My tutor pointed out that I have made an interesting choice with my design which should give me some interesting parameters and factors when I consider the final design. My research is showing good communication of the skills needed to finalise my design. My tutor noted that I could have considered how this information could be further organised more as a reference as I continue with the next part of the design challenge. I have notes in my sketchbook with regards to dimensions, observations, if I organise this information a little better it will help me when I come to finish Assignment 10.
My tutor also noted my research into contemporary examples is good to see but how can I examine these in more detail, my tutor has given me a link to a site that will help me in doing so. The inspirational images that I showed are good to see but I need to analyse in more detail. I need to further show my understanding of the precedent research, of how these examples are communicated/constructed. I can do this by sketching my own thoughts and interpretations if drawings and sketches aren’t available. I must then consider how I can organise the precedents more systematically.
Going forward I have made a list to help organise my thoughts and actions
continue to build upon my drawing techniques when drawing technically
continue to build upon my graphics and presentation skills
continue documenting my ideas throughout my learning log and show my notes and analysis of my work
explore some precedent projects in more detail and record this information systematically
explore how I can organise my ideas and designs going forward
My tutor noted that my CAD and technical drawings skills are steadily improving, which was good to hear, and that my resulting design was functional and providing an interesting use. She was pleased to see that I can re-adjust my thinking regarding scale to re-consider the opportunities of a particular object. This particular assignment was about putting my imagination to good use and thinking outside of the box.
I could have helped further showcase my design in a more detailed level by showing the ergonomics of the design and how it is comfortable/functional for the user, I could have done this by showing a human figure leaning into the box, how is the lid lifted and closed. I will return to this design and put those things in place and show the design drawings to back up my idea.
When I’m drawing technically, I need to remember to add line thicknesses to help communicate my drawings.
Going forward I have made a list to help organise my thoughts and actions
continue to build upon my drawing techniques when drawing technically
continue to build upon my graphics and presentation skills
continue documenting my ideas throughout my learning log and show my notes and analysis of my work
Following feedback from my tutor I then made the following changes.
I made another technical drawing showing the lid staying open with a pneumatic lid lifter. I then placed a figure to scale leaning into the pod showing it’s functionality, how the items can be placed into the recycling pod. I also changed the line thickness to show depth in the part itself. As I continue to use Autocad I must remember to adjust the line thickness to really show the depth of the object.
For this exercise, I have found several examples of different types of fitted furniture that have different functions or purposes. Most of this research was made online but there are a few of fitted furniture that I have worked on in client’s homes. The pieces I have chosen I admire and and intrigued to find out more about.
Here is a bathroom cupboard that houses the sink. It is made of a timber frame with tongue and groove panels on the side and the front doors. It matches the rest of the bathroom and fits in well with both the materials and colours. I like this idea but would prefer to create a style that’s in keeping with the property. This bathroom has been clad in tongue and groove for practical purposes, it’s easy to wipe clean and repaint if and when needed.
MDF tongue and groove style panels would have been added to the walls using a strong adhesive and around the basin with the timber for the edging, using nails and screws to fix it in place. Once in place it can be painted in a suitable paint, for this bathroom the product of choice would be an eggshell, for the protection against water damage in a bathroom setting.
Here is an example of floor to ceiling furniture that can be functional in a living room, an office or a bedroom. Glass doors are great for displaying nicer items and then you have the cupboards at the bottom for less aesthetic items. The unit is versatile and comes in lots of different variations, made from particleboard, melamine foil and plastic edging. So if the materials aren’t a priority and you are looking for a bargain this could offer the perfect solution.
Fixing instructions on the left creates the unit in the photograph
Another of our client’s had two single beds made in the eaves of their attic room with three drawers under each for storage. Each bed has it’s own light switch on the middle panel dividing the two with lights fitted above. The design is very simple and is made to fit two single mattresses. I think this design is very clever and utilising a space under the eaves that otherwise might be difficult to use.
The bed bases and drawer fronts are made from MDF and the surrounding frame is made from pieces of pine timber and fixed together using nails.
Fig. 3 – An image of two single beds purposely made in one of my clients homes
During the summer of 2022, whilst on holiday, I had the pleasure of visiting a beautiful pottery shop in Heraklion, Crete. Here is a photo of the display they had in the shop. It’s cube style shelving is made from plaster and stone, each shelf is a different style, this I really like because it adds character to the backdrop but lets the product shine. There seems to be quite a depth to the shelves too, the shop isn’t very large and so this will help with storage of the pottery, you can fit more than a few items on each shelf. The spotlights are an added bonus putting emphasis on each of the pottery items.
Fig. 4 – My own photo of a pottery shop in Heraklion, Crete
Painted in white it just lets the pottery stand out, a very good marketing technique, it really is a beautiful shop with the most helpful assistant. It is at this building point that the electrics would be added to add spotlights. Then it can be painted and becomes a great display unit, the shape of holes vary adding interest to the design.
When we visited in July they encouraged us make a small dish from a ball of clay. We had to leave our dishes in the shop, to dry, but in exchange they let us choose from a collection that other customers had made. I thought this was such a cute idea, of course I inscribed my Instagram name into the side and only a few weeks later a lady from Spain, picked mine up and tagged me in their post on social media, what a beautiful way to connect people from around the world.
Here is one of our client’s bespoke kitchen cupboards. There is a plate rack on the side which has fake doors on the front. There is a cupboard underneath that which functions as storage space for kitchen items. It was made using solid oak and finished to a very high standard, we sanded each piece down and oiled them to bring them back to life. The style and colour of these units suits the large open plan kitchen, a practical and traditional country house style kitchen.
Fig. 5 – An kitchen unit in one of my clients homes
Solid wooden units are made using dovetail joints and the basic carcass is then put together in this way.
The decorative brickwork was designed by A. Dunbar Smith and Cecil Brewer in 1898, resides at The Mary Ward House. Tavistock Place, London. A beautiful example of how the brick has weathered over the last 120 plus years, exposed to extreme temperatures and moisture, they look wonderful connecting to the story of the red brick chimney breast wall I hope to uncover and restore.
Fig. 6 – Decorative brickwork, The Mary Ward House. Tavistock Place, London
To give the design a little more context, this brick design is on the side of the building in the image below. The Mary Ward House, London was designed by A. Dunbar Smith and Cecil Brewer and is considered to be one of the best Arts and Crafts buildings in London. It was the headquarters of the National Institute for Social Work Training and has a long history of making a valuable contribution to society and the local community.
Here are perfect examples of traditional pieces of real wooden furniture that would have served as a cupboard in a room but have now been converted for use in a bathroom. This style of furniture is how I imagine my design to look, the style and colour are both warm and tangible, they have character, so many stories to tell. A vanity basin and counter top fitted to suit the cupboard, a wonderful combination. Put this combination in front of a brick wall, mixed with a little industrial style. Even colour with the paintings of parrots add that extra bit of character, an original classic style.
Images found on the internet of furniture that gives me inspiration
In the image above, I have sketched a section of how I think the water and waste pipe would probably be set behind the tiles in the wall, the pipes would be joining the water pipes for the bath tub on the left hand side. I quite like the idea of no taps on the sink itself, maybe I could look at disguising the taps on my design once I’ve removed the existing tiles, it’s definitely food for thought.
After creating a site analysis and with all these ideas of how to design my piece of furniture for the ensuite bathroom, I then wrote a short brief defining the functionality of my piece – ‘A classic period style bathroom cupboard that houses the sink with a cupboard beneath for storing bathroom necessities’.
In the final projects of this unit I am going to design and communicate a new piece of fitted furniture for a space and purpose of my own choosing. The first step is to find a room, space or location where I would like to install a piece of fitted furniture. I have chosen a space in my own home and made a thorough site analysis and documented my findings.
In my loft converted bedroom I have an ensuite bathroom. When my husband and I converted the loft we were so glad that we chose to add a shower room in the space. Our children were very little at the time, ages 8, 5 and 1 years old, so the important factors for us were that we needed a clean practical space to shower and use the toilet. We were fully aware that we would be covering a beautiful element in the loft, a double breasted red bricked chimney wall, but at the time we needed to have our practical heads on. Almost 15 years later, we feel that it is now time to uncover this wall, we will remove the ceramic tiles, re-point the red brick chimney area and seal it. The space that sits between the two chimney’s joining is currently housing a sink and pedestal. It’s very undesirable, but again was a practical choice with having three young children. I will design a piece of furniture for this space, it will need to house a sink and storage area. My design will compliment the red brick chimney breast, I will look to design a functional, stylish piece of furniture which will have some historical reference to the original date the house was built. For more context, the house was built in 1905. It is mid terraced house with red brick exterior, stone mullions around the wooden sash windows. I am excited to take all of this information and design a bespoke piece of furniture that the room deserves.
Once I had chosen the space I made a list of what to include in my site analysis.
Assess and record the site, what’s adjacent to the site and any other relevant information
Any historical and cultural information
Site materiality and vernacular architecture
A personal response – mapping, observing, soundscapes, material, touch, smell, emotions
Whilst surveying the site, I sat on the floor in my bedroom looking towards the bi-fold doors with the sink area directly in front of me. The ensuite bathroom is tiled mostly, ceramic floor tiles and wall tiles with a plaster boarded ceiling. The shower cubicle to the left, is also tiled with travertine mosaic tiles in various shades of green and grey, surrounding a stone shower tray and accessed via bifold glass doors.
There is no natural light within the room, there is 3 artificial spotlights in the ceiling alongside an extractor fan. The WC sits opposite the shower to right with a thin wooden shelf above that, on the wall that houses various items such as a reed diffuser, an air freshener and a shaver. The sink is sat on a pedestal, with hot and cold taps. On the floor to the left of the pedestal is a basket container with cleaning bottles and materials in. The sink and pedestal sits inside a recess that effectively is the part between the two chimneys. It’s an oblong shape that tapers to a triangle. The tiles are of a light grey colour and feel cold to touch. The room is directly off the main bedroom in the loft area, which houses a king size bed and cupboards that sit under the eaves on the both sides of the room. There are two Velux windows on the opposite wall to the bed, the bed backs on the original beam running through the house. It is a very quiet space in the house. If the Velux windows are open in the bedroom you can hear the birds singing, the train running past a few houses down and the neighbours chatting in their gardens. If the shower is being used then you hear the running water, the squirt of the shower cream bottle and the occupant singing a happy tune. If the sink is being used you can hear the running water and the electric toothbrush buzzing. The flushing of the toilet can be heard and the extractor fan all the while extracting the steam until you turn off the light, then both the lights and fan stop working.
I sketched in elevation and plan and noted my thoughts on sounds, material, smell and emotional feelings about the bathroom. I also sketched ideas on how to layout my presentation using Indesign.
The smell of citrus comes from behind the WC in the form of a reed diffuser. The smell of lemon, vanilla and hemp oil can be found when the shower is being used amongst other smells from the hair and body products. All of these smells give me nostalgia and offer me a sense of belonging. My physical senses towards the space are that it is functional, practical and clean. Whilst I was analysing the space I was sketching the elevations and plans and show these alongside photographs in the site analysis document.
The research task was to search on a specific website for interior design student project presentation books, portfolios and reports that show a range of different visual images, sketches, texts, photographs and technical drawings, displayed together.
I found a few examples to compare the differences between them. I made notes of what I liked and disliked about each one.
The first project that caught my eye was by DMU Creative, published 9.6.22. This is the front page. My initial thoughts were that I liked the background mint green colour and the 3D effect of the open cubes, this immediately tells me there is a story of students within the De Montfort University of Leicester. I open the pages and read a few paragraphs from the programme leader, who talks about the students and how proud she is of their achievements, the next page is a list of the students names and who has contributed to the book. The students work then follows with each a double spread. At the end is an image of each tutor and their names.
My initial thoughts are;
I like the use of colour and graphics on the front page.
I’m impressed with the students individual design and their personal write up about their experience at the Uni and what their favourite moments were.
The information is clear and concise and also contains their Instagram name and Linked In name, a great way to introduce themselves as graduates.
Not only do they display their work, they also talk about it and their personal experiences during their time studying Interior Design. Each student’s work is quite different, they have all designed an interior space that is important to them, for which they give a short description of. Every single piece of work is inspiring and a great read. Towards the end of the book is a list of tutors, so I guess this book is also a good way of advertising the University.
The booklet overall is a great way of introducing the student’s work. There is a beginning with the introduction from the programme leader. I was hoping to see an ending, a written piece to sum up the student’s work and their time studying the course, that’s my only disappointment.
Fig. 1 – De Montfort University Leicester Interior Design presentation book published in 2022
The second project that I liked the look of was an Interior Design Undergraduate Portfolio by Reilly Kortus. My initial thoughts were how cool the front page graphics are, here initials RK but mirrored so the R is in reverse, a very simple font in a clever design. It was published 13th January 2021. Upon opening the pages I find an introduction from Reilly with her Resume and education details. The next page is a content page of her design work, a small paragraph about each design. The next pages are so impressive, she introduces the design and showcases her work through technical drawings, 3D images, presentations of her design choices. This encourages me to carry on reading. Her vision and ethos are very similar to my own, her presentation skills are beautifully presented.
My initial thoughts are;
I like the use of graphics on the front page.
Her introduction and contents page are very interesting and want me to read on further.
Her visual presentations skills are just wonderful, I’m impressed by the level of information and visuals in each double page spread.
After reading the first project and being disheartened by the ending I’m pleased to find a page that sums up her work. Her last page has her graphic initials, the same as the first page, but it says Thank you and then a quote ‘What we think, we become’. I very much believe this is the case, I’m very much inspired by another student’s work.
Fig. 2 – Interior Design Undergraduate Portfolio by Reilly Kortus published 13th January 2021
The third project I was also intrigued by was by Kim St-Hilaire, one was published 3 years ago and another 6 months ago. Both portfolio’s are brilliant but the latest is very different to the oldest. The 3 year old portfolio is definitely more student based, the latest is very professional and her presentations and text are beautiful and polished. It talks you through her profile and skills gained, which then goes on to concept and structural designs before diving into commercial, residential and furniture design. There are lots of really thought through sketches and diagrams that complete her portfolio.
My initial thoughts are;
The graphics and colours stand out to me.
There is a simplicity in the chosen font, putting emphasis on the written information.
Her presentations are clear, professional and thorough.
The idea of this exercise was to find project books that show a different range of information types, all three I have chosen display clear and elegant formats, which is something I aspire to do in my own presentations. All three have a story to tell, the only presentation I was a little disheartened by was the Uni students ending, I would have liked to see some text to wrap up the whole year group. I was looking for clear and elegant work and one that tells a story pulled together with great graphic and presentation techniques, most importantly communicating the full extent of the project intention and the most successful for me was the Interior Design Undergraduate Portfolio by Reilly Kortus published 13th January 2021. Her portfolio feels really personable, I feel that right from the beginning of her booklet that I’m getting to know her by reading her profile, her honesty in the detail inspires me to read further. I also particularly like the way she closes the booklet, with a personal message, I do think a personal touch is important.
Fig. 3 – Interior Architecture & Interior Design Portfolio by Kim St-Hilaire, published 30th May 2022
My tutor was pleased to see that I engaged with the shift in focus on this theoretical and thinking exercise and that I am continuing to build on my skills in communicating my ideas. My cohesion amongst the variety of imagery showcases that I thought through what constitutes beauty to me.
I must polish up on becoming more consistent with spacing of the images and the size of my text choice. My tutor was pleased to see the level of detail being explored in my research within the various tasks. I added my mind map to my learning log, my tutor would have liked to see my annotated close reading notes as well, this would then back up my considerations.
Going forward I have made a list to help organise my thoughts and actions
continue to build upon my techniques when exploring precedent to further inform my own work and ideas
continue to build upon my knowledge of other designers and their philosophies in terms of design and materials
continue to build upon my graphics and presentation skills
continue documenting my ideas throughout my learning log and show my notes and analysis of my work
For this assignment I am choosing another students drawing for a semi-collaborative project. This will help me understand the importance of my role in a collaborative process and the importance in the quality of information I need to provide as a designer. It’s important I give as much information when collaborating, this will help the design process.
For part 1 I have saved my previous A3 sheet that I produced in Exercise 1: A small object in detail. I uploaded my work to the student Padlet with my name and details on, hopefully another student will choose my design to repurpose and if they do I’m excited to see what ideas they produce.
For part 2 I have chosen another student’s A3 sheet, from this I will repurpose the object they have drawn at the stated scale. I will firstly make sketch proposals to explore different ideas, then once I have figured out the design I will communicate it and present it on an A3 sheet.
I already had a few ideas in mind and so went ahead and put them to paper. My ideas touched base on a sleeping pod for the homeless, a storage container, a food coolbox and a toybox. But the idea that really captured my imagination was the recycling pod. I used the scale 1:100 to repurpose the pill box as a recycling pod. The images below are my design thought processes.
Once I had completed sketching and measuring I got to working on my technical drawing, I made these drawings using Autocad. I created the drawings, added dimensions, added a human figure for scale and then added a title box.
So to complete my assignment I created an A3 presentation of my recycling pod idea using Indesign. I added technical drawings, images of the materials I would use of the exterior and interior of the actual pod and a written piece to fully communicate my idea. This assignment was challenging but it soon became apparent that everything I have learned over the last few years was coming to fruition. The research, the concept drawings, the technical drawings and then compiling all of that information to communicate to a client is vital, I loved bringing all of this information to one place, I’m really proud of what I have managed to create, what a fun task to challenge all areas of my learning. I now look at objects in a different way!
I chose an object no larger than I could fit in the palm of my hand. This object could possibly be repurposed for a different function, at a different scale, similar to the Borrowers who took objects from the human sized home that they lived within and repurposed them.
I sketched elevations on paper and added measurements to refer to when drawing in Autocad.
I then made technical drawings of the object showing elevation, plan and section drawings. This was so helpful because whilst drawing using Autocad I was learning new skills, helped by referring to videos on youtube and resources I accessed via the college. I put new skills and knowledge to the test and created the drawings of the object, added dimensions and scale then took this information and added the images to an A3 sheet on Indesign. I then wrote a description to explain what it looks like without showing photographs, because my task was to visually describe the object in as much detail as possible, which I believe I achieved. I also wrote the choice of two other scales that the bottle could possibly be repurposed as. It will be interesting to see if another student chooses my design and what they would repurpose the bottle as.
It took me a little while to choose my object, my two other choices were very difficult for me to draw technically on the computer. The first was a spiral hairband, the second a screw. Overall the exercise was fun and encouraged me to practise using Autocad. It does take some time to watch the tutorials but it is well worth it, this way of learning helps me understand and whilst seeing it visually then actively drawing helps me when making mistakes, all the new skills I have learnt will help me to correct those mistakes and to become more confident when doing technical drawings using Autocad.
I did a close reading on a piece of text that considers four types of answers to the question, what is beauty? I printed the text and read through a few times, underlining parts I deemed important to the question, then made notes to understand what was written.
The text breaks down various ways of looking at how we consider beauty, the four answers given look at simple quality, aesthetic qualities, non-aesthetic qualities and judgement. By stating that something is of a simple quality can close down any further discussion, we as humans always engage in discussion about how something looks aesthetically, we compare differences and back up those reasons with our own judgements. Another way of looking at beauty is to consider the aesthetic qualities present and there are so many terms to choose from, as well as emotional approach and the way we think, it’s all very complex.
Philosopher, Immanuel Kant, believed that beauty was important because it connects humans to the mystery of being, reminding us to be better within ourselves. He wrote that beauty is not about the physical properties of an object and that aesthetic judgements are a matter of taste.
Firstly, what are my own ideas of the concept of beauty in interior design? If a design or a space brings me feelings of happiness, I consider it to be beautiful. If something tastes amazing, I consider it to be beautiful. If I’m pleasantly surprised by an image or act then I consider it to be beautiful. I admire designers with innovative design that look at a more holistic approach, designs that will have a more positive impact socially and environmentally. The future of design needs to look at the wider impact on communities, how can people collaborate to want to make a difference, to be more inclusive. There must still be processes and imagination but more thoughtfulness and understanding about sustainability is important. By reducing the negative impacts on the environment we can create environments and experiences that will help have a positive impact on health, economic and social life.
I made a list of the visual qualities I find important for interior design; balance, colour, pattern, movement, scale, shape and harmony. The physical qualities of form, proportion, colour, texture, arrangement and materials are all important when putting together my presentation. I also did a mind-map, which includes physical qualities as well as emotional qualities. This mind-map I hope to transform into a visual version.
My mind map exploring my thoughts on Beauty
I have taken this information and made an A3 illustrated presentation of my own ideas of the concept of beauty in interior design, titled ‘What is Beauty?’. I have annotated each image explaining my reasons for using them.
My second choice of images that share similar physical spaces but evoke different intangible feelings are super skinny skyscrapers.
The first is of the skyscraper in 111 West 57th Street. The luxury designed tower tapers at the top like a pencil and has only one residence on each floor. Its east and west facades are clad in terracotta tiles with bronze accents, while glass curtain walls face Central Park to the north and Lower Manhattan to the south. The building standing at 472 metres hight and houses a 25-metre swimming pool, as well as other luxury amenities including a private dining room and a double-height fitness centre with a terrace.
Fig. 1 – 111 West, 57th Street, NYC skyscraper
My second image is of the MoMa Tower, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. It’s the 11th highest building in New York City and it’s certainly seems to have been built in the perfect spot and close proximity to all the great spots of the city, it’s in midtown Manhattan and has 360-degree views of the city skyline, including Central Park, the Hudson River, and the East River. The different layers to the structure give the building character, standing at 320 metres high it also boasts beautiful interiors.
Fig. 2 – MoMA Tower, NYC skyscraper
Both buildings have physical similarities but evoke different intangible feelings.
The first building, the 111 West 57th Street skyscraper screams power and importance, it wants to be the tallest building in NYC but for me the tallest isn’t always the best. It certainly has a sense of large scale because NYC have skyscrapers and that’s nothing new but this skyscraper has less character and evokes a feeling of loneliness, it was obviously designed to stand out from the rest, that was probably intentional and so feels less about the city and more about status.
The second building, the MoMA Tower, is again a tall building but has much more character and charm about it. The different heights of the building resemble a pyramid shape, it still serves a purpose of sharing the best views across the city but in a much more desirable way. It stands adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art and so the design seems more in-keeping with the area and so in my opinion, the building evokes a sense of aesthetic and drama in a more collaborative way.
My last pair of images is of interior bathrooms with views through a glass window.
The first image is of a master bathroom at 432 Park Avenue, New York City, which has the most amazing view over the city. Structural and physical elements such as the walls, floor, glass window, bath and bathroom fixtures sit seamlessly in the space. The designer has considered which material best to use, it’s high end quality luxurious material, marble, but has really captured the feeling within by using soft lighting in the room, this creates a different mood at sunset and sunrise with the added bonus of the glow from the sky. The window space frames a view of the city, of the skyline and less of the buildings, which create a sumptuous relaxing atmosphere.
Fig. 3 – A master bathroom at 432 Park Avenue, NYCFig. 4 – #57A residence, the Flatiron District, NYC
Another bathroom in the second image, in the same city but photographed during the day with daylight pouring in. Structurally it’s very similar to the first image, with walls, windows, bath and bathroom fixtures which also sit in a wonderful space. The obvious differences are that the window view is broken up with several panes and the interior walls and floor are of a different style of material. I love how the colours in the walls and floor pick out the colours in the buildings over the city. The view is again another beautiful one but interrupted with window frames, not as seamless a view as image one.
They both evoke a feeling of amazement and wonder simply because of the view, but image one draws me into a moody, mysterious feeling, a place you could really lose yourself in with a good book, and the view of course! The second image evokes a feeling of amazement which is helped more with the view than the bathroom itself but the colours in the walls and floor lead my eye to the buildings in an appreciative, thoughtful way.
This exercise was interesting. I would normally view an image and form my opinion as to whether I liked it or not but comparing two very similar images helped me fully understand my reasons for liking or disliking. It has helped me put my feelings into words, expressing my opinion in this way will help me in making future design decisions, it has helped me understand the meaning of intangibility a little more. I generally show my emotions when I enter a space or take in the view of a building, I generally show my emotions in my every day life, which is coming in very handy right now! I’m also aware there is still so much more to learn, I’m looking forward to strengthening this ability as I work through the unit.
my Interior Design Journey 