Designing a functional living space
An ideal house does not happen by chance. It takes careful planning and remarkable creativity to create beautiful, functional spaces. A good interior designer can help to realize this goal.
“Many people get intimidated by the idea of hiring an interior designer. Some people want to save money and attempt to design their homes themselves. Others are concerned about the process of working with a designer. But unless they are incredibly skilled or born prodigies, they probably will hit trial upon expensive trial while they piece their dream home together. Having an excellent interior designer at the helm is never a bad idea,” says multi-awarded Filipino interior designer Jigs Adefuin, who earned his masters in interior and living design at the prestigious Nuova Academia di Belle Arti Milano’s Domus Academy in Milan.
Hiring an interior designer will help you avoid costly mistakes and save time. Interior design is a delicate balance between art and science. As designers, they have spatial perspective to see the whole picture that clients most often can’t see. They are also trained to think creatively, with great attention to details, from furniture placement, fixtures, proper lighting and down to fabric choices and color schemes.
In designing a living space, communication between the client and the designer is the key. Both the client and designer should have the same goal and vision.
Aside from doing interiors, Adefuin also engages in furniture designing. For his designs, what matters is the objective, the vision, to make the creative process spontaneous and organic. His design ideas can come from the materials themselves.
“I like to study the play of textures. For me, it [texture] is not just about the feel of the material on human skin, but also how it's perceived visually by the eyes. Thus, I pay considerable amount of attention to how they are layered and mind the elements that give them their character: opacity, lightness, etc.,” shares Adefuin.
In both interior and furniture, Adefuin believes that functionality is very important. “When designing, budding designers should always first consider the function of the space or the furniture. Function will always trump form. No matter how nice the design is, if it doesn't serve a purpose, it is essentially useless,” Adefuin points out.
With the thriving condo living in the metro, Adefuin tackles the challenge of designing small spaces. “Working in small spaces requires flexible thinking. One has to decide and situate all of the functions the clients need within the space, and then bring in the aesthetics. Whether the space is huge or small, comfort and function are the major considerations. A room is a space to live — it’s a shelter. It has to contain the things one needs for subsistence and sustenance, both physical and spiritual, and provide a level of ease and security.”