What is Interior Design Exactly?

Interior Design: 

the art or process of designing the interior decoration of a room or building. 

As valid as this statement is, it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what interior design does. Interior design, to me, is all about how a space, room, or envrionment makes you feel. This has a very powerful effect on those who enter, occupy, or visit a particular place, because every space, from a jail cell to a palace, emits a tangible vibe that makes you feel something. This vibe is responsible for making us feel comfortable or uncomfortable, happy or sad, mellow or uppity, clean or dirty, welcome or unwanted, overwhelmed or at peace and the list goes on and on. This is accomplished through elements of design such a color, texture, rhythm, unity, lines, contrast, cohesiveness, etc that are dictated by the style and tastes of the creator of the space itself. 

So to me, interior design isn't so much of the actual process of designing, but of the end result and how that effects those who occupy that space. Specifically narrowing my focus to residential interior design, I have chosen the blog name N E S T to reflect my thoughts, inspirations, and opinions that a home should be a livable, comfortable, and nurturing place to live, work, and play in. It should promote growth, love, and closeness through facilitating a family with a place they can specifically call their own, the design of which representing who they are individually as well as a collective whole. This "nest" should make people feel at home rather than just be at home, and to me, that is what interior design is about accomplishing. 

One of my favorite designers that i think does an exceptional job of this is Erika McPherson Powell- her design firm is called "Urban Grace." She blogs, pins, posts updates of her latest projects, and displays her portfolio! Check it out--

Urban Grace Interiors {the blog} | :: everyday life as a designer