Architectural Articles
What is the role of the Interior Designer?
In explaining our services to new clients, a question is often asked: What is the role of the interior designer? To answer this, we should distinguish between interior space planning, interior design, and interior decorating:
- Interior space planning, simply put, is the arrangement of interior spaces to accommodate the work patterns or lifestyle of the client. The interior designer clarifies the clients’ needs and desires and offers practical design expertise.
- The essence of interior design is choosing a concept. This develops a theme for spaces, finishes, and components throughout the building.
- Interior decorating involves choosing colors, materials, finishes, furniture, and accessories.
The range of services offered by interior designers includes programming (formulating the clients needs and desires), construction detailing, and decorating. Some clients prefer to work with an interior designer through all phases; while others may feel confident enough, and have the extra time it demands, to make many of these important decisions themselves. You may be asking how an architect and interior designer can work together. The expectation is that the two would be at odds with one another. In the worst case, the interior designer comes in after construction is complete and complains about decisions that were made and then tries to work around the problems to arrive at the best solution. In the best case, they are both working together with the client from the ground floor up through all the design and construction phases. We prefer to have the interior designer be a team player in making aesthetic decisions.
We have collaborated with several interior designers and will work with any professional trusted by our clients. But when a recommendation is requested, we have often referred our clients to Jana Caron (www.janacaron.com). She explains that her first objective is to meet with the clients and get to know them and their lifestyle. The space planning puzzle becomes a personalized plan which naturally unfolds. With meetings and visits to the building site, Jana develops design components, solidifies a concept and implements the interior finishes, colors, and construction details to accomplish the client's dream. Jana says that her passion and goal has always been to go beyond what the client has envisioned and to produce an environment that is truly the client's own. The architecture is better when interior details are considered and interiors are more exciting if architectural space and structure are designed together. This becomes a team effort to solve the design puzzle that each client brings to us.
