Once I decided to give blogging a shot, I was very confused about the topic. Just when I needed it, BOOM ! the topic presented itself. Like any other day, I took the train to go for my much dreaded painting class where I started talking to an investment banker. His first question was “But why design?” This is one of the most common questions people ask when I tell them of my interest in the field of Interior Designing. So I thought “why not?!” Lets see if I can answer his question well. Answer lies in these keywords: Functionality, Comfort and the “WOW” factor.
When I upgraded to an open, spacious 2-bedroom 4-closet apartment from a tiny little 1-bedroom no-closet (I will never call that thing a closet!) apartment, I thought we will have way too much unused storage. But before I knew, the closets were filled, but not over-flowing (Long Live Salvation Army!), with clothes, shoes, bedding etc. Right choice of furniture came to my rescue. I then chose to design my apartment to meet our needs using the furniture with added storage. If the house is designed to meet the needs of people living in the house, it can make their lives much simpler. For example, in a condo with smaller rooms, bunk beds work great. But one must also keep in mind that different homes have different needs. What suits for one may not be suitable for another!
A lot of times we tend to form impressions of people by looking at their homes. For example, a cluttered house implies a clumsy person or dust in house implies an untidy person. I think it happens when the décor of the house does not make its residents comfortable, and the residents rebel against the setting! It is important to understand our interests and preferences while making good design choices. Dedicated areas for prime interests like exercise rooms for health-conscious, study areas for students (yeah right!), painting rooms, music room or TV room (my favorite!) can add much needed comfort and a relaxation joint. Someone who enjoys yoga or meditation may enjoy a meditation room more than a media room. We all know how crazy expensive real estate is, so make every square foot count wisely to make you comfortable and relax!
And now, the most commonly known side of interior design: the “WOW” factor. One can accomplish functionality and comfort in a space but make it look incoherent and displeasing. Just like a very nicely presented dish is very tempting, a nicely presented house is very inviting. Like the famous quote goes, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. Designing your house can give you that joy… joy of owning it, relishing it and flaunting it (why not! Got it… Flaunt it!) every day. We all must agree, we all love compliments… Although we may try to fake modesty and a not-a-big-deal attitude, we love it when someone says “nice!” as soon as they enter. So people, bling it up proudly… its possible even on a budget!
I’ll be honest with you; I got interested in interior designing because of all the wrong reasons. Some of the most “mean-but-fun” reasons are: “I can shop all the cool things on someone else’s money with bonus! I don’t have to be stuck with them”, “ I wont have to do regular 9-5… I’ll be my own boss”, “Interior Designer sounds super cool”… I will stop listing now before I lead you to a “not-so-cool” impression and get back to the point. Not until I actually worked on a few projects did I understand “why design?”. Simply put, it can make our living a bit more simple, a bit more comfortable and a bit more pleasing… Isn’t this what we all aim for!
