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 Sound and air quality are elements of an interior space that are crucial not only to the design but the comfort and health of the space. These elements may not be something most people think about when in a space but, for interior designers these are extremally important. Having proper acoustics within a space, especially in commercial spaces, helps to keep individuals comfortable in the space. Indoor air quality can directly correlate to human health, so this cannot be taken lightly.  Acoustics Most people, including myself, think noise and sound are the same thing however they are not. Noise is defined as "unwanted sound" (Tucker page 236) and is undesirable in interior spaces. Sound is a quite  interesting thing because there are different waves and different ways they behave. Reflection refers to the return of sound from a surface, this causes the sound to be mirrored back into the space. Diffraction is the capability of a sound wave to bend through openings, which...

 Plumbing is by far one of the most important systems in our homes and buildings. In the United States water comes from two types of sources, municipal water plants, private on-sight wells, or rainwater harvested. With these two sources of indoor water, there are different types of water and they have specific uses. Portable water is water that has been deemed acceptable drinking water. Black water is waste water that contains sewage and this is not safe for any use indoor. Gray water is waste water from sinks, bathtubs, and washing machine Plumbing is referred to as "the introduction and elimination of water and human by-products to and from a building" (Tucker page 155).  Plumbing systems can be broken down into two simple categories; water supply and water waste. Water supply systems are operated under pressure whereas water waste operates by gravity, which is where slopes in plumbing is needed. In the United States, toilet flushing takes up an average of 21% of residentia...

 Something that I love about lighting is not only the statement the fixture can make but, how the color and temperature of the lighting can change the feeling in a space so drastically. Having interiors with shadows and contrasts can make a space feel cozier and more private, whereas a space with bright lights and little to no shadows makes a space feel more public and more active. The warmth and coolness of a lighting fixture differs from lighting type. Warmer toned lights are incandescent lighting, having warmer tones within the bulb. This lighting type was once very popular but in recent years has become less popular since more heat is given off than sufficient lighting to a space. Cooler toned lights are fluorescent lighting and have cool blue tones to the bulb. These bulbs are often used in commercial spaces, workplaces, and schools. Fluorescent lighting is great for conserving energy, the mercury content in these has reduced in recent years making them a better and safer choi...

 As interior designers we are able to use the ceilings of a space to help define the rest of the space. With different ceiling types we can create different feelings and effects in the space and help solidify our designs. Cathedral ceilings are joined with the pitch to create an open and tall ceiling height. This can help the space feel larger but, can be a tricky ceiling to place lighting fixtures within. This ceiling type may need a creative solution for the lighting   troubles that can come along with these ceilings. Exposed ceilings can be used in order to showcase the celling lines in a space. Materials such as wood and metal can be used as a decorative pieces to show greater emphasis to the lines. Exposed mechanical ceilings, on the other hand, are very easy to place items like lighting, HVAC, and plumbing systems. These ceilings are most often used in spaces that are going for an industrial or rustic aesthetic. These systems can be painted to math the colors or lef...

Walking into Carlson's Flooring this past week I could not wait to look at all the different flooring options they held. I was at first draw to go and look at the tiles, mainly the marbles. Since marble is a natural stone it is a great sustainable option. Most people would not think marble and immediately think sustainability. Marble is a very strong and durable stone that can be used for flooring, backsplashes, countertops, etc. With the life cycle of marble being so long, it helps reduce the effects on the environment since less product needs to be replaced and disposed of. Since it is natural, that also means its a recyclable material.  From there I went to go and look at wood flooring options, they held many different types of flooring. They carried engineered woods, hard woods, laminate, and vinyl floors. I looked closely at the hard woods options. Natural hard wood flooring is in fact sustainable since it is from a natural material. The brand I looked at contained info on the...

People sometimes assume that interior designers don't have any involvement with the construction process or assessing products and making sure the proper codes are followed. This is not true we do participate in the construction process, and items such as doors, both interior and exterior, and windows are selected by designers. These two products are very important to fire safety and egress. Doors can be steel or wooden doors with either a solid or hollow core. If a door is solid it may contain particle board, wood, or mineral cores. Solid core doors must be used when using fire ratings, having the solid core helps to slow down the spread of the fire. Solid core doors also provide more sound absorbency. Interior doors are usually around 1 3/8" thick and exterior doors are usually 1 3/4" thick. Doors come in so many different looks and characteristics; flush doors, 6-panel, louver, glazed, Dutch, vision etc. Like doors, windows also have different styles and features to th...