Ignorance Isn't Bliss

It seems as though people tend to steer from the truth in order to help themselves. I have never been one to do this, but there are many within the interior design industry that believes our profession is merely an occupation. Why? I ask myself. Why would you want to degrade an idea that is as invigorating as interior design? We protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, a public that utilize buildings every day. To think that we are trying to keep our profession regulated for self-indulgence is beyond anything that I can comprehend. As a student, I have realized the hours of research and preparation that must be completed before any conceptual design occurs. As a person I have realized that not just anybody should design contract spaces. The public is unaware, and being a student I have seen that we need to educate the public. Opinion is not the case when it comes to the definition of what interior design is. Fact is the clear solution. 

When speaking about the health, safety, and welfare of the public, sustainability is a key idea that supports this concept. By utilizing sustainable concepts we are seeking materials that cause less waste and pollution in society. Designers are even recycling products from its previous space into new ones in order to create less waste.  According to Merriam Webster dictionary, sustainable is defined as “of, relating to or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.” Building constructions contribute to a large sum of waste within our society, and as a whole we must understand that in due time we need to remove our carbon foot print. Our society also consumes more energy and clean water than we actually are capable of producing. Through the use of motion sensors in spaces and implementing water saving faucets we can lower costs of electric and water bills for businesses and allow them to create a larger profit. 

Sustainability is the idea of thinking forward, and allowing this earth to be usable years from now. It is the idea of creating less waste and more innovative ideas that seek out efficiency and productivity within a space. These concepts should be implemented into every design on a daily basis, and anyone who calls themselves an “interior designer” but does not agree with the statements above should stop labeling themselves that right away. I don’t say this to be rude, I say this to let the people know that the hours of research that I conduct on sustainability is not a joke. I don’t decorate. I design. I am a logical person, and I understand the need to make a space be less damaging to the environment and the humans that utilize the space.