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Now we have a constructed an unfinished building which will bring us on the threshold of discussing the needed key player at this stage the glamorous Interior Designer. But before venturing deeply into the world of the Interior Designer , would like to discuss a subject that emerged in the local real estate market in Egypt recently , which is the vastly spreading existence of the suburban compounds that demolish in a way the need for a personal architect and construction contractor leaving home owners with the possibilities of needing an interior designer for the finishing stage , a finishing contractor , a decorator, or the limited possibility of simply a decorator to furnish the house.

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THE INTERIOR DESIGNER

Magazine's design "Dalia Sadany AskDesigner & Founder of consultant, Chief Dezines Architecture & Interiors, Managing Director & Partner of Divine Contracting as well as the creator of the new furniture brand GUSH is dwelling into the world of Architecture, Interior Design and Contracting.
In the past three articles we have covered at first the planning needed to start your own project to construct your home, following that we initiated the detailed study by dwelling into the roles of the key players in the construction process. We have discussed the legendry Architect with few minor tips in the architectural design process, as well as the infamous Contractor. Clarified the definition of each of their roles and responsibilities, how to choose them, work with them and the means of handling them financially.
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EMERGE OF THE SUBURBAN COMPOUNDS

In the early 90s the concept of compounds owned by huge real estate developers stormed Egypt after being a huge success earlier in the western world. It started with the construction of compounds for summer houses in the North Coast off the mesmerizing city of Alexandria. The concept of these compounds quickly spread from just summer homes to permanent residences in suburbs outside Cairo such as the new provinces then, as Sheikh Zayed, 6th of October and New Cairo, where people found them as a refuge from the hectic busy capital. More and more people were tempted to invest a substantial amount of money in these houses. The real estate developers would hire an Architectural firm to design the whole project where there would be several units, with a variety of designs and a range of areas to provide diversity to fulfill all the needs for all home owners. They would hire as well a contracting firm to execute the construction and in few compounds even finish the units with unified specs. These compounds minimized the need for home owners to hire architects and contractors to design and construct their homes, since these units are already constructed in a mostly unified design as to maintain the unity of the project. Eventually home owners needed professionals to design the interior of these units, and that was one of the main reasons for the awakening in the Egyptian market for the role of the interior designer. There were other aspects that highlighted the need for the interior designer, one of which is that the financial standard of a

big portion of society has risen and more can afford to provide a percentage of these earnings on investing in their homes, whether as real estate value or finishing and furnishings which would be relative to the value of these investments. Moreover, from my perspective I am seeing that people in Egypt are becoming more aware of professionalism and that it actually saves money, effort and time, you are assigning a professional to translate your dreams into accurate, flawless reality as opposed to trial and error. Besides, Egypt is becoming more exposed to global standards which results in people's desire to adopt their homes, work places hangouts to such standards. Dwellers nowadays require experts with back ground and knowledge of the immense amount of available, brands, trends, building materials,

and implementations, in addition to the capability to coordinate entire work team from clients, vendors, contractors, as well as, schedule, assess and execute every detail from A to Z in addition to providing the clients with personalized attention that a resourceful interior designer can provide.

HISTORY OF INTERIOR DESIGN

And now lets set foot in the world of the renowned interior designer, not many know that the credit of the birth of interior design is most often claimed to the Ancient Egyptians who decorated their mud huts with furniture pieces enriched by animal skins, textiles as well as painted walls, sculptures and decorated vases. Exquisite gold ornaments with precious jewels as well as extravagant painted murals revealed the importance of more lavish decoration for wealthier and powerful Egyptians.

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The Roman and Greek civilizations built upon the Egyptian art of interior decorating and accessorizing. They placed special emphasis on combining beauty and comfort and extravagance of home interiors reflected wealth and social status. From then on interior design went through various phases biased by economical, political and social influences, that field has come a long way from mud and bricks of the ancient Egyptians .Designers nowadays have access to countless manmade and natural finishing materials, in addition to advanced means of presenting and executing their work. They still draw upon the influences of the ancestors while continually striving to originate innovative personalized design trends.

WHAT IS INTERIOR DESIGN?

Interior design is a protocol that looks after designing all of the interiors of any given space. Under that umbrella lies all factors such as flooring, windows, doors, walls, ceilings, lighting, furniture, window treatments, upholstery, curtains and the list goes on to all and every fixture and miscellaneous design piece. Its main target is generally to make a space that is both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, often tailored specifically to the needs and preferences of the owner. It is the development of creative design solutions for interior environments. It involves a matrix of technical and analytical skills to achieve built environments that are functional and enhance the quality of life and culture of the occupants, and are eye pleasing with a distinctive touch of individuality. Designers plan interior spaces of almost every type of building. It isn't just about home decoration. It is concerned with

creating functional and beautiful to look at interior spaces in all sorts of fields including private residences, in addition to public buildings such as airport terminals, theaters, as well as commercial properties as shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, leisure venues and offices. Interior design can also be applied to temporary environments, whether thats pop-up shops that are in existence for just a few months at a time, or show booths and exhibition stands that may simply last days. Anything that has an interior can be designed, redesigned or refurbished.

A successful interior design for residential projects aims at the comfort, reflection of the residents preferences as well as affecting the mood in meanwhile investing in a exquisite interior design will simply increase a building's market value. On the other hand in public spaces such as schools and hospitals would benefit more from creative interior design, here it has the potential to improve health and productivity, it is also an invaluable asset for businesses. An inspiring office interior, for example, can help to raise the profile of a company and boost staff morale at the same time, which would relatively increase productivity. And it goes without saying that shops, restaurants and leisure venues that are inviting and stimulating inside will potentially draw in more clientele, and eventually increase sales and therefore increase profits. Interior Design was previously seen as playing a secondary role to architecture. Lately with the emphasis on professionalism in all its aspects, and the depth and individuality that has emerged in this field, add to this the countless materials , techniques used has all emphasized on the importance of interior design as a relevant factor in the success of any project . Any building needs extensive, study, mirroring and exerted effort in its design internally in every finest detail as much as externally.

functional needs. In this context interior designers are mainly concerned with how to make several factors work coherently together such as colors, lighting, materials, textures, furnishings and that all these aspects complement each other to end up in a lucid collage. Interior designers are qualified through a rigorous process of education, experience and examination. Combining knowledge with vision, they work with clients and other design professionals such as architects, electro-mechanical engineers as electric, sanitary and heating/air-conditioning engineers, acoustical engineers .contractors whether general finishing or specialized ones, craftsmen, etc .

The work of a designer can range from designing the interior of a bachelor condo, to designing massive corporate buildings, or the design of an international hotel chain .He would have the capability and the know-how to juggle several skills in his work, melding bits of architecture, psychology, aesthetics, and product design to create a cohesive whole. He must also have a grasp of many fields that are important to his work, such as building and fire codes, or specifications required to be taken into serious consideration if the space is to be used by disabled individuals, these are vital components that could effect and alter his design decisions. Traditionally, most interior designers were focused on decorating, choosing a style and color palette and then selecting appropriate furniture, floor and window coverings, artwork, and lighting. However, an increasing number of designers are becoming involved in architectural detailing, such as moldings, and in planning layouts which is known as zoning of buildings, including helping to determine the location of windows, stairways, and elevator etc.

WHY IS INTERIOR DESIGN IMPORTANT?

Good interior design will not only make a space look and function better, it can have a significant impact on the mood and wellbeing of the residents. The application of uplifting color schemes, well-designed furnishings and furniture as well as the thoughtful manipulation of light and space can all make a real difference to how we feel about the environment and in it.

WHAT IS AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Interior designer is the professional concerned with the look and design of the interiors of spaces. His/her goal is to make a space visually appealing while reflecting the space owners preferences and

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WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF INTERIOR DESIGNER?

Interior designers vary from an independent consultant who is known as free-lancer to a studio to a large firm working on big projects or part of a group offering other related engineering services. Although most interior designers do diversified types of projects, some specialize in one area of interior design, in order to develop technical knowledge specific to that area, and these specifications would be categorized as shown in the diagram below ; please note that the first category of specializations is via sectors and that is extensively elaborated in the second diagram As for the services, there are two types of designers, some provide drawings and specs, as others offer the turn key solutions, which is designing and executing the construction of these designs. I personally have chosen that approach of combining the expertise of being a designer and a contractor at the same time, since I was a hands-on person,

WHY HIRE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER?

The question that a lot of clients would ask themselves usually would be "Should I Hire an Interior Designer? Or I am better off doing the job myself? The first reason that might come to your head is the cost. Considering budgeting is a vital matter. But considering the percentage of the total projects cost to the fees of hiring a professional interior designer is inconsiderate. Besides there is plenty of savings that could be gained , when the result of hiring a pro would limit waste cost on trials and errors , or even yet costly inappropriate usage of materials. There are several further reasons to justify the importance of hiring a professional interior designer among your team of players to reach your ultimate goal to bring your dream project to reality. and I immensely enjoy executing my work, for me there is no bigger thrill than to visualize an idea in my head and contribute in turning it into admirable reality. 1-You already have a job/ a busy life. Whether you belong to the corporate world or a stay at home spouse, you already have a hectic full schedule. An Interior Designer has gone rigorous studies and training to professionalize the possibility to design with taste, creativity, color, and awareness to their clients requirements, needs and budget. It is a full time occupation and it is extremely time consuming. Before you begin your project, you have to make sure you dont underestimate the amount of needed time, as well as the focused meticulous effort required. 2-A designer has products awareness more than you. In the market of finishing materials nowadays there are plenty of different choices and varieties. Designers have access to each and every new product on the market that you dont. Since they are professional, they are in direct contact with the suppliers, and an extensive knowledge of all the pros and cons of every material. They can easily filter all the available materials and select whichever is convenient for you that fit your requirements whether price wise, durability, or taste. 3-A designer has more knowledge of styles and trends. You are right when you think that only you would know exactly what you like and what will work best with your lifestyle. But a designer via his broad studies of styles and his insightful vision of you and your personality would guide you and most importantly brush up the rough image of what would suit you, and most definitely how to link all the different elements together into one harmonious exquisite space, uniquely tailored for you .The first thing a good designer should do, however, is sit down with you, and get to know how you live and what is important to you. If this crucial step is followed, the final design should appeal to everything you told them and more because it is a fresh pair of eyes looking at your home and its possibilities. 4-A designer can easily work with other needed engineers. As we have mentioned earlier, designing the interior of a space could involve several technical engineers, as electric, acoustical, heating/air-conditioning, home automation etc You have to link all these participants together, with a clear understanding of whether they would work parallel or concurrently, and awareness of the dependence of any of ones assignment on the other. A professional would have a hassle free flowing relationship with all of them, with well studied timing according to appropriate stages, without any possibility of future finger pointing issues between involved parties. After elaborating on the advantages of hiring a professional interior designer, if you still feel you might be in a good position to tackle the job yourself, If youre confident enough in your own sense of style, an eye for colors and taste and deep knowledge of materials ,and your own management abilities, and feel you will not benefit from a fresh perspective on things, as well of course as a lot and I mean a lot of time on your hands by all means, do it yourself. But you have to question yourself and respond honestly whether you feel comfortable with most of the following tasks; Research design styles and visualize each in your designated space, and have a strong sense of your own style and taste. Research the basic understanding of the design concepts and principles necessary for achieving the look you desire. Research finishing materials, and be aware of the ones available in the market. Select the necessary technical engineers, that you would need to refer to and act as the liaison between them. Perform the research necessary for a cost estimate. Find a method of presenting your ideas on paper as not to miss out on any essential detail, preferably good knowledge of CAD program (Computerized Architectural Drawings). Now, we have partially covered the interior designers topic, since it is a vivid issue, with more to discuss, it will be continued in the next issue along with the remnant the team players in the construction process of building your aspired home.
You can reach me at my email

askdalia@ask.com

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