Xxx furniture shop can buy la...cheh

It's such been couples of month did not update my blog...

What's make me feel like blogging again?
Firstly, Hehe..thanks to one of my client, who told me she actually read my blog..:).
Secondly, that's something which i really wish to share again about issue on id scope.heheh..issue..sound serious ah...hahaha but no right or wrong again, just a matter of discussion ..

That day, come across this discussion with friend who is also a designer. He told me that, one of his client complaint this to him

" ai yoh, overall the design u proposed for my house le.. me and my husband quite like it la...but hor..my study room! Ai yah...the thing u proposed, i able to buy off the rack from xxx furniture shop la! What for i pay u to design my study room leh...." said client A.


It's pop up in my mind...and i begin to question myself..what is a interior designer role?
A) We are not a furniture maker neither a furniture designer.

Then , you might question then? What is your role ? Aren't u design kitchen cabinet? Wardrobe? Like what kitchen speciallist did? Aren't they call themselves designer too?
Yes, we design kitchen cabinet, but we design it as whole; flooring to ceiling to wall to lighting every single detail; but not only design kitchen cabinet and put in the space that you have.

Again, to me no right or wrong..but there is something which i wish to again emphasize here, what is a interior designer role.

As refer to the web defination source from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interior_design

Interior design is a multi–faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment.
The interior design process follows a systematic and coordinated methodology, including research, analysis, and integration of knowledge into the creative process, whereby the needs and resources of the client are satisfied to produce an interior space that fulfills the project goals.[1]


To build a interior environment- meaning, the entire interior but not A piece of furniture.

In a more simple word - designer task is to create the comfortable ambience for the user.

Therefore, it is not a neccesity to customade everything when you can purchase a suitable item from the furniture shop (which is probably 50% or even 100% cheaper compare to customade) yet, the entire interior remain as per the concept that fit owner preference and expectation. No right or wrong, but something to look at.

In conclusion i wish to emphasize on a designer role.
Please forgive us, we are interior designer...or probably this group of designers are not a good businessman. We don't know how to maximize our profit margin ( or don't wish to) by convince our client blindly spend unneccesary money to customade every single item(in respect to their expectation).
We are just a simple designer who focus on the entire ambience of the space, but not a furniture maker.

Interior designer...???Who are they??

Lots of my friends, clients, misunderstand that an interior designer is the one who ONLY design the kitchen cabinet, wardrobe.....and etc.
It is something i would like to clarify long ago. No right or wrong.....(no hard feeling..)
Actually, an interior designer task is not only to help you to design your kitchen cabinet nor wardrobe...but they are the one who help you to create the ambiance of the particular area, for eg: kitchen. They are not ONLY to design the kitchen cabinet for you but..they will propose as overall; incorporate with below aspect in order to create the ambiance that suit your expectation and lifestyle:

• ceiling , floor and wall design (material, colour...)
  
• circulation (based to your daily usage and lifestyle)
• lighting
  
• existing site solution (i believe those who renovate their house before, office...before, facing this problem..which after view the site, they found the unexpected beam/column at the space they intend to have some built in..that's where interior design able to "adopt" all this "unnecessary" and "unexpected" situation into the design )

Therefore, don't get into the trap, which, some design firm will encourage you to have as much as build in cabinet as possible (except you think it is necessary)... It is not the only solution to bring up the area that you wish to. In fact, you might able to save your renovation cost by just changing the colour of your wall or just by adding a nice art piece.

That day, i met with one of my long lost fren, when she knew that i am actually an interior designer, the first question she asked me was
"oh, where is your showroom?" ...honestly, i was kinda "surprise"
"no showroom wor...y?" i answered.
"how come no showroom? then how you show your kitchen design to your client?"
finally, i got what she meant...she thought...interior designer = kitchen specialist.....i guess....lots of people have same thought as well....

pity pity designer

yesterday, about this time...was chatting with one of my new friend in msn...i feel a bit funny bout the question he asked...

" you are designer?"
"yes, i do."
"so, you study design last time?"
(else? study account and now work as designer meh???)

emm...i think that's a very common question...but yet make me feel a bit uneasy....Y??? because, lots of people really think that, anyone can be an interior designer...you will hardly hear ppl asking an accountant, engineer, doctor, QS.... same question...probably they sound more professional...

really wish that one day, government will set more rules to protect us as designer right....haiz...pity..pity