Interior Design and Interior Decorating – Some Definitions
Interior Decoration and Interior Design, although related disciplines, are different in terms of their application. Interior Decoration is the process of decorating a house with regards to finishes (for example wallpaper and paint, choice of furniture and fittings as well as adding finishing touches and decorations such as paintings and objets d’art. All of this provide a certain “feel” to a house but essentially the underlying structure of the house is not changed.
Interior decoration is normally professionally done by Interior Decorators although recently the trend has been for people to learn about Interior Decorating through various courses or books and then apply the techniques themselves-usually on a shoestring budget. The whole objective of Interior Decorating is to make a house aesthetically pleasing and at the same time, unique, since it should reflect the owner’s specific personality and tastes.
Interior design on the other hand is more integrated with the architecture of a building and a professional Interior Designer will work closely with architects and builders to make choices regarding the integral design of the whole house or building. This includes looking at choices with regards to room layout, choice of cabinets and tiles and lots of other design factors. While the Interior Design budget for new developments used to be minimal, it is recognized these days that incorporating Interior Design into the project means the difference between a run-of-the-mill development and one that contributes to the branding and life-style image of the project. The money spent on Interior Design is therefore seen as a worthwhile investment in the whole property development process.
Homeowners are spending more and more to improve their homes. Since it is relatively easy to change the appearance of a house by changing the finishings and fittings a large portion of this money goes into Interior Decorating. The growing popularity in do-it-yourself Interior Decorating has meant that a whole industry around Interior Decorating courses, books and TV Shows have also sprung up, and it has become a popular hobby for married couples. Innovative Interior Decoration ideas, which cost less but at the same time giving the impression of style and class, are in vogue.
Young entrepreneurs have also seen the gap and there is a growing demand for information and courses on how to break into the Interior Design and Interior Decoration Industry. This has also given the home {interior decoration industry a boost.
Although the trend recently is for people to tackle the exciting task of transforming a house themselves, it has to be recognized that this falls more in the area of Interior Decorating. Interior Design still requires study of the context of Interior Design, the theory of good design, knowledge of the technical advances in the engineering industry for both residential as well as commercial buildings and knowledge of the latest trends and advances in the Interior Design industry.
In short, an Interior Design project in which all the elements of design are pulled together is still the ambit of the professional designer who should be able to deliver on projects that extend beyond the boundaries of a hobby pastime.
Interior Design Schools
Interior design is now a very popular profession, as more and more individuals find it challenging to come up with creative and technical solutions in order to achieve a well-built interior environment. This field combines creativity, aesthetics and business, making this an interesting prospect for many individuals. If you are one of these individuals who love to turn something into a creative work or piece, you must enhance your skills and talents by going to an interior design school.
An interior design school is a creative avenue, where you can acquire the knowledge and enhance the skills to push your creativity to the limits. Here you will not only learn the basics of interior design – you will also be trained in color coordination, design and layout of furniture and other interior structures and placement of interior lighting. These will help you develop your skills to arrange and design interior settings that are attractive and appealing, as well as functional with use and form.
Aside from the basics, interior design schools also give advanced training to those individuals who want to further enhance their interior designing skills. This will help you build on your design foundation and add new elements of business and finance. An important skill enhanced here is your ability to work with clients. In interior design, it is important that you know how to deal with your clients in order to have good coordination for the success of the entire project. You also learn the idea of budgeting, sales and promotion that are also important if you wish to establish your own business in this field.
There are lots of interior design schools offering programs. If you are interested, all you have to do is to search for the interior design school that will bring out the best in you.