Interior Decoration and Interior Design, although related
disciplines, are different in terms of their application. Interior
Decoration is the process of decorating a house with regards to finishes
(for example wallpaper and paint, choice of furniture and fittings as
well as adding finishing touches and decorations such as paintings and
objets d’art. All of this provide a certain “feel” to a house but
essentially the underlying structure of the house is not changed.
Interior
decoration is normally professionally done by Interior Decorators
although recently the trend has been for people to learn about Interior
Decorating through various courses or books and then apply the
techniques themselves-usually on a shoestring budget. The whole
objective of Interior Decorating is to make a house aesthetically
pleasing and at the same time, unique, since it should reflect the
owner’s specific personality and tastes.
Interior design on the
other hand is more integrated with the architecture of a building and a
professional Interior Designer will work closely with architects and
builders to make choices regarding the integral design of the whole
house or building. This includes looking at choices with regards to room
layout, choice of cabinets and tiles and lots of other design factors.
While the Interior Design budget for new developments used to be
minimal, it is recognized these days that incorporating Interior Design
into the project means the difference between a run-of-the-mill
development and one that contributes to the branding and life-style
image of the project. The money spent on Interior Design is therefore
seen as a worthwhile investment in the whole property development
process.
Homeowners are spending more and more to improve their
homes. Since it is relatively easy to change the appearance of a house
by changing the finishings and fittings a large portion of this money
goes into Interior Decorating. The growing popularity in do-it-yourself
Interior Decorating has meant that a whole industry around Interior
Decorating courses, books and TV Shows have also sprung up, and it has
become a popular hobby for married couples. Innovative Interior
Decoration ideas, which cost less but at the same time giving the
impression of style and class, are in vogue.
Young entrepreneurs
have also seen the gap and there is a growing demand for information and
courses on how to break into the Interior Design and Interior
Decoration Industry. This has also given the home {interior decoration
industry a boost.
Although the trend recently is for people to
tackle the exciting task of transforming a house themselves, it has to
be recognized that this falls more in the area of Interior Decorating.
Interior Design still requires study of the context of Interior Design,
the theory of good design, knowledge of the technical advances in the
engineering industry for both residential as well as commercial
buildings and knowledge of the latest trends and advances in the
Interior Design industry.
In short, an Interior Design project in
which all the elements of design are pulled together is still the ambit
of the professional designer who should be able to deliver on projects
that extend beyond the boundaries of a hobby pastime.