​Remember that funny song from years ago?  ... the Head bone’s connected to the Neck bone, Neck bone’s connected to the Shoulder bone, etc., all the way to the Toe bone!  It was a kind of humorous tribute to what connects to what, and the importance of an underlying support system.
 
That simple reality is just as vital to commercial and residential structures as it is to the human body; everything’s connected to something else – or else!   It was never a mystery what held up barns, lodges rustic cabins and other more utilitarian structures; their “bones” and all their “connections” were right out there, bold and visible.  You could even say their visibility was additional reassurance that all was well built and ready to meet any test of whim or weather.
 
However, in more “other” buildings – private homes, formal businesses or professional offices, the discipline was to hide all that beam-and-pipe stuff!   Get all that plumbing, air conditioning, support beams, electrical and heating paraphernalia out of sight!  Along with that goal, as more sophisticated systems were developed (such as large ventilation and AC ducts) ceilings were lowered a bit more -- to accommodate the “hiding” process!

The “bones” were not to be seen!   Well, except for shellfish, Armadillos and one or two other creatures, skeletons are pretty much “interior” networks!  And housing?  Beavers and birds would be the exceptions.   The structural aspects of modern human habitats and workplaces were basically built to be unseen.

​There are three very basic “elements” that form the “cohesion” for any Interior Design project:  The Client’s Vision; The Design’s Integrity and The End-User’s Satisfaction.
 
When a prospective client makes their decision to materialize an Interior design project Vision, they begin a process with very specifically delineated disciplines.  Their very first challenge is that of refining that Vision clearly enough to be able to translate it and communicate it accurately to an Interior design professional.  
 
Some prospective clients have very, very specific ideas (and their details) in mind, and may have been considering their prospective project for some time.  Others, not so specific, have a “vision,” but it is often a bit vague, is comprised of fragments from various sources and will depend heavily on an expert who can pull those fragments together!  Still others may have had previous experiences with previous projects and want to modify or completely revise what already exists.

Whatever the circumstances, or the scope of your Interior Design project, managing the costs factor is mandatory, challenging and a mutual responsibility!
 
At the front end of your relationship with your Interior designer, the project is discussed, defined, and conceptualized.  You, the Client, convey your ideas, your wishes and preferences, i.e., your vision, to the Interior design expert.   Whether your Interior design project is a small bath and kitchen remodel, or a full Interior environment (business, professional or residential), it will involve a host of “aspects” and an amazing number of “details.”  Each of those factors will be made up of many, many choices and decisions.  And each of those factors, plus your Interior Design team’s time, will represent expenditures.  Easy to speculate; but demanding of careful consideration of overall costs!
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It’s an art.  Some say a skill; some, a talent.   Nevertheless, your Interior designer or team needs to be able to show you when less is more and when enough is enough in Interior design decision-making!  Nothing can splash cold water on a hot Interior design concept faster than not knowing that critical point where going further can be a spoiler.
 
In a past article, “When Enough Is Enough And Less Is More!” I discussed critical points concerning the quantification factor when making choices for an Interior design.  We considered “how much” and “how many” of a good thing was appropriate for a given situation, location and environment.  We looked at all factors such as the over-use of a favorite color or accessory components.  For instance, a very small area can be made into a cozy, inviting place; however, taken too far, it can become just a crowded, uninviting area.  Quantity matters!

​There are very high function Interior areas, and less critical function Interior areas in all Interior environments – business or residential.   Contemporary Interior Design has radically transformed the ugly ducklings of “ho-hum” treatment in high function areas such as bathrooms and kitchens!
 
I recall with humor some of the tiny toilet closets found in older Victorian era homes that required courage and ingenuity should one choose to use one!   Both kitchens and bathrooms historically favored function over beauty, plain and simple.  Fortunately, that phenomenon has been addressed and challenged by contemporary Interior designers!
 
And, why not?   There is no denying that quite a large amount of time in anyone’s life is spent in bathrooms and kitchens!  Acknowledging the importance of efficient and practical function, but insisting such be produced and delivered beautifully, is a changed (and welcome) paradigm.

Space use planning is one of the several constant considerations of Interior Design teams.  That particular skill is most important when the Interior environment in question is odd, possibly confined, long and narrow, including off angles and with no clearly designated function.  Sometimes, such anomalies can be tackled with some limited re-construction, but in most situations, it’s just there – and the client wants us to: “do the best you can” with it!
 
Such Interior space challenges can be diamonds in the rough, just waiting for the right touch.  “Long and narrow” is one of the toughest, yet one of the best creative opportunities.  The primary solution lies in designing to take the emphasis off the oddity and onto the transformative purpose. Especially in vintage buildings, odd space configurations crop up.  They are often a reflection of times with fewer conveniences than we presently enjoy.  An example would be wider hallways (but not too wide) that accommodated the service function of sending and receiving necessities by dumb waiters installed in wall channels between floors.  Another example is buildings where the original use and the conversion use are radically different, and where adaptation requires a lot of ingenuity!

Both business and residential Interiors have the need for areas entirely dedicated to maintenance facilitation.  Whether you call it utility, janitorial, maintenance or just “the shop,” it’s essential.  But it doesn’t have to be a dumpsite!
 
In fact, such essential Interior areas are where several members of your company team – or your family – spend a lot of time!  Whether tooling up to make the rounds of offices and reception areas, or declaring it cleaning and maintenance day at home, there’s no reason why interior maintenance bases cannot be made appropriately functional while also being attractive, pleasant work areas.
 
In the past, too often business “utility and maintenance” was often combined with the “staff break room” -- not practical for the maintenance process, and certainly not the most desirable setting to refresh, relax and eat lunch!   (And it’s probably best not to discuss the health issues.)
 
It has been proven over and over that when decent amenities are part of staff’s experience, good will and efficiency result. Separating janitorial equipment, supplies (and odors) from personnel needing pleasant breaks in the workday is not only a pleasant change, but also an essential courtesy.
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Partnership is one of the most versatile terms in our language!  It can indicate anything from a formally documented legal business structure, all the way to quaint observations of Wolves and Whooping Cranes in nature that “partner” for life!  In our Interior Design context, there are all kinds of partnerships that occur just because of the nature of the work.
 
The first and most obvious, of course, starts with yourself and the Interior design expert you select to make your project vision come true.  Whatever you want to call your formal agreement – a Contract, a Memo of Clarification, a Job Order, etc.  – you will be working as informal partners in all stages of the plan.  Every aspect of your project that requires specific skill, specific materials, certifiable services, professional services, appropriate equipment manufacturers plus other necessities such as dependable communication, documentation and transportation, all amount to “secondary partnerships” for getting the job done.
 
However, as anyone who has ever been in any kind of a “partnership” knows – it can get tricky!    ​

It doesn’t seem to be the details themselves that bothers us; it’s how they are managed in a given situation.  When you place your design project in the hands of your design team, you buy into that team’s overall ”style,” and that of each of your project specialists.
 
Let’s face it.   Some styles can be annoying – particularly when they require accountability that may not line up with our own personal patterns.   Keeping all the balls in the air is very important.  There are many ways to manage the myriad details in projects of all sizes.  Flexibility and an open mind concerning perceived differences in how to handle the details is a benefit – not a handicap.

The simple, clean lines of a finished project do not reveal the hundreds of details that brought it all together.
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​That’s when your design team may be flattered, but at the same time, knows that part of the job will be helping the client to develop their own vision.  There are situations where a prospect makes it clear that they want a great environment, but don’t have a specific theme in mind, seem to have no materials preferences, color focus or the faintest idea where to begin!
 
Almost everyone has preferences!  Often the assertion:  “I really don’t care – I trust your judgment!” actually has to do with transposition.   For instance, you may know exactly what you want when you choose your clothing or select an automobile make, model and color, and a range of other situations where you make selections based on clear preferences.  But, envisioning how to pull a complex commercial or residential environment into balance and harmony seems monumental and unfocused.
 
It can be difficult to envision a favorite color, for instance, on the full expanse of a wall – though you love it in a necktie or sweater.  Picturing patterns on upholstery, paneling or flooring for a space sixty feet by eighty, for instance, is very different than for a vehicle.

​Where’s the middle ground?  How does your design expert make the selections for you to choose from?  One thing is certain, it is not from guesswork!
 
From initial contact, through documentation and all the subsequent steps and stages that lead to project completion, your professional design team is getting to know you.  That important process is one that continues – not one that is addressed and then at some point, is considered complete!
 
Your design vision may start with definite and specific form, but – like many art forms -- it continues to evolve.  As the project develops and becomes real, the subtleties and nuances of the original vision mature and shift.  Within the desired concept, the vision grows as each new choice is made, and as circumstances may influence

​More often than not, a project in either a business or residential category leads to another project in the client’s other aspect.
 
When your design team has become immersed in the details of your commercial design project for business, professional practice or institution, they probably have gained extensive insights to the personal tastes that would also drive your residential environment design.
 
In the process of studying everything from function, color, lighting and sound preferences to ambiance and accessorizing, design experts are able to re-translate those insights from one site aspect to second or third site applications.  The huge advantage lies in the fact that the hours and dollars that have been invested in learning about the client’s tastes and budgeting disciplines have already been covered, in depth.  Very little of the basic groundwork must be re-visited.

​In several past articles I have discussed the important connections between the decisions and results of your commercial Interior design project and other aspects of your business enterprise.   From human factors to effective marketing, synergy needs to happen!
 
The space planning strategies, the traffic patterns that your employees, clients or customers must follow, the emotional and visual impacts of color --  and your choices concerning furnishing and equipment -- are all part of what your business projects to its consumers!
 
As time and innovation move on, many, many changes occur in the fields of health, furniture design, efficiency paradigms and performance technologies!  Those changes have large consequences!

​It’s not quite the same bag as buying a used car, but it comes darn close!   Transforming an interior environment that includes a challenging set of “givens” – some that can’t be changed  but maybe a few that can be modified – is sometimes enough to make you lose your hair...
 
“As is” comes in many forms, shapes, sizes and complexities.  Often a new client puts it right up front:  No structural changes, no major modifications of existing configurations...just do what you can!   And, oh yes; the orange ceiling color stays.   Oh, boy.
 
Like most Interior Designers (and Architects) I welcome challenges!   Most of them make you stop short at first, then the wheels get turning and the Interior design team accepts that this one will be different.  It simply means that the planning, strategies and prospective Interior design concepts will have to develop from the old exposed pipes, the mystery box in the far corner of the (orange) ceiling, and the sloping concrete floor.   The client’s clear message of limitations rings in your ears.
 
All of such challenges are not quite as radical as the example above, but almost any fixed situation – be it color, structural anomalies, or immovable objects – immediately force the team to “react.”     Creative design is usually reactive primarily at the front end – listening to the concept the client has in mind, learning the negative stipulations and/or limitations (including financial) and learning their Vision.  Then, the Interior designer moves into “active” mode, creating the client’s vision from their talent, knowledge of resources and understanding of the problems and possibilities.

​When considering your Interior Design Vision, you probably initially consider how you want it to look!  Next in line follow the important considerations of feel, function, purpose and support.  Those are the other sides of your design vision for which your professional designer takes responsibility on your behalf.  
 
Not everyone with a picture in their mind automatically sees the best ways to connect their visual preferences to those critical “other aspects” that will result in a successfully performing finished project.
 
Wanting your investment in your environment to be beautiful, to be in line with current style trends and to be attractive to the relevant market is predictably typical.  That desire (and goal), while credible and doable, does not – in itself – cover all the essential bases.
 
A commercial environment must meet many criteria to qualify as a successful installation.  Its overall design integrity, its specific configurations, the detail applications and its responsibility to appropriate functionality are high on the list of essentials.  A beautiful appearance with few or poor functional components that address the purpose of the environment, just will not work successfully, over time.