By Annette Phillips, ASID
Have you ever wondered why in some public restrooms you need to climb over other people to get paper towels, put your bags on a wet surface and squeeze out the door to leave while others are so simple you don’t even think about the process? The answer: Space Matters!
As designers, we are charged with improving the function, maintaining safety and creating beauty for interiors. The aesthetics receive the glory, grab attention and are debated according to each individual’s preference. The true value of interior design, however, seldom gets noticed. In fact, the best design applications create solutions that would be sorely missed but are largely taken for granted.
We all know that with public areas, there are guidelines and requirements for safety and accessibility required by law. Have you ever thought about how these same guidelines could help you in the most important environment — your home? In addition to the standard applications, your designer applies criteria dictated by your life and habits. When setting up a kitchen: Are you right- or left-handed? What is your cooking style? What items do you use the most? How can the space be arranged to accommodate your morning routine? Throughout the home: How and where do you work, watch TV and read? Do any physical limitations need to be considered? We solve these issues so that you own your world, not the other way around.
Next we add color, texture, form and balance based on what we have learned about your preferences. When the design is complete it reflects your personality and gives you pleasure daily. When we do our job right, you won’t think about how awkward things are to use. Because they aren’t!
So next time you move seamlessly through a space, complete a task, feel comfortable and welcomed, or have a shelf above the sink for your bag, notice that it was designed. We were thinking about you. #SpaceMatters
Annette Phillips, ASID, is principal of Inspired Design LLC in Vienna, Va, designing award-winning homes throughout the Washington, D.C. metro area. Hear more from Annette in these ASID videos.
Photo by JW Smith Photography
