Interior Design Specialties

When considering a career in interior design, there are a few things to consider. First of all, you need to figure out where your interests lie. Interior designing is as varied as your favorite cup of M&Ms. You need to narrow down your choices. To help you with this process, here is an overview of some of the top interior design specialties.

Residential design is the specialty with which most people are familiar. Basically, you are designing the interior spaces of somebody’s home. You assist with the planning of colors, furniture, spacing, hardware, and many other types of materials.

A second popular form of design is corporate interior design. Here, an interior designer will create a workable, yet comfortable space for a corporation. The design has to fit in with the company image and needs.

Along with corporations, the government also requires a specific type of design that matches their needs. When working for the government, you can be designing for spaces as varied as office buildings, military bases, and governmental agencies.

Designing for a healthcare agency is also another major design type. The whole point of healthcare interior design is to make patients feel comfortable while ensuring that the space is still functional. If you specialize in health care design, you would be designing for everything from doctors’ offices to hospitals to local clinics.

Asian design has also taken off in recent years. Feng Shui interior design uses Feng Shui principles to create a serene, balanced workplace. Japanese interior design is very minimalistic to create a non-cluttered work/living area.

Another major area of design is restaurant design. Restaurant designers are very familiar with how restaurants need to flow and the equipment that is used. The aim of the design is to make it appealing to customers, but to not obstruct the staff and employees.

Hotel or hospitality design is very similar to restaurant design. The hospitality designer, however, deals with spaces that can include a hotel, club, theater, cruise ships and the like.

Green interior design uses the principles of green technology to create sustainable spaces. This can include using recycled or sustainable materials. Modern or contemporary interior design uses modern design principles, including highly polished steel or durable plastic, to create an eye-catching, but useful living or working space.

While these design types are meant in general for an entire space, there are also designers who specialize in one particular room. For example, there are kitchen designers, bathroom designers and exterior designers.

Interior design professionals who go into these types of fields will know everything about the latest materials, gadgets, colors, etc. for these types of spaces. For example, a professional will be able to recommend the best faucet for someone who’s interested in water conservation.