1. Aquirkylookattheinteriordesignindustry
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What’s New? 1
Materially Speaking 1
Internal Affairs 1
Site Visit 2–3
Contractor Chat 3
Design Bites 3
Email 4
?
We’ll, question.
We’ll go deep
to learn why we
call design our life
passion.
F A L L 2 0 0 8 — I N T H I S I S S U E . . .F A L L 2 0 0 8 — I N T H I S I S S U E . . .
Interiors, architecture, or other,
design is certainly a business in
which you must keep your sense of
humor. I should know. I’ve spent 23
years in the interior design industry.
Shout, laugh or scream, it just doesn’t
matter. Your life is filled with details
most don’t notice or even consider
important. Who are we really trying
to please?
We’ll analyze the idiosyncrasies that
make us subject to so much abuse.
what's new?what's new?
So, you hate the new employee or the new project you’ve
been assigned. Perhaps you have to work as a team on an
old job, never completed by the person who just left. Whatever
the change, you are sure NOT to love it. Infact, you resent it! Being asked to do
something that someone else couldn’t complete should make you feel wanted,
special. However, it only makes you unavailable for the big exciting project
that the firm just landed. You know one one. The one you helped put
the proposal in for. The GREAT one you’ve been waiting for. The one
that will keep you engaged and excited for the next six months. Now,
it’s only the one that got away! Get used to it
Internal
Affairs
MATERIALLYMATERIALLY
SPEAKINGSPEAKING
So you think a fabric
is a fabric is a fabric.
As a professional, you know that
couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Textiles are often the glue that
connects the elements of the design
together. They bring style, softness
and often strong graphic content to
a space. Fabrics reflect the character
of what the customer envisions for
the space. Above all, fabrics whether
hard or soft, must be functional.
They must wear well and be able
to be cleaned according to the
space in which they occupy and by
the customers maintenance staff.
Here, the
designer used
metal mesh
fabric on both
sides of the
glass. This
creates a soft
shadow and
allows the light into the lobby and office area.
They say, what’s
old is new again.
Perhaps thats why
I have no interest in
reviving the 1960’s. I
see so many magazines
touting the ”new” interior
look of this period. For me,
the cold, contemporary
designs of this period leave
me scratching my head. Who
but the youngest of designers
would sell this to any but the
newest companies looking
to make a cold, statement, no
matter what. Who cares if the
design will be outdated in a few
years? I think its a cop out, and
cheap imitation of an era gone.
o
the change yo
II
AAAAAAAA
what?
de
fa
c
allows the light into the lobby and
volume
what?
EVERYONE SAYS...
1
??

2. 2
FALL2008
Standard Interior
Finishes; Flooring,
paints, plastic
laminates, wall base
Standard Furniture Finishes
Main floor plan,
showing interior
offices installed
with moveable steel
and acousticl walls;
workstations, lobby
and breakout area.

3. 3
No control...or out of control...Thats what you often get. What else can I say? The longer you are
in this industry, the more you can understand this statement. Often the contractor is tied to
the owner in one way or another. Or, perhaps you are gifted with the contractor who has out bid
the others. This usually means they forgot part of the project, substituted resources and materials
or just forgot to look at the blueprints and specifications carefully.
In many instances, the contractor views themselves as the owners“rescurer”. They expect to save the clilent from the
cost of doing things correctly, er, I mean the cost of the “specified details”. In doing so, not known to the owner, change
the design intent, sometimes the design function and most importantly, the BUDGET! Imagine the savings!
In most cases the contractor must make up this cost. You see, reviewing drawings in a hurry often means details left
unaccountedfor.Thisleadstothecontractorgoingbacktotheclientandproposing“costsavings”tochangethematerials
and “simplify” the design. Walah! You now have to look like the uncooperative one if you insist that the design
be kept and the contractor “eat” his mistake(s). You will need to go back to the drawing board to revise the
details, losing money on the design contract because you feel compelled to give the client the closest thing to
the original design as you can. Design is one big compromise.
ver wonder why you just can’t
seem to get to that next level of
responsibility in your firm or career?
Didn’t anyone ever tell you that
Interior Designers are not managers,
sales executives or program
coordinators, rather we are interior
designers. We are the ones who “pick
colors”. NOT!
After 23 years in the design field,
I am continually confronted with
this notion by engineers, architects,
sales management and upper
management that the education and
years of experience we strived for isn’t
valuable. Tasks that we do on a daily
basis, such as contract development,
budgets, scheduling, specifications,
drawings, presentation and the work
of coordinating electrical, mechanical
and other disciplines with our work is
just not the same tasks we would use
in any other position. No, I think not.
Sad, but true. As designers, we are
educated in all aspects of design, and
often don’t get to use the knowledge
we aquired during college and
beyond. Often we are not consulted,
contractor chatcontractor chat
ver wonde
design bitesdesign bites
and rarely asked to plan out these
elements, depriving your firm of
getting the most out of the designer,
and the crucial coordination it affords
the project.
Like I’ve always believed, “Ask now,
or change your plans later!” Proper
planning is what keeps the client
happy and keeps costs contained.
Each issue we will feature one
interior design project, completed
locally.
This project (shhh... its secret!)
was completed in 1997. It was a
consolidation of many offices sites
into one multiple floor site. The
owner wanted flexibility, office
standards, and wanted to use as
much furnishings products rather
than traditional construction, in order
to reap the tax benefits.
Today, the design looks as up to date
as when it was installed and has
allowed the owner to reconfigure
the moveable walls according to their
facility needs. IMAGINE THAT!
site visitsite visit
FALL2008

4. design bites
9607 Harbour Cove Ct.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Email: delairdesign@Yahoo.com
734 740 5352
PlacePlace
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OK. So what are people saying about our first
issue of design chatter? Your guess is as good
as mine. We’ve just begun.
Look for reader comments, good or bad, in our
next issue coming in Winter 2009. Until then, keep
those cards, letters and emails coming. Don’t be
shy, we love commnets. Use english language
only, we are not bi or tri-lingual YET!
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Don't bite the hand that informs you!