Interiors: A history of interior design

Ever wonder how the business of interior design got started? How about taking a little history lesson to find out?

In the past, home interiors were put together sort of instinctively as part of the building process. The idea of an interior designer came about as a consequence of society's complex architecture as people wanted and still want effective and attractive use of space.

They want to have a feeling of well-being and comfort in their home. Everyone wants to feel proud to invite family and guests to a well-appointed home. And functional design is another major job that the interior designer has come to look after and accomplish.

But did you know that interior designers aren't something that just popped up recently? In ancient India, architects used to work as interior designers. Architects today still do interior-design work, but the interior-design work has been taken over mostly by the interior-design community.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, interior decoration was the concern and duty of the homemaker. In well-to-do families, the upholsterer or the craftsman might have had an influence on the decoration of the home. It was during this time that architects would employ artisans to do the interior design for their building. It was toward the end of the 19th century that interior design emerged as a profession on its own. Women began offering their design style for hire, and soon after, the service became professionalized. It has done nothing but gain momentum ever since. Some say that a woman by the name of Elsie De Wolfe was the person credited with the creation of the interior-design profession.

Soon after the profession was established, books were published, further promoting the idea of hiring a professional to design the interior of homes. Books with suggestions for painting and books for suggestions on how to lay out your furniture, how to accessorize and so forth became quite popular.

The interior-design industry really took off after World War II because spending on the home increased. In the 1950s, interior-design courses were established and textbooks and reference sources were published.

Organizations regulating education and qualifications as well as standards and practices were established. In the United States, the National Society of Interior Designers began in 1957, and at about that time it was determined that professional status for interior design is achieved through education and professional gatekeeping organizations.

Interior design has thus become an accepted profession. To maintain a license, the designer must continually learn and keep up to date with building requirements and government regulations through continuing-education courses.

Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color." For design inquiries, write to Rosemary at DsgnQuest@aol.com.

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Interiors: A history of interior design