When people think about interior design, they envision glamorous, totally wild, creative artists. I think many would be surprised to discover that I mathematically think about the space planning and physical boundaries first, and then the aesthetics. Every interior design decision I make about the space for my clients has to function properly first; I can tweak the aesthetics next.
When it comes to selecting fixtures for tiny spaces—specifically bathrooms—defining physical boundaries and limitations is the key. Bathrooms are often very small, and I need to pack several functions into the fixtures. Incorporating my clients’ personal style and color is much easier, and is a more intuitive and artistic approach, once I fully understand my clients’ preferences. I put a lot of energy and time into understanding what my clients want in the very beginning of a project. This way, it’s not a guessing game for me, and creates accountability for me to select something we discussed during our initial interior design discussions. As a professional interior designer, it’s a must that I understand principles of design in terms of form and function. Each fixture I select and recommend as a designer becomes a part of my unique design of texture, pattern, lines, and color. I have to say lighting plays the key role in designing a space, because without lighting, nothing I create can be seen and displayed well in the space. Lighting fixtures must strike a perfect balance of form and function, and it sometimes becomes the hardest for me to specify.
When I specify fixtures, I like to mix real (not fake) materials, such as glass, wood, stones, metal, tiles, etc., so that my design will have layered effects in space. Budgets become a limitation sometimes, because real materials and well-made, thought-out pieces and fixtures are not cheap. We need to find a balance and substitution to achieve the reality and what my clients like. This is not an easy task! At the end of the day, I am more a pragmatic designer than a dreamer. So I always come up with an alternative and a solution!
*Featured image by Quark Studio.
