Design vs Decoration

While interior design and decoration seem and sound like the same thing, they are not. Florence Knoll herself considered herself in the article an ‘architect’ and ‘interior designer’ but did not want to be referred to as a ‘interior decorator’ or ‘furniture designer.’ I believe her stance is the same as mine. I believe the two are just similar and related but are two different aspects of a bigger picture. They work together to create a space with a certain vision in mind. I think the main difference is that interior design is the way it is made, from the architecture, they materials used, and the way the space is set up. While decoration is the finishing’s and final touches added to the interior design to allow the place to have a specific feel and look to the interior. Interior design would be the explanation of ‘why the chair is there’ while decoration is ‘why that color and texture pillow is used.’ In the Knoll Showroom tour, the specific interior design ways are labeled as perimeter, core, efficient, and adaptive. The decoration would be the added pieces to complete the space.

                  The history and theory of interior elements shows how their interior design became their decoration; such as when they used recliners are part of their daily life. The interior design became used as decoration. The people in prehistory used their version of paint to paint and tell a story on the wall; which I consider decoration.

                  I believe that my thoughts on the differences of interior design and decoration will be strengthened because of the next unit on furnishings. I will be able to see how they use furnishings and decoration to finish off their design and make it a cohesive look.