Interior decorating is fully aesthetic. It adds beauty to a space but does so on instinct or trend. Interior design, on the other hand, is equal parts style and function. It uses the lifestyle, life-stage and abilities of the household to determine how to make the room accessible and useable and then mixes in the […]

Interior decorating is fully aesthetic. It adds beauty to a space but does so on instinct or trend. Interior design, on the other hand, is equal parts style and function. It uses the lifestyle, life-stage and abilities of the household to determine how to make the room accessible and useable and then mixes in the adornments. I majored in Housing and minored in Interior Design Studies in college. My courses included topics like Psychology of Housing, Aging in the Environment, Residential Design Principles and Interior Design Standards. I was hungry to know the impact our shelters had on us: How they improved our lives psychologically and physiologically. I already knew that I was most at rest in beautiful spaces that reflected my taste and that I was most productive in spaces that were laid out well. What my time in school taught me is that design needs are fluid. There are different needs for different socio-economic groups. There are different needs for single people vs. households with young children. There are different needs for people with disabilities vs. people without. There are different needs for those that are 60 years old and those that are...