Design Biases

I changed the name of my design blog from "Better by Design" to just "KMNdesign." I did this for a few reasons: 1) I realized there's a section in Better Homes and Gardens magazine that is called "Better by Design." I'm pretty sure they thought of it first. 2) Even though I still want to educate people about interior design, I think it's important to let people know my biases, and that these are purely my own preferences. Other designers may feel differently.

There are certain opinions I have concerning design that aren't universal. Everyone is biased about certain styles, colors, historical movements, materials, etc. I at least try to be honest about my biases, and try to find a reason behind them. For instance, I assess the value of just about every design element based on how easy it is to clean and maintain. This is because I've worked as a house cleaner for a number of years, and know that a beautiful design is all for naught if it's too hard for the owners to clean or maintain.

Other biases, such as certain color combinations or fabric/wallpaper patterns are simply because they're not my taste. I hate blue kitchens because my grandmother's house had a cobalt blue and white kitchen, and even tho' I experienced many happy meals from that kitchen, I think I just wound up with "blue-kitchen-fatigue" as a result. I grew up in a house with beige (think old computer-color beige) walls. Even though I liked the house and thought the beige walls were fitting, I find myself drawn to more vibrant colors and find beige boring. I hate floral patterns because I think flowers should be real, not fake and not printed. But that doesn't mean they are inherently wrong as far as design choices go. If you love florals, that's fine. If you've dreamed of having a blue-and-white kitchen, go for it.

A good designer is aware of their own biases, and seeks to overcome them for the sake of their clients.

Perhaps I'll talk more about my design biases in future posts. Naturally, I think I have a valid reason for all my design biases.

Interior Decorator vs. Interior Designer

When I first started school and told my friends and family that I was going for a degree in Interior Design, I had to explain to many of them that I wasn't just going to be learning about paint colors or window treatments. My brother even joked that I was going to school to learn how to "feng shui a couch."

Ha, ha.

There seems to be a lot of confusion among the general population about the difference between interior decorators and interior designers. A lot of this confusion stems from the plethora of "design" shows out there on HGTV, TLC, and the DIY network, where the "designers" are usually nothing more than glorified show hosts who have great taste and creativity when it comes to home decor.

Please don't call me a decorator. I'm going to school for Interior Design, which is more closely related to Architecture. What is the difference?

A decorator typically uses already-designed elements to decorate an environment, whereas a designer is often creating the environment. A decorator is only dealing with cosmetic changes, whereas a designer can completely create or redesign a space on a more permanent level. If you'll forgive the brazenness of the analogy, it's the difference between changing your bra and changing your bust size.

For instance, a decorator will decide which drapes should adorn your windows. A designer will decide what size and shape your windows should be, and where they should be placed in your space.

A decorator will determine the best arrangement of your furniture; a designer will determine the best arrangement of your floor plan.

A decorator will decide on the best material for your kitchen countertops; a designer will decide on the best layout for your kitchen.

A decorator will determine which light fixtures best compliment your decor; a designer will determine where your electrical and light boxes should be located in your space.

A decorator needs little more than good taste, business savvy, and your trust in his or her abilities to practice interior decoration. In more and more states, a designer needs a degree from an accredited school, six year's combined schooling and work experience under a licensed architect or designer, and the passing of the two-day NCIDQ exam to be licensed to practice interior design. Being licensed means an interior designer can be held criminally negligible, much like a doctor, lawyer, or architect, for failing to meet certain safety and health standards as laid out in national, state, and municipal building codes. That means they can not only be sued, but serve jail time for endangering the lives of others.

More and more states are requiring licensing in order for someone to call themselves an "interior designer" because so many design decisions do, in fact, impact your health and safety. In time, the term "interior designer" may be dropped altogether in favor of the term "interior architect," as this is a better description of the kind of education and work someone like me is training to do.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say interior decorators do not have a worthy profession*. It takes talent and skill to put together a beautiful room, carefully choosing all the furniture, colors, textiles, etc., that will make a space really sing. And I love watching all those "design" shows on HGTV, TLC, and the DIY network. But the reality is that many things that an interior decorator can do, an interior designer can also do, but an interior designer is capable of so much more. Just like an architect can do everything an interior designer can do, but can also do so much more.

In practice, many architectural firms employ interior designers to deal with the interior of buildings (layout, lighting, fixtures, finishes, materials, etc.) not because the architects are incapable of making those decisions, but because many architects are more concerned with the overall design of the whole building. Also, the material and finish options change so quickly, and there are so very many options available, that it makes more sense to hire or retain an interior designer to keep pace with all the developments in those areas than for the architect to deal with those in addition to designing a whole building.

There are many fields within the realm of interior design: textile design, furniture and lighting design, residential, commercial, service and hospitality, and industrial, to name just a few. Interior designers can be little more than code monkeys, so to speak (or CAD monkeys, as it were); drafting another designer's or architect's ideas, all the way up to Lead Designers of their own firms, creating spaces for movie theaters, restaurants, and theme parks.

So if you want someone to just help you pick out paint or furniture, hire an interior decorator. If you want someone to help you design your kitchen remodel, hire an interior designer. And make sure they are NKBA certified. Yes, there are special certifications within the field of interior design that can help you determine where an interior designer's specialties and interests lie.

All this licensing is a stressful and time-consuming process for those of us who endeavor to work in the field, but it is meant to set professional guidelines and practices that protect you, the consumer, and all who inhabit your space, from shady or negligent people.

Remember, good design takes time, effort, know-how, and hard work!

*In the future, it's very likely that even the term "interior decorator" will require some sort of licensing and exam process, since even the kind of fabrics or other materials an interior decorator chooses have health and safety consequences for inhabitants.

Paint!

Many of you (ok, two of you) have already alluded to needing advice about painting your rooms, so I thought I'd start with that topic. Yes, it's true that paint is the quickest and cheapest way to change the look and feel of your space. But hold on: paint can quickly become an expensive, time-consuming, and disappointing endeavor if you aren't careful. And before I delve into how to go about picking the color of paint that's just right for you, I must first address what kind of paint is the best.

No doubt about it, latex paint (that is, water-based paint) is the healthier, less-messy option (as opposed to oil-based paint). It cleans up with just soap and water, and isn't so fume-y. And if you have the option, I highly recommend low- or no-VOC paints. VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds, and they are bad for the environment and bad for us. You'd think that with "organic" in the name, it would be good, but "organic" simply means "carbon-based." As the name implies, volatile organic compounds are unstable, and can cause upper respiratory problems, nose and throat discomfort, irritate allergies, cause skin reactions, headache, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. VOC's are the number one contributer to the indoor air quality in your home being up to 100 times worse than the outdoor air quality. They are found in pesticides, adhesives, copier fluids,furniture finishes, varnish, stains, and paints. Contrary to popular belief, just because the smell goes away doesn't mean the product has stopped off-gassing: many products off-gas for the life of the product. That is why it is important to avoid them as much as possible. Companies such as Sherwin -Williams and American Pride offer low- or no-VOC paints in a variety of colors. A gallon may cost a bit more, but people who have tried these brands say they cover better, don't have that nasty smell, and are overall a better value as a result. And if your local paint or hardware supply store doesn't carry low- or no-VOC paint, tell them they should! Many stores and paint brands are offering at least a low-VOC option, and if companies want to compete for your business, they better keep up.

Have I convinced you enough to choose low- or no-VOC paint yet? Good, now let's get on to the fun part: choosing the color!

Remember how I mentioned that choosing the wrong color can turn a seemingly inexpensive decorating decision into a very costly one? Sure, paint is cheap compared to say, buying new furniture or curtains, but you also must consider the time it costs you to choose paint, prep and prime your walls (if necessary--which it probably is), protect anything in the room you don't want painted, buy rollers, paint pans, brushes, etc., and, of course, the backbreaking time it takes to actually paint your walls. Throw in the money on pizza and beer you spent to entice three friends to give up a Saturday to help, and suddenly choosing the wrong shade is looking like a very costly, time-consuming, and embarrassing mistake. Good luck getting those three friends back over to help you paint over all the hard work they did last weekend!

I'm not telling you this to intimidate you to the point of inaction; I just want to impress upon you that it's important to give careful consideration to the color(s) you choose.

So, how do you choose? I'll tell you the #1 secret to picking the right color, the first time. Most people skip this step because they're impatient and they just want to Do Something to make their house feel "decorated." But I promise, this step is the most important thing you can do to ensure a satisfactory color choice. Do you want to know what that #1 step is? Of course you do; that's why you're still reading.

Pick your paint color last.

Are you planning on buying new furniture soon? A new rug? New curtains? Then for the love of van Gogh, don't pick up a paint brush just yet. Here's why: it's easier, and less expensive, to match paint colors to fabrics than vice versa. Are you happy with your couch color, rug, and/or comforter pattern? Is there a special painting over your mantle? Then pick a color that matches or complements your fabrics, rug, or picture. Pick a color that doesn't compete, but brings out whatever colors you'd like to highlight from the fabric or painting. For instance, if you have a couch with a jazzy yellow, purple, teal and black pattern, you may choose a lighter shade of yellow or a softer shade of plum to make the remaining colors stand out more. If you have a couch, rug, or painting with softer shades overall, it's perfectly fine to match a color exactly without fear that it will be too overwhelming for your space. If you are not afraid of bold colors, by all means, choose one directly out of your fabric or painting. Be careful, however, that you don't pick the dominant color out of your sofa or painting (especially your sofa) or your room will be overwhelmed by a single color. For example, let's say you have a framed print of this William Morris wallpaper hanging over your mantle:



If you want to highlight this print with your paint color, you can do so sufficiently by choosing that light, creamy color in the center of the main flower, or even the light rust that is on the tips of the petals. OR, if you're feeling more adventurous and desire a cooler (in "temperature") color, you can choose a lighter version of the green that is in the leaves, or the lovely robin's egg blue in the smaller flowers. If you are really wild and have the kind of bold personality that can pull it off, you could even choose the deep shade of salmon-pink that is in the main flower's leaves. The one color to avoid is the background color. Aside from the fact that it is black, the background color is too prevalent already: adding more of a background color is often too much. I would never recommend painting your entire walls black, as it absorbs all light and has been proven to cause depression, anger, and feelings of dis-ease in those who inhabit such a space. Let black handle more auxiliary purposes, or leave it to the professionals.


But let's say you have a sofa in a solid color; a nice neutral beige or grey, and you're wanting to add a little decorating pizazz with paint. First, decide if you want a "cool" feeling to the room, or a "warm" feeling. Cool colors, such as blue, green, and indigo, will make the room feel cooler, temperature-wise, and more expansive, whereas warm colors, such as red, yellow, and orange make a room feel warmer and cozier. Psychological tests have proven that people feel cooler in cool-colored rooms, and warmer in warm-colored rooms--to the point where the testers were able to change the actual temperature of the room by several degrees before the subjects "felt" hot or cold, respectively.

Next, you must consider the amount of light your room gets, and where that light comes from. North-facing rooms will get a cooler quality of light than south-facing rooms. Eastern rooms will receive bright morning sun, but will be in shade by midday, whereas western rooms will be dark in the morning and get bright sun in the mid-to-late afternoon. Do you want to enhance the effect that natural light plays in the room, or seek to subdue it? For instance, you may want to enhance a kitchen's east-facing, morning light by painting the walls or cabinets a warm cheery color, such as a bright cinnamon. Alternately, you may wish to counter the intense light your south-facing living room gets in late afternoon by painting the walls a soft slate blue. There is no right or wrong answer in terms of what effect you want. The mistakes happen when you pick a color that doesn't give you the desired effect. That's why taking into considerations the quality of light is so important.

And speaking of light, artificial lighting can also alter the color of your walls. The paint chip can look puce in the hardware store, but lavender rose when put on your walls under different lighting. This can be distressing, especially when you're trying to match the paint to your throw pillows, and they match at the store, but they're showing up as two different colors under your compact fluorescent lighting at home, where you really need them to match. I recommend taking home a few different paint chips in a variety of shades that you think will match, to see which will look best with your throw pillows under your home lighting. Narrow it down to two or three shades, and paint a 2' x 2' square of each, side-by-side on two walls. Yes, two walls. Two adjacent walls. If you don't want to paint on the walls, paint on pieces of sturdy white matte board or poster board (many hardware stores offer white boards for just this purpose) and affix them to your walls. Leave them there for a few days, observing the effects of various kinds of natural and artificial light. Move them around to different areas if you'd like, especially in areas where you notice the lighting is different (e.g., a dark corner). Naturally, the paint color will look different in shadow than it does in direct natural light. The question you must ask yourself is, "do I like the way this color looks in all these different lighting schemes?" If the color looks too orange or purple or whatever, especially in an area where you absolutely need it to look red or blue, by gum, than move on to the next shade. Hold your 2' x 2' swatch up to the thing you're especially interested in matching or complementing, such as your couch or painting. Ask the opinion of a few trusted friends. When you've found the shade you are sure looks best, you can paint with confidence.

Another important word of advice: when you've found a shade you think is perfect, pick the shade just above it, that is, one shade lighter on the paint strip or paint palette. Most people don't realize how intense or dark a shade is until it's covering an 8x12-foot wall, rather than a 3x3-inch paint chip. It's at that point that the brilliant, Caribbean-sky blue you picked from the paint chip looks more like Jiffy corn muffin box blue spread all over your bathroom walls. Yes, I speak from experience on that one.

The one possible exception to this caveat is red. I could write a whole blog post just on the color red! Red is a world unto itself. Go too light, and it's pink; go too dark, and it's brown. But I digress.

Finally, should you choose a flat finish, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, or glossy? Depends. Most hardware stores can give you excellent advice and recommendations for your particular situation, but a good rule of thumb is that areas that get more hands-on wear (such as kitchens, bathrooms, and kids' rooms) need at least an eggshell or satin finish (i.e., more washable) whereas flat provides a smoother, powdery-finish and is ideal for covering up little bumps or other minor imperfections on your walls. I don't recommend semi-gloss or glossy for walls, but they are ideal for trim.

Remember, painting can be a cheap and relatively easy way to give your rooms a fresh new look. But it often requires the same amount of careful planning that picking out furniture or curtains does. Those who make these decisions for a living, of course, can pick colors faster and with more confidence, either because they have a good eye for color, or they've had years of training and experience. But you can pick colors with confidence, too, as long as you are patient and carefully consider all the factors I've mentioned above. And getting the opinion of a few friends never hurts, either. Just make sure you ask the opinion of friends who at least know how to match their socks to their outfit.


If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section. I'll either answer them there, or answer them in a separate blog post.

Design Affects You

Every tangible thing around you was designed by someone or something. Whether created by Nature, an architect, an engineer, or an artist, design is the unseen component that shapes and directs how that object is seen, used, and experienced. From the shape of your car to the shape of your chair, designed items are all around you. There is good design, and there is bad design, and often there are several factors which tip the balance in favor of one or the other; including, but not limited to, economics, aesthetics, convenience, and time constraints.

The goal of any design is to offer a solution to some sort of problem. Good design is safe, simple, functional, beautiful, and improves our lives in some way. Bad design is dangerous, complicated, hard to use or navigate, ugly, and hinders us in some way. Bad design is easy to do and is often the result of inexperience, ignorance, laziness, apathy, lack of imagination, or inability to anticipate future problems or scenarios. Good design, of course, requires more thought, care, research, skill, creativity, and vision.

As a student of interior design, I've become increasingly aware of all the ways our lives are shaped and influenced by the world of design; whether that be architecture, graphic design, industrial design, or some other form of design. I am convinced that many aspects of our lives can be improved by good design.

This blog is dedicated to educating, informing, and inspiring my readers to recognize good design and make informed decisions concerning design. I am a student, and I don't have all the answers, so by all means, if you are more experienced or better educated, or just have a different viewpoint, please share your knowledge! We are all here to learn from each other. I want your life to be better by design.