Furniture & Interior Design

Furniture matters to interiordesigners like books to librarians. It's important because interior design is concerned with the design of spaces and what makes the space is furniture. In this article, we'll discuss the various aspects of this 'making'.

Function and Furniture

Interior designers use existing furniture or new ones in types of ready-made, custom-designed, or built-in. Every furniture is made with user needs and function in mind. Function determines what a furniture should do like sleeping (beds), eating (tables), or seating (chairs).

Function determines what a space should do, too. Analyzing how a space will be used and what activities will take place at that space marks the programming phase of interior design where furniture is involved. Function determines which furniture and furnishings (appliances, fittings, and accessories) are necessary for the usage of space, too.

Space Planning & Furniture

Furniture and functionality work together in the space planning phase of interior design, too. Space planning is the allocation and division of interior space for the needs and activities. How to place the furniture is an essential part of space planning where maximum usage is considered in the placement and arrangement of furniture.

Also, space planning involves circulation. Circulation means leaving enough space for the human flow. For the best utilization of space, furniture is placed to allow free movement. This makes the space around furniture as important as its arrangement. Thus, furniture works as a functional and circulatory element in interior design.

Equally important, furniture is a major design element. Interior designers use furniture to establish a pleasing sense of order. They engage two- and three-dimensional design to the arrangement of furniture and consider the elements of design such as shape, form, color, and texture.

Furniture Selection

Like arrangement, selection and specification of furniture and furnishings is an important job duty of interior designers. This is known as FF&E (Furniture, Fixture and Equipment) during which interior designers make furniture selections and provide a detailed written description of the selected items called specification.

In furniture selection, the users and activities are considered first. Interior designers focus on the purpose of the furniture, the need for adjustability, flexibility, finish requirements, durability, and size. They accommodate emotional, social, or cultural values of their clients, too. Because, furniture arrangement is an expression of personal styles as much as function-driven.