Interior design is often confused
with interior decoration. However, decoration deals with selecting
finishes and furnishings for existing spaces as well as the
application of surface treatments. Interior design addresses
space volumes and spatial sequences, requiring the designing
of the space itself, and also including the planning of furnishings
and specifying surfaces and/or finishes. In actual practice,
interior designers work on projects covering the whole spectrum
of human activities. It includes business and commercial settings
(offices & shops), places for recreation and hospitality
(hotels, restaurants, resorts), health and cultural institutions
(hospitals, schools, museums, theaters, churches), and residential
interiors (single and multi-family dwellings). A typical interior
design firm probably has fewer than 10 employees with a wide
range of responsibilities. However, interior designers can
also work in large offices with other professionals such as
architects, engineers, or contractors. In this larger setting,
an interior designer would most likely have a more focused
area of expertise. An interior design degree can also be an
avenue into related fields requiring specific product or process
knowledge such as being a sales rep for a certain building
product, lighting design, textile design, furniture design,
or kitchen & bath design.
