It’s always said that Architecture –and Interior design as well- is the art that you cannot avoid interacting with. Throughout the past year, we have all experienced that first-hand. All humans around the world had to spend much more time in their homes because of the pandemic. We began to notice our living spaces more, and somehow see them in a new way. Noticing what’s good and what’s not. I’m sure that this experience made you at least consider some changes in your place, or you have done some already.

Because of all this, we believe that we all as human beings should take a step back and think deeply about what our spaces are doing and can do to us, and Why Interior Design REALLY Matters.

The Power of Space

I believe we can all agree on the effect of “Spaces” on us. Just imagine your workplace, a café in which you used to hang out with your friends, or if you have traveled away think of the moment you come back home and enter your room. I’m quite sure that just by reading these words you have a picture drawn in your mind, a feeling inside, and even a certain expression on your face. I may also guess that you remember certain sounds or smells that you can almost feel right now. That’s the power of space!

We connect ourselves to the spaces we occupy and they become parts of who we are, parts of our memories, emotions, and thoughts. Thus with so much power a space has, it is surely important to consider what we do to our spaces.

The Different Layers of Interior Design

Usually when we think about an interior space that is “designed”, we recall certain images that we have seen on the internet, magazines, or furniture stores. Nice-looking rooms, neat, and in harmony. But usually, that’s where our mind stops.

Despite the fact that aesthetics is a big part of interior design, it is not the core of it. It is just the final layer that we can see, but behind it lie other layers that give the interior design its real power. We’re going to discuss them and see how they manifest in the last visual layer that we all can see.

The Functional Layer

This we might consider to be the very base of it all. Because, however nice a place looks, what use can we have of a space that is not working or functioning properly?

The functional part of interior design focuses on different aspects that range from common ones that can be applied to all humans, to personal details according to each individual person.

Ergonomics

It is the study of the human body dimensions in different positions and movements, in order to make the design as comfortable as possible for our use.
So when you’re sitting in your living room feeling that your leg is stuck between the sofa and the coffee table, or when you’re reaching out for the top shelf in the kitchen but can’t, or maybe you can’t close your bathroom door in an easy way because the lavatory is too close to you, know that someone hasn’t done their Ergonomics well.

Exits and Health

The functional layer also deals with clearing ways for exits in case of emergencies or even during daily tasks. It keeps the movement paths easy to use without furniture blocking the way, or without interrupting other activities that are already happening in the space.

Sometimes also it can deal with trying to make the spaces as healthy as possible by providing enough daylight, natural ventilation, and the right temperature. It focuses on the study of airflow through the space and the best places for openings if possible. Thus it makes the users in a comfort zone that would directly affect their health.

Lifestyle and Scenarios

This is a part that would vary for sure from one user to another. Here the interior designer studies the users carefully knowing how their daily routine goes, what they like and dislike, and what functions will happen in the space, to make it a perfect fit for them. According to that a lot of decisions will be taken: the kind of furniture, its placement, and style that would probably fit with the users. Only to make sure that they will use the space without any problems, use the area in the most optimum way, and all their needs are met.

Unnoticed

The last thing about the Functional layer is that most of the time it gets overlooked. Think about it, you only notice the design when you have a problem with it. A good functional design should go unnoticed, that’s how you know it’s working just right. So appreciate your problem-free living spaces, they are well designed.

Psychological Layer

We have already established that spaces and places have a great effect on how we feel, and are connected to our memories. That’s the physiological face of interior design.

Moods and Emotions

By studying the needs, personality, and behavior of each user and the function of the space, we can use the visual tools to invoke certain emotions within the dweller of the space. Whether it is relaxation, energy, optimism, or familiarity, it can be expressed. We can also enhance certain actions like creativity and focus. Or we can make a certain mood prevail like luxury, friendliness, or even mystery.

To achieve all this, the designer starts to use color, lights, materials, and interior design styles to match the exact mood of the user and the space.

Self Expression

Maybe the strongest side of interior design is it being a form of self expressionism. It reflects your character, your goals, your mood, and the things you love the most. When you add your own touch through continuous usage of the space, or by adding items that have a special significance to you, it becomes your own. Having a space that reflects who you are inside, makes you more stable, improves your mental state and your sense of belonging.

In short, Interior design is much more than a nice-looking room. It is embracing who you are, and how you live. It Improves our quality of life and the way you go through your day. That’s why our spaces form us as much as we form them, and that’s why “Interior Design” really Matters.

If you want to know more about interior design, check more of our Design Articles, Here on Linesmag!