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Posts Tagged ‘Designers’

Every garden has a bit of fantasy in it and, for Houstonians longing for the look and feel of, say, Tuscany or the Italian Renaissance period, no garden fills that desire like a Mediterranean landscape design.

Combining elegant elements of nature with the relaxed Mediterranean culture, the Mediterranean landscape design can go from simple, yet cultivated to elaborate lavishness. Crystal clear water and outdoor water fountains, sweet herbs right off the vine to be used in outdoor kitchens, relaxed spaces for entertainment, and lush, practical vegetation characterized the Mediterranean landscape design.

Just as a rose by any other name smells sweet, so too the Mediterranean landscape design. It is known variously as Andalusian, Santa Barbara Revival, Tuscan and Moroccan styles. Primarily taking its name from the climate of the Mediterranean region and southern Europe, it falls midway between the broad formal and informal garden design categories. The influences of classic landscape design can clearly be seen in this style due to the proximity and prominence of ancient Rome.

Mediterranean Landscape Design-Through History

The Mediterranean landscapes originated in ancient Arabia and evolved, as all garden styles have, throughout the centuries. Major influences were the gardens of Greece, Rome and Italy.

Since it is so closely associated with the warm, sometimes arid, climate of the Mediterranean region, this style has little in common with English garden design, largely due to plant material choices. Because of its evocation of another time and place, the Mediterranean landscape design stands apart from modern landscape designs with its emphasis on contemporary choices and imagery.

Features of Mediterranean Landscape Designs

You can pick and choose among several different striking features suitable for residential gardens done in the Mediterranean style. The byword to remember is “Old World ambiance.”  Read more...

In their training, student interior designers often learn about the history of their profession. This can be a really important way to give context to their subsequent careers. In this article, I will draw on my experience as an interior designer and educator to discuss the history of this exciting field.

The earliest professional interior designers were based in London – the British had become intrigued by Egyptian techniques of decorating household objects and wanted the same for themselves. London families became desperate to employ an interior designer to create magical spaces and accessorise their interiors. As interior designers came to be recognised as professionals, they increasingly found a need to draw on history to create fabulous results. This was particularly true when creating designs for historic London mansions or listed buildings – they saw historical reflections as a way of preserving the past while also looking to the future.

THE ANCIENT ROMANS

In Ancient Rome, citizens demanded comfort, luxury and wealth. These elements are still important in the work of interior designers across the world today. The lavish decorations, tapestries and iconic stonework today remain as timeless and popular in London as in Tokyo or Sydney. The Ancient Romans adored bespoke furniture and loved quality textiles and expensive fabrics.

MONASTIC TIMES

After the collapse of Roman rule, the church assumed power and largely discouraged the most creative interior designers. Opulent interiors were taken out and interior designers were instructed to install quiet and simple oak panels with dark lines and sharp edges. This influence was felt throughout Europe – from London all the way to Florence.

RENAISSANCE AND REVIVAL  Read more...

The career of an interior designer combines creativity with business expertise and people skills. The traits of successful designers are varied and include:
·Attentive to colors, textures, materials, lighting and layouts in various settings.
·Enjoy designing or remodeling their own and other’s environments.
·Are creative and artistic.
·Have the ability to sell.
·Can organize details.
·Communicate and work well with clients and other design professionals.
·Create spaces that are functional, visually appealing, safe and meet all the desired requirements.
·Can clearly identify the purpose and functions of various spaces.
·Understand the client’s vision for esthetic qualities, the look and feel, of projects.
·Do research and keep current on latest trends, materials and products.
·Are problem solvers.
·Have ability to analyze designs and plan spaces.
·Possess expertise in interior construction, materials, furniture, equipment and local building codes to help coordinate projects.
·Can read architectural blueprints and create their own drawings.
·Fit together artistic, functional and technical requirements.

Some specific tasks designers become involved with are choosing, negotiating with, scheduling and overseeing installers, invoicing clients, paying for necessary materials and furnishings and making sure codes are met. If you are thinking that being a designer involves more business than artistry, you are right.

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), formerly known as FIDER, oversees programs at colleges and universities and certifies that certain principles and practices are taught. A bachelor’s degree from a CIDA school is highly recommended and is the minimum for doing commercial work. Masters and doctorate degrees are offered at many universities. Some of the classes you can expect to take are computer aided drafting, business/marketing, art, drawing, and art, furniture and antique history. You can also expect to spend many hours on design projects.

It is imperative that designers understand not only aesthetics, but also the safety aspects of interiors. Because of this, interior designers are now licensed professionals, much like architects and nurses. The National Council for Interior Design Qualification offers an examination to certify interior designers who have met the minimum standards for professional practice. This exam is the standard to measure the competency of designers.
Before you can take the NCIDQ exam and earn your license to practice, you must have at least six years of working experience, two years of schooling plus four years of work experience or four years in a CIDA college or university plus two years of work experience. You cannot advertise or represent yourself as a registered interior designer unless you meet the minimum education, experience and examination requirements established in your state/province, and apply for use of the state-regulated title with the proper state board.
There are many career paths to take within the realm of interior design. There are residential and commercial design jobs. Within commercial business, you could specialize in schools, hospitals, banks, malls, hotels or restaurants. In larger commercial projects, your job could be project manager, draftsperson or specifier of products. Some professionals go on to be sales representatives for interior products, business owners of design firms, drapery manufacturers or even specialized installers. There are many possibilities for advancement. As our economy grows, so will the need for qualified designers. As people become busier with their personal and professional lives, they have less time to think about decorating and creating environments that reflect themselves. As long as there are homes and businesses, there will be a need for interior designers.

This article draws on interviews with several top Interior Designers in London who appreciate not only the sensory and visual meaning of colour, but also the symbolic links behind certain hues and tones. We will briefly explore just a few of London’s trendiest colour fashions and explain their associations in the context of interior design. At the far end of the colour spectrum, black is associated with death and illness, except in certain Asian cultures. Indeed, many top London interior design boutiques are very multicultural and regularly design Asia-inspired residences or office spaces. Black generally does not reflect much light, and as such it can represent melancholy or hopelessness. On the more positive side, the colour black also is associated with masculinity, and its historic usage in combat vehicles and war equipment has only reinforced this sentiment. Interior designers are often careful about using this colour because it can be overwhelming in smaller London residences. The opposite of black is, of course, the colour white. In the interior design world and far beyond, white is associated with freshness, health and radiance. It is often seen at marriages, Christenings, and a multitude of celebratory religious festivals such as Passover. London interior designers will often use this colour to reference joyful events and create a feeling of radiant good cheer. Red is a fascinating colour in terms of symbolism. Outside the interior design world, it is first and foremost associated with blood. This in turn has links with military campaigns, flags, shields and family crests. Interior designers are aware of its connections with heritage, history, excitement, risk and executions. However, the colour red also symbolises vibrant and triumphant freshness. It is linked with strawberries, cherries, redcurrants and roses. Some of London’s most prestigious interior designers will regularly use red to reference outdoor gardens through either subtle floral designs or more flashy red-inspired colour combinations. Finally, we will complete this colour lexicon by focusing on pink. Pink is the product of red and white together, and as such it is strongly linked with femininity. In London, the capital’s most celebrated interior designers often use pink as a highlight colour to create either a subtle emphasis or a daring juxtaposition. Some of the most innovative interior design boutiques in the city will create stunning designs that rely upon feminine pink contrasted alongside masculine black or similarly rich, earthy colours.

When interior designers use the term “wall hangings,” they are commonly referring to anything and everything that one may hang on a wall. This can include pictures, photographs, plates, frames, mirrors, sculptures, reliefs and much more besides. London is a fabulous place to choose wall hangings due to the many active artist communities and the strong tradition of professional interior design. One of the most important elements of wall hangings are pictures. Many interior designers know that pictures are the way to “make a house a home. ” However, poor positioning of pictures can easily detract from an otherwise well-planned interior design. This is especially important in smaller London homes or flats. Your interior designer will be able to outline the key points that need to be kept in mind regardless of whether you are hanging a recent family photo or an ancient heirloom. In London, interior designers have a saying, namely that “all pictures should relate to something else in the room. ” This means that wall hangings of this type should never look as though they were included by accident. Pictures should be related via either colour or thematic elements to display tables, armchairs, bookshelves or fireplaces – or indeed to architectural features, such as panelling or mouldings, which can often be quite historic and interesting in London residences. London Interior Designers will often elect not to position wall hangings symmetrically (meaning centred on fireplaces or furniture), since this can make the overall interior design seem a little uninspired or “flat. ” In London, it is important to remember that the weather is often a little rainy and cool. Therefore interior designers often find it desirable to depict slightly brighter images in their selection of wall hangings. It is also important to group pictures that are related to one another. An interior designer will often place a selection of landscapes close to one another, or they will do the same for seascapes or floral pictures. Another approach often used by some of the most prestigious London interior design consultancies is to group images by colour themes or at the very least by styles of frame or mounting. In the next article in this interior design series, I will discuss in more detail the practicalities of how to install pictures.