Interior Design

Hardware choices should be the primary concern when designing a bathroom.  Faucets
and spigots, as well as tubs and toilets, produced in a variety of shapes and materials can
centerpiece a design.  Open showers are currently popular with the younger upwardly-
mobile crowd, and claw-foot bathtubs are almost always considered to be classic and
attractive.  Evaluate privacy issues first; don't put the toilet and tub too close together.

Is it a possibility to center your bathroom around a favorite theme?  The answer is most
certainly "yes."  Keeping in mind that "less is more" while choosing a decoration pattern
that will coordinate with the rest of the home will open many design possibilities. 
Finding a color or pattern inspiration from simple or small artwork may be the first step
toward creating a bathroom masterpiece.

When designing a bathroom's tiling, take the time to shop around through different
hardware, decoration and craft stores.  The more expensive of the different types of tiles
should have durability, aesthetic value, and a non-porous surface.  It should be easily
cleaned and sanitized, and it needs to install easily without any expensive or caustic glues
or cements.  Get creative also; all tile in bathrooms need not be made of porcelain.

After the design and production of a space-conscious and attractive bathroom have been
completed, focus on decoration accessories to bring out personality and individualism. 
The bathroom is the most sacred room of any interior, and placing prized possessions on
the walls or shelves is an interesting way to bless this special room.  Use courageous
ideas and do not be afraid to take chances, but above all: keep it simple.

Commercial Interior Design

A commercial interior designer faces a diverse amount of challenges that are quite
different from those of the residential, or home, interior designer.  Many specialties and
subspecialties are the focus of the commercial designer, and each usually requires
concentration in various genres and industries.  From there, the designer can continue to
narrow down to specific designs (i.e. hotel bathroom, retail lobby, high-rise office).

The business interior designer may be self-employed and control his or her own client
list, but many commercial designers work for bigger corporations.  There, the designers
become responsible for the design and implementation of the interior décor and
appearance of corporate offices, plants, factories, and other locations and buildings under
the scope of the company.  Employers include all industries including governments.

Specialties of the commercial interior designer include those that work for the hospitality
industry, which includes hotels and restaurants, as well as bars and nightclubs of every
size.  Retail stores and outlets require an interior designer to create a layout and floor plan
for their business locations that will allow the best use of space and the most enjoyable
experience for their customers.  Designers also work for offices, hospitals, and schools.

The designer may work for a certain type of industry, but he or she may then focus on
certain rooms or areas specific to that industry.  A restaurant kitchen design would best
be served by a designer who has limited his or her professional scope to kitchen designs. 
Other subspecialties are contingent upon specifics of design, such as lighting, furniture,
or floor layout, and designers may be found that specialize in all or each.

Public institutions, such as museums and governments, require commercial design in
their public and private areas.  One of the First Lady of the United States' responsibilities
is the design and décor of the White House, and historically she is granted a staff of
professional designers to assist her. 

She could, therefore, be considered to hold the ultimate position in commercial interior
design.


Contemporary Interior Design

What does contemporary interior design mean to you?  When the word "contemporary"
is used to describe any type of creative or creation-oriented field, such as music and art,
then the works described were created during the present period.  Another way of
thinking about it would be to call it having been assigned or put together in the "now." 

Current design trends fall in the contemporary area, as does any fad that has come and
gone or is presently making its way through the field.  A current residential kitchen trend
is to design kitchen shelve units rather than closed cupboards so that all plates, glasses
and dishes are openly exposed.  The appeal of this design is only present when an
attractive presentation is set forth of hopefully matching dishes.  This is contemporary.

Another contemporary interior design area, especially in the twenty-first century, is that
of reality-based and design-based television.  Shows such as Trading Spaces and While
You Were Out incorporate some of the nation's most successful designers and designs
into a structure where both contemporary and retro design elements are used.  There are
many other television shows oriented on interior design that are finding success.

In literature, an author or journalist is considered to be contemporary if he or she is either
still living or would be living in the case of the author passing at an early age. 
Contemporary interior design is defined slightly different by putting the focus more on
the elements of design rather than the actual and specific age of the designer.   If a new
design is totally based on Victorian England ideas, then it is not contemporary.

Innovative usage of the most modern of technologies could be an excellent definition of
what constitutes a contemporary design.  Usage of design resources, such as computer
programs and the newest design research, has aided many contemporary designers in
their quest for newer and more interesting projects.  No contemporary design is superior
to any classic or retro design, and it must be noted that all can be equally wonderful.

Home Interior Design

My First Experience with Home Interior Design

My other half and I recently made the decision to hire a professional interior designer for
all the rooms in our house.  We finished building our dream home, and when it came time
to bring over everything from our small condominium, we came to the conclusion that a
new home should have new things to go inside of it.  We, however, had no clue where to
begin except to go out and just randomly buy things as had in the past.

Maybe not so lucky for me, my other's half's sister was a licensed interior designer, and
she quickly recommended to us that our home would be the best it could be with her
services.  She persuaded and begged until my other half finally was forced to capitulate
from the pressure.  "Someone has to do something, so why not her?"

Well, I thought she was out to scam us out of some money.  She drove a brand new
luxury car and lived in a home three times as large as ours, but she was known to be
passionate about creating and producing.  And she said she wanted to make the most
beautiful interior possible for her favorite sibling.  I decided there was nothing wrong
with a little nepotism every now and then, as long as a discount was in the works.

I quickly learned the difference between a home decorator and a home interior designer. 
I expected my sister-in-law to come in my new house with paint samples and fabric
swatches, but I never expected her to bring in a carpenter, draftsman and a couple of
electricians and plumbers.  She informed us that if we thought of our architect as the eggs
and flour, then she would be the milk and sugar for the cake of our house.

Did I mention that my sister-in-law is a very creative person?  She comes up with the
weirdest analogies, but after I saw her start the design process on our home, I knew she
was also the icing on the cake.  She started with the blueprints of our brand new house,
and quickly she had sketches of design ideas for us to voice our opinions on before giving
her final approval.

After all was finished, and each contractor had been paid, my other half noticed that there
was no bill from my sister-in-law.  When we confronted her about our missing invoice
she gave us each a hug and told us that she could not imagine a more perfect present for
her two favorite new home owners.  So of course my opinion of her was changed, and I
saw that she was not successful because of the hunger or drive for money.

But rather, she was successful because of her open and warm heart.  That is something no
one can interior designer can design for you except yourself.

Home Interior Design Ideas

Home Interior Design Ideas: Entrance & Foyer

The interior of your home is a sacred shrine that should welcome visitors, surround you
with a sense of safety and comfort, and reflect your ideal personality.  When a trusted
friend stops by to see you, the very first thought you want him to have is “wow, her home
makes me think of her unique qualities.”  A design plan is needed for this.  Home interior
design ideas are plentiful, and you are only limited in scope by your imagination.

Begin the revolution of your home at the entrance.  A foyer that is both impressive and
welcoming, but that inspires a sense of wonder from its design, creates a first impression
that will last throughout the rest of the home.  Ideally, a foyer with high ceilings and a
chandelier will greet a newcomers arrival, but even the smallest entrance to the interior of
your home can be designed to be attractive, inviting, and yet grand.

If your home is small then incorporate “space-enlarging” elements, such as lighter shade
paints and mirrors, to your rooms.  A foyer that is not large enough to hold more than
four people can be made to feel enormously larger with the simple addition of large
rectangular mirrors placed strategically around the area.  Consider the idea of curtains
around the mirrors to add the impression of windows.

When designing your “first impression,” consider placing three-dimensional art, such as
stone or metal sculptures, to face your front door.  Even sculptures that were originally
designed to be in gardens or lawns can have a place in your home if you are feeling
creative.  Think of your options for your foyer that coincide with your own personality,
and continue this idea of “self” throughout the rest of your home.

After taking the time to design the first part of your home interior, you may then begin to
flow through the rest of the house using the same theme or something radically different. 
The only rule to live by is this: just design and decorate with what you enjoy.

Interior Design Bedroom

"Interior design bedroom?" she asked me.  I looked in her glowing blue eyes and saw that
twist of emotion that always occurred right before she burst out laughing at my ideas. 
"We live in a one bedroom apartment, and you want to give us an interior design
bedroom?"  She doubled over in laughter and fell out of her chair.

I did not care that our small pseudo-studio apartment was not the height of living spaces. 
My wife and I married on a brisk April afternoon five short months ago, and daily we
stepped over boxes of her clothes and crates of my books.  I desired a change in our
living quarters, and I thought that convincing her to take a weekend design course
focused on the bedroom might help us organize.  Our room needed it as messy as it was.

I explained my thoughts to her the best way I knew how, and after she gave in to what
she sweetly called my "designed puppy-dog eyes," I began preparations for our class. 
The materials were not what I expected - a book of graph paper, a ruler, and a box of
colored pencils - but I had this feeling that were on to something big.  The day finally
arrived when we'd begin learning to design the perfect bedroom setup; I was psyched.

The class was only an hour in length, but we learned more than we expected.  "Do you
really think our bedroom has the possibility to look like the pictures in those design
books?" she asked on the ride home.  I knew that the room where we slept probably
would not ever look quite like the sprawling examples from our lesson, but I did look
forward to the attempt.

Besides, it would be really quite nice to be able to walk from the bedroom to the
bathroom without tripping into boxes and crates of Dickens and brassieres.