Interior design is the art and science of understanding the behavior of people to create functional spaces within a building, while interior decoration is furnishing or adorning a space with decorative elements to achieve a certain aesthetic. Interior architecture focuses more on structural design, with an emphasis on adaptive reuse and remodeling of existing buildings. Whereas interior design is the practice of creating interior environments, focusing on finishes, furniture and color palettes. Interior design is the practice of improving the way people experience the physical spaces they occupy.
It is achieved by reinventing, redesigning and redecorating a room or several rooms within a home. The ultimate goal of interior design is to achieve a final design that is optimally functional, aesthetically pleasing and customized to the needs of those who inhabit it. An interior designer must have a good knowledge of the historical periods of design, color theory and the ranges of classical design. Interior designers incorporate technical design, color palettes, textiles, furniture placement, and material specifications to improve the look and function of a space.
Interior design professionals use a wide range of skills and techniques to achieve the desired result, from sketching new floor plans to identifying customer needs and preferences, obtaining furniture, implementing lighting solutions, and more. Both interior designers and interior architects have a similar set of skills, but they need to apply these skills in a variety of ways. It is important to note that interior design is a specialized branch of architecture or environmental design; it is equally important to keep in mind that no specialized branch in any field would have much meaning if practiced out of context. Although the desire to create a pleasant environment is as old as civilization itself, the field of interior design is relatively new.
Most large architectural firms have established their own interior design departments, and smaller firms have at least one specialist in the field. An interior architect must have the creative skills to explore new designs and conceptual designs to reimagine interior environments. These competencies are generally earned by enrolling in interior design schools, as most clients prefer to hire a designer with a full academic degree or certification. During a project, interior designers can contact contractors, electricians, painters and plumbers to ensure that the customer's instructions and budget are met.
In fact, a truly grandiose or beautiful interior can be called a work of art, but some would prefer to call such an interior a “great design”. Enroll in one of the leading universities in architecture and interior design and experience a whole new world of opportunities. In some European countries, where the profession is well established, it is known as interior architecture. Those needs can be functional or aesthetic, and often a special chair or desk designed for a specific job is so successful that the manufacturer includes those parts in its usual line.