2.4.08 | It is obvious by now that neither the natural stylistic talents of a decorator nor the five-year degree and formal credentials of a licensed architect necessary as they may be are any where near sufficient qualifications to create optimum interior environments for people. The interior design profession has arisen to fill the gap. While this aspiration is proving to be beyond its reach, interior design is providing the third leg for the platform necessary for the next advance.

2.4.08 | Please indulge me in a scenario. You are a designer working on the interior finishes for an elementary school, and you are pulling together the first schematic color palette for client review. To do this, you have narrowed the colors down to a handful of options. As we know, there is no absolute right or wrong way to do this, and perhaps the route changes each time. However, do you ever step back to wonder: How did I confidently move from point A to point B?

12.17.07 | Though architects and interior designers have marginalized societal concerns from their agendas for a few decades, they are again realizing that interior design is a profession uniquely positioned to tackle issues on three major levels: individual, social and environmental. For those who yearn to develop a more comprehensive approach in both design education and practice, the framework developed by Linda Groat, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan provides an interesting starting point for the discussion.

 
12.3.07 | The artificial flower business is booming in some areas, apparently riding the economy train to easy maintenance. But wait, does this fit with the sustainability movement? Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) doesn'’t think so. Looking beyond the plant maintenance budget, others are more concerned with increased employee productivity and comfort as well as improved air quality in their office environment. Step one: add some plants to the décor.