Residential Interior Design

Residential design focuses on the planning and specifying of interior materials and products used in private residences. It implies that an interior designer is working within an environment in which an individual resides for a relatively fixed period of time. Most of the time, an individual person enters into a contract

with a designer to design the interior of his or her family's home. An exception is the design of so-called model homes. In that instance, an interior designer creates a homelike environment but is providing services to a real estate developer or management office. Similarly, many corporations hire interior designers to create spaces for employees to live in while on temporary assignment. The area of assisted living, generally for senior citizens, is a bridge between residential and contract design. Although these quarters are designed to house residents in their own spaces, a managing agent contracts for the design.

Residential design includes the following subspecializations:

• model apartments

• retirement housing

• assisted-living quarters

• multi-dwelling complexes

• apartments, condominiums, cooperatives

• home entertainment design

• bath design

• kitchen design

• home office design

• recreational and therapeutic design (e.g., spa, sauna, pool, and workout areas)

• storage design

• children's rooms

1. What are two main categories of interior design projects?

2. What subspecializations do residential and contract design include?

B. Understanding details. Give extensive answers to the questions that follow.

1. What does residential design focus on?

2. What subspecializations does residential design include?

3. What are subspetializations of contract design?

4. What does corporate design (entertainment design, facilities management, health care design, hospitality and restaurant design, institutional and government design, retail and store planning design) include?

C. Understanding meanings.

1. Choose the best explanation for the phrase “retail and store planning design”

1. Design for exhibitions and shopping malls.

2. Design for nightclubs and recreational facilities.

2. Choose the best explanation for the phrase “corporate design”

1. Design for conference rooms and corporate apartments.

2. Design for rehabilitation centers and nursing homes.

IV. Vocabulary tasks

A. Word families

Complete the chart.

Verb	Adjective	Noun
		residence
create
		employee
	senior
	permanent
		pleasure
		safety
		maintenance
relocate
	temporary
downsize
store

B. Match these terms with their definitions.

1. Assisted living	a. A term used, especially in Europe, to describe the occupation taken up by several 18th-century men who employed cabinetmakers, painters, and sculptors to execute their designs for interiors.
2. Contract (or commercial) design	b. An individual who works only with surface decoration, such as paints, fabrics, and furnishings.
3. Residential interior design	c. A category of design in which a company, rather than individuals, is contracting for the services; also called commercial design. Within this broad category are several subspecializations, including office design, hospitality design, retail design, health care design, and facilities management.
4. Interior architect	d. A form of housing, usually for senior citizens, that is designer to house residents in their own space within a larger facility.
5. Interior decorator	e. A category of design that focuses on the planning and specification of interior materials and products used in private residences.

V. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences with an appropriate word. The first letter of each word has been given to help you.

1. An interior designer creates a h………… environment.

2. Interior designer create spaces for e……….. to live in while on temporary assignment.

3. An interior designer provides services to a real estate d………. .

4. Specialists of facilities management address safety and health i………. .

5. Psychiatric facilities, clinics and h…..….. are included in health care design.

6. Community centers, airports, rail stations and p………. are included in institutional and governmental design.

VI. Over to you

Living/ Working Environment of the Future.

You are an interior designer hired to create an environment that will be used in the future as a studio for a forward-thinking young artist. In essence, you have been asked to plan for the design of a space five years out. The space is approximately 15by 20 feet, with a ceiling height of 8 feet.

Using what you have learned about historical styles, the influences that have learned about historical styles, the influences that have an impact on design, current trends, and lifestyle themes, prepare a preliminary presentation for this client. Choose from the various graphic techniques you have learned to convey the concept you have for the space. These techniques, either hand or computer drawn, may include sketches of the floor plan with furniture layout, perspective drawing of sketches, elevations, or models. Prepare a one-page summary of your plans for the space, including the design concept; key architectural features; fixtures, furnishings, and equipment; and color.

You are an interior designer hired to create an environment that will be used in the future as a studio for a forward-thinking young artist. In essence, you have been asked to plan for the design of a space five years out. The space is approximately 15 by 20 feet, with a ceiling height of 8 feet.

Using what you have learned about historical styles, the influences that have an impact on design, current trends, and lifestyle themes, prepare a preliminary presentation for this client. Choose from the various graphic techniques you have learned to convey the concept you have for the space. These techniques, either hand or computer drawn, may include sketches, elevations, or models. Prepare a one-page summary of your plans for the space, including the design concept; key architectural features; fixtures, furnishings, and equipment; and color.

Unit 4

AESTHETICS

I. Go through the following list of words and note their meaning.

AESTHETICS
English	Phonetics	Translation
attune (v.)	[ə'tju:n]	настраивать
beholder (n.)	[bɪ'həuldə]	наблюдатель
consensus (n.)	[kən'sensəs]	согласие
convincing (a.)	[kən'vɪnsɪŋ]	убедительный
current (a.)	['kʌrənt]	актуальный, текущий
derive (v.)	[dɪ'raɪv]	происходить
discern (v.)	[dɪ'sə:n]	различать
essence (n.)	['esns]	сущность
exposure (n.)	[ɪks'pəuʒə]	внешнее воздействие, экспозиция
intentionally (abv.)	[ɪn'tenʃənli]	намеренно
judge (v.)	['dʒʌdʒ]	судить, оценивать
merely (abv.)	['mɪəlɪ]	просто
react (v.)	[rɪ'ækt]	реагировать
reasonably (abv.)	['ri:znəblɪ]	разумно
regard (v.)	[rɪ'ɡɑ:d]	расценивать, принимать во внимание
remain (v.)	[rɪ'meɪn]	оставаться, находиться
valid (a.)	['vælɪd]	действительный

II. Before you read discuss this question:

• What do you think aesthetics deals with ?

III. Reading tasks

A. Understanding main points

Read the text about aesthetics and answer questions below the text:

Design—whether for interiors, graphics, fine arts, textiles, or industrial products, to name just a few applications—has several key features. Among them are skillful planning of the arrangement of parts, an intended purpose, original ideas, and culmination in a complete artistic unit. This chapter addresses the building blocks that produce good design, that is, design that is successful in meeting its intended artistic and functional goals.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics, derived from the Greek word relating to perception, may be defined as the study or theory of beauty and our responses to it. It is the branch of philosophy that deals with art: its creation, its forms, and its effects. When something is described as beautiful, it denotes a pleasing appearance. If the standards by which we judge beauty are objective and therefore reasonably universal, is that in conflict with the notion that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? How do we factor in taste? Does form follow function? These questions are perpetually discussed and debated by designers in all disciplines.

In the dictum "form follows function," aesthetics drives the "form," or the visual aspect. Interior designers also need to determine whether a design is successful in a particular context, place, and time. The design should serve its intended purpose, that is, the "function" part of the dictum. Although we all have individual tastes or preferences, depending on our experiences and exposure, there is general consensus regarding what is pleasing to the senses and what is considered a positive experience. Fashion may come and go, but the essence of what makes for good design remains.

Examining the bones, not merely the skin, of a composition helps a designer to determine what is valid or convincing. Although we might not favor the fashion of the day during Queen Victoria's reign, an experienced, attuned, and trained eye will be able to discern the good Victorian from the bad, and what lies in between. Hindsight is helpful to detect whether we have or have not been influenced by current trends. The universal standards for good design tend to transcend culture, geography, and time. Understanding the rules of aesthetics, through knowledge, observation, and research, gives the designer the confidence to break the rules .intentionally, not by happenstance. Innovators in art and design have an understanding of how the general population will react to their work. For example, 20th-century artist Pablo Picasso aimed to upset the status quo and generate a variety of responses, even negative ones, to his creations. A good design is understandable on some level. It makes sense even if the meaning is esoteric and not considered the preferred solution by many observers.

To create or synthesize a composition, whether it be an interior, a building, a sculpture, or a painting, it is helpful to first be able to analyze. What are the most basic building blocks of the composition? What are the existing components? What problems or solutions do they pose? What may be developed, added, changed, or eliminated? How does a designer group these elements? The purpose of any design is to organize its various parts into an integral whole. How are the components in the composition combined to create harmony? These are some of the questions dealt with in this chapter.

1. How would you define aesthetics ?

2. Do you agree with the notion that beauty is in the eye of the beholder ?

3. How do you understand the dictum ‘ form follows function ,?

4. What gives the designer the confidence to break the rules of aesthetics intentionally ?

5. What is the purpose of any design ?

B.Understanding details. Mark these statements T (true) or F (false) according to the information in the text. Find the part of the text that gives the correct information.

1. Good design is design that is successful in meeting its intended artistic and functional goals.

2. Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy that deals with culture.

3. The universal standards for good design tend to transcend culture, history and time.

4. Understanding the rules of aesthetics gives the designer the confidence to break the rules by happenstance.

5. To create a composition it is helpful first to be able to analyze.

IV. Vocabulary tasks

A. Definitions

Match these terms with their definitions.

1.Aesthetics	a. The basic line, shape, and configuration of an object that serve to distinguish one object from another.
2.Form	b. The study or theory of beauty and our responses to it; the branch of philosophy that deals with art-its creation, forms, and effects-derived from the Greek world relating to perception.

B. Collocations

Match these verbs and nouns as they occur in the text.

1.appear	a. reaction
2.determine	b. determination
3.prefer	c. preference
4.observe	d. observation
5.react	e. appearance

V. Complete the sentences

Use an appropriate phrase to complete each sentence.

1. In the dictum ‘ form follows function ‘ aesthetics drives…

2. Although we all have individual tastes, there is general consensus…

3. Aesthetics may be defined as…

4. Design has several key features: …

5. Examining the bones of a composition helps a designer to determine…

VI. Over to you

Finding Harmony

Select two full-page color images from any magazine that features interior design. These images may show either residential of contract spaces. Choose one space that you feel reflects the design principle of harmony and another that does not reflect that principle.

Using your knowledge of the elements and principles discusses in this chapter, prepare a written justification of your choices. Present your observations of what makes one space harmonious and not the other. Describe the features that you consider less successful. Utilize the concepts and vocabulary terms associated with elements and principles of design to express your observations.