BEFORE & AFTER - PREWAR ON THE PARK

This prewar apartment on Central Park West had a great location and lots of space, but required a gut renovation in order to meet the client's needs. He wanted modern amenities, including central air conditioning, incorporated into a home with a timeless, classic look.  Renovation highlights included:

• Providing views of the park from the master bedroom by installing over sized french doors in the wall between the bedroom and the solarium.

• Increasing natural light in the living room by installing a large arch between it and the solarium.

• Enlarging the kitchen by combining it with the original maid's room and turning the area closest to the service entrance into a separate laundry room.

• Renovating the bathrooms and installing a jacuzi in the master bath.

• Installing central air-conditioning without lowering the ceilings.

• Adding custom cabinets and architectural detailing in the gracious Georgian style favored by the client. 

Professional Interior Design Qualifications

There's a big difference between a decorator and a professional interior designer.  The best decorators have taste, talent, superior organizational skills, and great resources. The best interior designers combine those attributes with functional and technical expertise and experience.  If you want help with any project that involves construction (unless you are working with a licensed architect) or with the decoration of an office or a public space, a Certified Interior Designer is a safer choice than a either a decorator or a designer who has not demonstrated his or her expertise by passing a test administered by the National Council of Interior Design Certification (NCIDQ). The NCIDQ is globally recognized as setting the standard for competence in interior design, and the test includes proficiency in areas that affect health, safety and welfare as well as space planning and construction.  Passing the NCIDQ is required to become a Certified Interior Designer in 29 states, although in most states (including New York) such certification is voluntary.    

The NCIDQ makes the following distinction between decorators and interior designers "Interior design is the art and science of understanding people's behavior to create functional spaces within a building. Decoration is the furnishing or adorning of a space with fashionable or beautiful things. In short, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design."

When I was the president of the New York Metropolitan Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) a number of people I encountered started sharing "horror stories" about their own designers.  I listened politely, and often these "designers" did not belong to ASID or any other professional design organization  and their "credentials" consisted of business cards and flair. Members of ASID or the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) have met certain education requirements, and professional members of both organizations have passed the NCIDQ.

Someone with taste and talent might have wonderful ideas but lack the experience, expertise and resources to achieve the desired results.  And if he or she proves unsatisfactory you have little recourse.  Members of professional organizations have standards (including ethical standards) with which they must comply.

DESIGNING PUBLIC SPACES

Well-designed public spaces create a sense of place and reflect positively on their owners. Interior Design Solutions designs public spaces that are tangible expressions of the missions of our not-for-profit clients and the brands of our commercial clients.

Public spaces have specific requirements for egress, accessibility, emergency lighting, and fire resistance. The layout, furnishings and finishes must comply with local building codes.  And with the exception of temporary installations, everything needs to be easy to maintain and durable enough to stand up to heavy use.

Future posts will provide more detail for each project in the "before and after" pictures above.