
Interior designers are responsible for making rooms and indoor spaces comfortable, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Interior design applies to a wide variety of spaces, ranging from residential and corporate to public and industrial. It also involves color schemes, textiles, lighting, design materials and sustainability. Interior design is a field that focuses more on art than functionality and incorporates aesthetic elements such as furniture, flooring, walls, window coverings and artwork. Related: Learn About Being an Architect What is interior design? Interior architects also assist with material tests required by local agencies or codes. They may supervise contractors, manage scheduling and ensure that the construction team uses the appropriate building materials and methods. Once projects commence, interior architects often visit the construction site to oversee progress. They often research and test building materials and construction methods to confirm that they adhere to required codes and regulations. Interior architects also frequently collaborate with other architects as well as interior designers, engineers and construction teams, especially when working on complex projects.īecause their projects involve safety and sustainability, architects must understand and abide by building codes and government regulations that apply to the interior space. Most seek out contractors to carry out their projects, which may involve drafting agreements and hiring temporary team members. Interior architects are also responsible for creating project plans that include cost estimates and proposed timelines. These plans often reflect aesthetic aspects of the design along with structural elements like electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Many interior architects then sketch their preliminary ideas manually before using computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting and building information modeling (BIM) applications to create scaled plans for the interior space. Those who specialize in designing new spaces may work with other architects to ensure that their plans for the interior space work seamlessly with plans for the rest of the structure.Īs they develop interior plans, these architects assess the environment around the space, study the natural light and assess the feasibility of potential plans. Those who focus on the latter analyze the existing interior structure of the space to assess any limitations or requirements. Some interior architects specialize in designing new spaces, while others focus on refurbishing existing spaces. Their projects typically begin with meeting with clients to determine their requirements and preferences for spaces. Interior architects often manage complex sets of tasks to address when planning a room. Professionals who practice interior architecture typically focus on a combination of structural elements, building materials and artistic components. This field involves making the room safe and functional as well as designing aesthetically-appealing lighting, color and texture for a space. Interior architecture is a practice that incorporates the art of design and the science of architecture, and it focuses on the technical aspects of planning and building a room. In this article, we discuss the difference between interior architecture and interior design to help you discover the right career for you. Interior architecture and interior design both involve creating appealing rooms and indoor areas, but these fields have distinct responsibilities and requirements.

If you have an interest in planning interior spaces for living and working, you have more than one career path to consider.
