Why Design?

Posted by Fred on Apr-23-2008

Confessions of a Reformed Slob

There are a lot of people who don’t see the point of home design. I must say that there was a time in my life when I completely agreed with them. Picking out paint chips and sewing throw pillows seemed fussy and complicated. I wanted my life to be simple, so I rejected the idea of creating a plan for my home.

How wrong I was! Interior design isn’t about creating a place that’s impossible to live in. It’s just the opposite. Good design makes a how more comfortable and inspires a better life.

Home décor is about feeling at home.

To those of us who weren’t born with the desire to alphabetize our DVD collection, worrying about the placement of a couch may seem silly. I didn’t see the point of all of it either. Then, I tried it.

I started out simple. A few flourishes of color. I matched my curtains to my new duvet. This weird thing happened. When I went to my clean bedroom and shut the door, all the stresses of the day melted away. I was in a space that I liked. It was clean and put-together. My former self would have been bemoaning the extra few minutes it took to pick up my clothes, but the new me was happy to do it. Even today, when I need to recharge I just straighten up my room, lie on the bed, and look around. It’s my space, and it’s comfortable and beautiful.

Design is organization; organization is design.

Design is dependent on everything being in its place. This doesn’t mean there are hard and fast rules about décor. The best plans marry aesthetics with functionality.

Organization is not all about labels and filing systems. It is all about making things easy to find and use. Don’t be afraid of organizing your home. Once you start sorting, things will look better and task will become easier.

Start planning a room by laying out everything you need access to. Chances are, the simplest solutions are the best for your design. If you’ve ever put books into a bookcase, then congratulations! You’ve implemented a design by organizing.

Make it cohesive.

The most important thing to remember about design a room is that people should want to use it. You don’t achieve this by getting matchy-matchy with fabrics or overstimulating people. Most of the time making something come together is about making it comfortable for all aspects of daily living.

There is a great post about getting started with this over at The Inspired Room. Setting a plan and following through on making a room functional can make all the difference.

Try “designing” a room by cleaning up and rearranging. Soon, you’ll understand the freedom and fun of interior design.