Ok, if you are a designer living in the Arab world you will probably guess what this is about. As designers, our job is one of the most underestimated in terms of value, any value be it monetary or appreciation.The notion is that if it is not concrete, i.e. not something sold at a shop, then it has no physical value. I am not generalizing of course or that will be offensive to those clients my fellow designers and I have had great relationships with over the years and who actually appreciate the fact that a design job is best designed by a designer and not the carpenter who did a nice door for a cousin, no offense intended I love carpenters and work with them all the time! I will be posting such short incidents that either happened with me or other designers to lighten things up yet at the same time throw in a message that involves our job. I would love for anyone of you reading this and who would like to share a story or a certain point to email me and share with us, it would really be nice and add a personal aspect to the great creations designers come up with.
A very dear friend and talented interior architect was discussing this with me and sent me this:
What is an Interior Architect?
I went with this Client to his residence to be; an apartment with a nice view, still under construction, with nothing completed but some civil works.“This is the bedroom”, he said. “I think the dressing table should be right here”.
So, you say, what is wrong with such a statement?
Before looking at items, the interior architect looks at the whole, starting from big to small, from wide to narrow, just as a camera lens, zooming after framing. And that is why an interior architect is hired; he or she sees the place in multi dimensions, the structure of the house, then goes in the details of every room. Wall colors are just taste, not the Interior Architect choice.
So why is the design process underestimated?
A client is wondering why he or she has to pay actual fees for some sketches, some colored lines on pieces of papers.
The answer is simple; it is because the client hires the Interior Architect’s mind, not just his knowhow. Good Interior Architects think thoroughly their design, from infrastructure to functionality, from space to areas. They create suitable places for their clients’ way of life that suits their activities. Every client is different; every member of a family is different. The Interior Architect is the analytical mind behind every member desire.
Qualified after studies and experience to work, accredited by other clients, the interior Architect enters people’s homes to discover how they live and how it can be better tailored to increase the person’s energy, creativity and performance. It is much more than choosing carpets and furniture.
Interior Architects’ primary job is to offer the opportunity for a better living. If this doesn’t
deserve a pay, then neither doctors nor social workers with their noble vocation do. If you are
hiring an Interior Architect, don’t pay for his time or expertise; pay for his vision to build you a
Home.
Thank you Pascale A. !!