smaller, but keep ceilings at 9′ or higher. 2. Insulation between ALL inner walls for less sounds going through walls. 3. Keep a RR in a corner of the home where you can reach it from outside without having to walk through the home, but far from everything inside. 4. 4ft wide hallways and stairs at minimum when possible. It will help keep walls clean as well as move things around easily. 5. Instead of two front doors, try one oversized pivot door. (Awesome choice we love) 6. If you enjoy the open concepts of kitchens with living, but hate the kitchen noise going into the living room, consider ceiling to floor glass pocket doors that hide into the wall/s when you want the separation. The glass keeps it feeling open, but keeps noise level in kitchen. Then open back up when entertaining. 7. Hiden pantry in kitchen that also goes into an oversized laundry/mud room with a RR. We tend to stay on the first floor most of the day, so our laundry is best on first floor with a laundry chute on second. This way, we aren’t running up and down the stairs checking on laundry. 8. Glass doors in the kitchen leading to an “outdoor” dining room atrium for those winter months. Enjoying the beautiful snow days outdoors without the cold. In the summer, open the glass up for cooler feel. (Seriously consider sun when placing an atrium. Ours does not get direct summer south sun.
Your articles are great! I’ve been really zeroing in on #5 – the home in relation to the sun. Its tough finding home styles that do this well when the home faces the street to the east. I’m in the northeast. Optimal sun for heating (and joy) means the widest part of the house runs from front to back in my case to capture all the southern sun during winter, south is the side of the house. Particulalry with a roof that gives southern exposure for solar. I’ve been lookjng at traditional 2 story styles that have the gable in the front, (so you have southern roof exposure) with the garage roof line perpendicular. Curious of you have any go to examples for a house that makes good use of the sun when it has an east facing street.
Storage: Utility/mechanical room, pantry, well placed coat closet, linen closets with pass through into bathroom. 4ft hallways and 36″ doors, and double front door without blockage upon entry. Forego the 8K$ viking range, buy a very nice 3500$ range and put the 4500$ to deploying Aerobarrier during dried in Framing stage to ensure an airtight/water tight envelope; also you can upgrade appliances incrementally but can get things used if need be or items that have a blemish in an unseen area for 50-70% off much of the time.
A few weeks ago I’ve decided to build a new custom house and as a rookie you can only imagine how I’m overwhelmed by all those details I need to consider. This article helped me so much because there are a few things that I wasn’t even thinking about at all, but now are on my list. I’ll meet my architect in a few days, I’ve written so many things that I wanna show him. But I haven’t thought about for example bathroom placement, furniture installing, glare on TV, importance of a bigger pantry etc. So, THANK YOU for your valueable advice!
I want to add to your first tip-the bathroom: Bathrooms should always, alwaysss have the walls insulated!!! Insulation is cheap so it wouldn’t cost much at all. Trust me, picture this… The house that has all tile floors where every sound gets amplified to where you can hear someone chewing their food all the way across the house. So there’s nothing more embarrassing than having to go have a huge blow out in the bathroom while your new boyfriend sits on the couch waiting for you!!! You can either kiss the new boyfriend, or at the least a happy ending for that night bye bye!! So embarrassing! I’m just now getting to the acoustics tip, so this goes right along with that tip as well. Lol P.s. Also add insulation to the master bathroom walls so when you have company over someone can be sleeping and not be woken up by all the noises.