The Secrets of Great Design

by Sarah Clark
sarah.clark@careertrainingdirectory.com
Career Training Directory Columnist

Considering a career in architecture and interior design? Learn what some of the most notable designers say about the secrets and challenges of their field.

Architectural Digest interviewed 14 leading residential architects and designers in the hope of discovering their secrets to great design. Not surprisingly, all shared similar and differing notions of what constitutes exceptional residential interior design. Here's what a few of them had to say.

Use Color for Design on a Budget

Juan Pablo Molyneux told AD that the best way to get a "big look" at a reasonable price is to use color. "With a good painter, you can create a beautiful wainscot or a Russian floor." Molyneux also said that one of the most important aspects for the architecture of interior design is "proportion and harmony."

Start with Architecture, Remember Scale

Mario Buatta echoed many of Molyneux's sentiments, telling AD that scale is the biggest mistake novice residential interior designers make. “Most people never scale furniture correctly--it's usually too small,” opined Buatta. Like Molyneux, he also extolled the use of paint as an inexpensive means of sprucing up a room, along with using sheets as slipcovers and as window coverings. Buatta also shared one of his design tricks with AD, saying that it's important to get the architecture right before jumping into the interior design.

Design Around Technology

One of the biggest challenges facing designers today is figuring out where to put a flat screen television or how to incorporate a central lighting system. Few residential designers would dispute the importance of working with lighting and audio/video technicians to establish a system that won't compromise the integrity of an interior design. Mariette Himes Gomez told AD that "every time we do a project, we have to look at the TV, the lighting systems."

Take these tips from some of the leading figures in the interior design field and begin refining your own design aesthetic. If you want to learn more, explore residential interior design or the architecture of interior design at one of the programs offered by a university near you.

Sources

Architectural Digest, January 2006

About the Author

Sarah Clark is a freelance writer who specializes in career development.