Thomas L. Williams - The Interior Design Sourcebook

2012 by Thomas L. Williams

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W ith its wealth of natural resources, our planet has been the repository of all we use in our daily lives, both for sustenance and shelter, since long before recorded time. Stone, wood, and metal ores were among the first items manipulated by man, and our ability to mold these items to our needs continues to this day. With the advent of farming and herding, we learned how to use fibers and fabrics for our comfort and adornment. During the renaissance, we learned to fashion natural elements into astounding displays of architectural and aesthetic beauty. Artisans, builders, and craftsmen envisioned and created works of art in every genre to please the eye, satisfy the soul, and surround us in comfort.

Since man combined tin and copper to create bronze, he has continued to look for ways to produce new and durable metals. by the early 18th century, with the advent of the industrial revolution, man began to manipulate elements in previously unthought-of ways. by the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the development of strong structural metals helped create the cityscapes we know today and the buildings in which most of us live. Since the middle of the 18th century, furniture makers, upholsterers, and sundry craftsmen have endeavored to procure and manipulate a wealth of natural and man-made resources when producing interiors for clients far and wide.

Todays interior design professionals have at their command a plethora of materials, fabrics, colors, items, and tools to produce some of the most beautiful and creative interiors in the world. With this breadth of choice comes an overwhelming array of elements, items, and possibilities. understanding the resources with which we work is part and parcel of our job as professional interior designers. It is up to us to understand which element is the correct choice for a particular application and explain to our clientele why it is so. As professionals we need to understand how a product or element is grown, manufactured, or produced to have a clear idea of how best to use it in any given installation.

The Interior Design Sourcebook is designed to help you and your client understand what an element is and how it might be used in todays modern interior designs. From classic and traditional materials to the most cutting-edge, sustainable, and ecofriendly ones, this book will defne the elements of interior design, discuss their applications and uses, and direct you to the best possible resources to find everything needed to complete a refned and elegant interior.

Starting with classic elements like stone, wood, fibers, and metals, The Interior Design Sourcebook considers new uses and applications for traditional materials. Durable and reassuring, these elements have nonetheless been manipulated to be even more enduring and usable. Professional interior designers need to understand the changes and adaptations that have been made to best utilize these elements.

Contemporary elements encompass those used first in industrial or commercial applications before fnding their way, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, into residential use. It was during this period that concrete, steel, and structural elements began to play a larger part in interior design, and understanding how to use these elements in less-rigid residential interiors without giving up their inherent noble characteristics is part of understanding how they are made and used today.

Professional interior design has experienced explosive growth since the end of World War II, and the use of both classic and contemporary elements has created the modern interiors we currently enjoy. Modern elements are a combination of classic sensibilities and an out-of-the-box approach to application and function. Fabrics that change with the light and concrete that is almost transparent create a sense of drama and excitement while allowing modern interiors to remain warm and inviting.

As we have become more attuned to our needs and the needs of the planet as a whole, weve learned to appreciate and embrace reclaimed and recycled elements. Many of these elements, too, have come from commercial and industrial areas into our homes, and understanding their origins will help when deciding what application is best for you and your client. The reclamation of elements and the use of secondhand materials has become one of the standard tools of our trade, and sustainability has come to the fore as one of the most important aspects of material acquisition and use. our understanding of how an element is created helps us make thoughtful and sensitive decisions about its use within modern interior design installations.

Appropriate choices made in an effcient and thoughtful manner will help any professional interior designer satisfy his or her clientele and, at the same time, create sumptuous and refined interiors. A clear and complete understanding of resources and acquisition will help make any designers job easier and more rewarding. The Interior Design Sourcebook provides the tools necessary to meet client obligations, satisfy aesthetic parameters, meet ecological considerations, and produce interiors that will provide functional and comfortable surroundings.