My project 14.

Sep27

Designed for a competition: 56 sqm attick flat for a young couple and their 5 years old daughter
More picture here: https://classicinteriors.hu/en/references/21-references/54-references12

My project 13.

Aug2

Designed for a competition: 88 sqm house for a young couple
Further pictures: https://classicinteriors.hu/en/references/21-references/56-references13

Misbelieves about interior designers

Jul3

We almost daily meet opinions about interior designers based on misbelieve. In Hungary, most people still don’t consider this profession to be an honored job. This is why we should clarify the most basic false enunciations.
1. The interior designer wants to implement himself/herself during planning my property
A good interior designer NEVER implements himself/herself during a job, but makes the owner’s dream come true! Because he/she is in the fortunate position that his/her job is his/her hobby as well, he/she doesn’t need more self-justification. It’s a fact that every interior designer has his/her own style after which his/her works are recognizable. This is an advantage for the client, because he/she can choose the designers by their references, which one he/she feels closer the most.
2. Only the rich can afford hiring an interior designer
The price of a whole interior design depends on many parameters, so the offer is always individual. Just like in the case of a tiling or heating job. The starting point can’t be the price of a job done for a neighbor/friend/relative (even many years ago). Asking for an offer is free, we can still take a look among interior designers. Besides, we can ask „only” for an interior design advice which is more cost effective but a much smaller possibility also, but it can help a lot for an amateur.
3. Hiring an interior designer is just a genteel mischief, he/she does indeed nothing for the money
Here are some examples for „nothing”: measuring the property and the requirements, making the plans (building-releasing, lighting, furnishing, custom-made furniture, suspended ceiling, consignation etc.) with discussing it with the client, handling orders, coordinating workers and so on. Say it in a sentence: he/she spares money and time for the client by taking over jobs from the owner as a professional.
4. I exactly know what and how I want, don’t try to force me any other things (color, style, arrangement etc.)
Interior designer forces nothing on anybody. He/she gives advice by the workmanship and experiences. Not only finishing the job is the aim but making the property fit for the expectations of the owner also. He/she can raise many questions which was never thought about by the client or never heard about that possibility. In the case when the owner wants to handle everything from the beginning to the end, but he/she is an amateur, it’s worth to ask for one or two hours of consultation to see if the desired things are really suitable. The owner can spare a lot of money during the renovation with this.
5. The interior designer will suggest me to buy only luxury products which I can’t afford
The interior designer discusses the costs with the owner already at the beginning. He/she will design the future home within the defined budget, fulfilling all the requirements (not unrealistic!) as far as possible. Since he/she knows the market, knows which budget bears what, depending on the features and requirements.
Be confident about interior designers, because they want to make our life better and more comfortable by forming the property according to our needs which we will call home.

Design documentation

Apr3

If you are looking for an interior designer on the internet, you will look at numerous websites and references. Most of the cases even the details can be found concerning to the given service for the money: consultation, design documentation, visiting shops, 3D visualization etc. Most of them are obvious. However, the parts of the design documentation (if there is a detailed list at all) mean a little to most people. It can be useful to know these in general.
Floor plan: if there is no official floor plan, the interior designer measures the property and makes a dimensioned floor plan. It contains among others: sizes of rooms, sizes and places of doors and windows, ceiling height, widths of walls, occasional level differences and orientation. The scale is 1:50 (flat) or 1:100 (bigger house).
Demolition-construction plan: these can be on one plan or separated, depending on plans. Commonly two different colors show the changes. The plan contains the demolitions and buildings of walls with dimensions, compared to the original floor plan. The scale is 1:50.
Floor and wall covering plan: in the case of floors it is a color floor plan, in the case of walls it is a sectional view. It contains the type, size, offset and allocation of the covering, size and color of interstice and distance dimensions (if necessary). The scale in the case of floor is 1:50, in the case of wall is 1:20.
Furnishing plan: the complete and color floor plan of the property with furniture. There are no dimensions, probably comments. The scale is 1:50.
Electric plan: it is a plan visualized on the floor plan, which contains the dimensioned places of lamps, sockets, switches and electric outlets (including binding height also). Related furniture is also displayed. The scale is 1:20.
Custom made furniture plan: front and side views (more sides if necessary) of the uniquely made furniture which contain all the dimensions. The material of furniture, details of handles, type of fittings and built-in details can be showed if necessary. The scale is 1:20.
Consignation: it is a detailed list in table of the planned products to be purchased (furniture, tiles, fabrics, decorating objects, lamps etc.). It contains the certain name, size, color, material, amount, picture (if necessary) and manufacturer/reseller of these.
If there is any part in the description or in the offer given by the interior designer, which cannot be understood, do not hesitate to ask for further information. Since one of the bases of the good professional contact is the proper communication.

Hiding arches

Mar20

Arch was very popular some decades ago, especially in shaping inner doorways and pass-through windows. Nowadays most of us want to get rid of them while renewal. If these arches were created by drywall, it’s easy to remove them. But it is time-consuming, dirtier and more costly in the case of the arches were built as part of the wall. Not sure if the owner has an opportunity for this. Let’s see some methods to hide or integrate them without demolishing.
Curtaining is the simplest solution. This can be used not only on windows but inner doorways also. Cover the upper, curved part of the arch with drapery and form a rectangular shape by the side curtains. We can apply a blind instead of drapery in the case of windows.
Inner openings without doors can be closed by a rectangular door if the upper part of the arch is built up. If the opening is not tall enough for this, but there is enough space on both sides of it, we can place an outside-wall sliding door also. The door panel should be oversized to cover the curved part. Place it on the side from which the sight of the arch is more annoying (from communal area, front door).
Put a mirror in the unused pass-through window and a console table or a chest of drawers under it. Although the arch remains, the picture in the mirror distracts one’s attention from its shape and makes the space useful.
Inserting shelves into the arched pass-through window results an excellent storage and displaying space. This way decoration objects are in the focus instead of the shape.
Ask for help of an interior designer for further solutions.