‘What kind of work do you do?’
‘I am an interior designer, thanks for asking!’
‘Don’t your fingers hurt by now?’
‘Hurt from what?’
‘From pasting pictures.’
‘Do you even know what my profession entails?’
‘Yes … Match colors and so on, right?
Frustrated, I look at him. Here we go again.
To this day, there is a lot of ignorance when it comes about the work of an interior designer. What is it that we do, what kind of function is it that we perform? I try to clarify it in this way.
If you type on google: “What does an interior designer do?” Is the first thing you get: “The Interior Designer takes care of the furnishing of living spaces as well as office spaces and the furnishing of other institutions. The customer often has an idea of what he or she wants with the space. ”
This statement is almost incorrect. A customer often has no idea what he / she would like. Think of different styles that appeal to the customer and different goals that must be combined into one design. A design that must provide a solution to the interior problem that the customer has encountered for a short time, or sometimes for years. In short, much more than you think!
To create a design, is it taken into account with various factors.
The way of living, stage of life and customer wishes are important for making a design that fits the customer. Various factors are taken into account to make a design as suitable as possible to the wishes of the customer. The lifestyle, stage of life and customer wishes play a role in this. Of course, if an 80-year-old single, difficult-walking man wants to upgrade his home, we can’t let the steep spiral staircase stay, because the man has to get up and down five times a day. No, we have to think of ideas that fit the lifestyle and wallet of our customer.
An important point for an interior designer is cooperation. Collaborations with architects or construction engineers from the beginning ensure the best result. Not only are these collaborations essential, but the long-term collaboration with the customer also ensures a rapid progress of the project. The customer is of course the decisive factor in the game.
How does an interior designer work?
o An introductory meeting with the customer where the customer communicates his / her wishes. During this conversation, the customer is put at ease, a connection is made and points of purchase are sought between the interior designer and the customer.
o After this meeting, a plan of requirements is drawn up based on the given wishes, from which various sketch drawings and 2D plans are created. This also creates a concept board (mood board) that shows the customer a certain atmosphere that suits the wishes.
o Subsequently, the customer and interior designer come together to discuss the above designs. The customer can indicate any adjustments that the interior designer will bring to the preliminary design.
o A 3D visualization is made for the preliminary design. Lighting plans and electricity plans are drawn up for collaborations with the architects / builders. Custom product design, for example cabinets, kitchens and benches, are elaborated in technical drawings.
o Finally, the styling is important. The designs made are transformed into a realistic home. The interior designer is present to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
The feeling you get as an interior designer when you make a customer extremely satisfied with a new home is indescribable. It is pure passion that we perform in our daily life.
The strength of an interior designer is to renew the interior into a place that someone has been looking for all those years. A place that immediately feels like ‘home’. A place that brings together, intrigues and gives peace. Anyway, pasting pictures is fun too.
