Furniture is one of the most important parts of a room. Furniture provides a place to sleep, eat, relax, etc. Everyone knows what furniture is. When you walk inside a space, you will almost always find furniture as soon as you walk inside. For example, when you walk into a public space, you will usually find a front desk. The front desk is an important part of the space because it serves as a space for many different functions. Good furniture is multi-functional. An example of that would be a chair with a table and cup holder attached to it. Good furniture is comfortable. Anthropometrics are important for the furniture to be comfortable for human use. It has to match normal human scale. Comfort is something most people sought after in furniture. When someone wants to buy a couch or bed, they always sit on it to test it’s comfort. Another important thing in furniture is its durability. If the furniture has durable materials and finishes, then the piece of furniture will last long. Furniture is also about aesthetics. The look of furniture helps to tie together the overall look or theme of the room.

Materials make-up the basis of the built environment. Popular materials include brick, metal, drywall, concrete, etc. Materials and finishes are very similar things, that’s why I will be combining these two topics together. Finishes include things like paint, carpet, coatings, tile, wood, etc. But those things can also be called materials. Basically, these two terms are interchangeable. Materials/ finishes are what you see, feel, and walk on in a space. They are very important in design. Materials and finishes are both functional and sometimes aesthetically pleasing. They add importance to the overall function of an interior/exterior. They also help make a space achieve its overall look and feel. When picking a finish/material, there are several things a designer has to consider. One thing would be price. The price of a project is important to clients, so designers must pick materials that aren’t very expensive. That’s where faux materials/finishes come in. Hard plastic countertops that are made to look like granite are a good example of this. Another example is brick wallpaper. Brick has become more popular for interiors, but, it’s somewhat expensive for a client with a lower budget. Vinyl is a flooring that is cheaper than real wood but some types of vinyl are actually made to look like wood. Durability is an issue that designers must think about when picking materials/ finishes. Vinyl may be cheaper but real wood will hold up for years and years. After the wood stain starts to wear off, it can be repainted again and again. Another very durable material for an exterior would be brick or even concrete. Another important consideration to make when choosing a material would be safety. An example would be at a pool. The deck becomes slippery when wet so designers need to choose a flooring with a grainy and non-slick finish.

Representation can mean different things in design. One thing is how a design concept is formed. When a client wants a space designed, it needs to represent their brand. For example, a coffee shop wants their atmosphere to feel warm and welcoming, as well as represent their values, through the design of their shop. With the invention of virtual reality, a design can be showed to a client as if they were seeing it in person. This is changing interior design because you can experience your design concept in 3-D. This can make your design even better and make the client able to give even more feedback.