Interior Design - Who needs it?

Today, while a growing number of Western Australians are placing greater importance on Interior Design, some continue to view hiring an Interior Designer as an extravagance and, at worst, a misuse of funds. To these people, Interior Design is simply about selecting fashionable colors for aesthetic appeal and crafting impractical designs that belong only in the pages of lifestyle magazines.

What is your perspective? Is Interior Design an indulgent whim or a structured discipline? Is it a practical necessity or just an idealistic notion?

Despina Design Post build Interior Design

It matters to your psyche

Why do some houses or public buildings make you feel so underwhelmed and uncomfortable, prompting you to leave immediately and never return, while others fill you with happiness, inspiration, and positivity, drawing you back time and again? Although many people are aware of how certain spaces affect their feelings, do they understand why? What gives inanimate spaces the power to influence us so profoundly, making us feel as though we are living a dream or a nightmare?

In essence, it's the arrangement or manipulation of space. This is generally referred to as Spatial Design, or more commonly, Interior Design, which specifically involves designing enclosed spaces.

Our subconscious mind gathers information about a room's volume, proportion, light, positive and negative space, and surface treatments, making judgments based on survival instincts, past experiences, expectations, and personality. So even if you consider yourself completely uninterested in Interior Design, it still impacts your psyche!

Spatial Design doesn't just affect feelings but also behaviors

Researcher Roger Barker was the pioneer in developing and validating the theory that social settings influence behavior. He observed: “In a store, people take on their roles as customers. In schools and churches, appropriate behavior seems to be inherently coded into the environment.”

This understanding is why design professionals incorporate anthropology and environmental psychology in architecture and product design, aiming to holistically improve or create human environments and promote specific behaviors.

Considering the evidence, it is clear that Interior Design is not merely about aesthetics or luxury. It impacts our emotions, behavior, and overall well-being. It is both a necessity and a compelling factor for anyone who lives, works, and plays in enclosed spaces!

Art and Science

As a result, Interior Design can be described as the art and science of organizing a space to meet the aesthetic and physical needs of its occupants, while supporting their activities and well-being.

Recognizing the potential of enhanced enclosed environments to positively impact people's lives has led to a focus on creating solutions to improve the living spaces for the growing elderly population. Moreover, facilities designed with health and accessibility considerations depend on specialized designers to address these needs. Interestingly, retail stores and many other commercial venues leverage the ability to influence the mood and behavior of customers, spectators, gamblers, and travelers by crafting an ambience that encourages specific behaviors, yielding favorable outcomes.

Space Design Universe

Even the immense expanse we refer to as the universe benefited from effective Spatial Design. For those who recall its early stages, the vast space was a chaotic mix of gases and particles. Then, through a Spatial Design of astronomical scale, a transformation was achieved: space was given a large-scale makeover, with walls painted black and stylish luminaries installed! Now, people are eager to visit. Joking aside, the point is that without Design, Chaos prevails!

Chaos is unsettling, unattractive, uncomfortable, stressful, and hazardous. Design fosters beauty, harmony, order, tranquility, productivity, success, and well-being!

So how would you answer? - Interior ( Spatial ) Design - who needs it?