“Reduce, reuse, recycle” is the motto of the day. Being “green” has come to mean a lot of things in a lot of different industries. Consumers today want to know that what they pay for will last them a long time and that it won’t come with a hefty environmental price tag. For those pursuing an interior design career, this means a lot of new challenges that may serve to get those creative juices flowing.
There was a time when everything had to be new: new houses, new furniture, new cars. During the relatively strong economic times of the 1990s, America’s future was looking brighter than ever and consumers were desperate to buy or build something bigger and better than the generation before them. Interior designers were at the core of this trend, helping customers design new homes or redesign old ones, update their style, and give commercial buildings and offices a fresh look.
Today, interior designers face a new challenge. With American’s reigning in their spending, residential and commercial consumers alike are looking for ways to refurbish and reuse their existing spaces and furniture. While this changes the game, it also introduces an entirely new challenge in discovering fresh, inventive ways to play. Those looking to get into an interior design career may have a very exciting future ahead of them.
The field of interior design is commonly confused with interior decorating. While interior designers do decorate, the most fundamental part of their knowledge and education focuses on drawing and drafting. A credentialed interior designer is qualified to help customers design spaces completely. This includes the placement or movement of walls, stairs, and other structural components in a room.
This, combined with a designer’s talent for color and shape, makes them an invaluable resource, especially for commercial business owners looking for the best way to create an inviting presence in their stores or office buildings. Students of design must be able to bring their talents to bear in an industry that can change at any given moment. In return, future designers will find both challenges and reward in an exciting interior design career.
