THE ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF INTERIOR
DESIGN EXPLAINED
With the profession of interior design clocking in at just over 100 years old, we’re
looking at the roots of interior design history and the seven legendary decorators who
made a name for themselves as the industry started gaining momentum in the early
1900’s. From the Ancient Egyptians to the dawn of modern interior design, here’s
everything you need to know.
It may seem a bit elementary, but let’s start with the basics of interior design services.
Interior design is defined as the art and science of enhancing the interior of a space in
order to create a polished and more aesthetically pleasing environment. An interior
designer is someone trained to execute plans, research, coordinate, and manage
decorative projects with authority. The profession of interior design is varied and
includes space planning, conceptual development, site inspections, programming,
research, communicating with the clients, project and construction management, and of
course the execution of the desired design.
Before the profession rose to prominence, interior design came in instinctively to strictly
coordinate with the architecture of buildings. The profession of interior design came with
the rise of middle-class society and the complicated architecture that rose to popularity
,during the industrial revolution. The quest to make the best use of space, along with the
attention to user well-being and functional design continues to push the development
and life-enhancing possibilities of today’s iteration on the interior design profession.
That said, the profession of interior design is distinctly separate from the work of
an interior decorator, a moniker more commonly used across the US. The term interior
decorator is less commonly used in the UK where the profession of interior design
remains unregulated and sadly, not yet considered an official profession to this day.
As far back as ancient India, architects used to double as interior designers to fully
develop their complete vision. This can be noted from the references of architect
Vishwakarma – one of the gods featured in Indian mythology. Those references feature
sculptures illustrating ancient texts and events seen in palaces constructed in 17th-
century India.
Throughout ancient Egypt, “soul houses” or models of houses were gifted in tombs as
vessels for food offerings. From these evocative trinkets, it’s possible to decipher cues
about the interior design of various residences throughout several Egyptian dynasties,
including updates to ventilation, porticoes, columns, loggias, windows, and doors.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and into the first part of the 19th century,
interior decorating was an exclusive concern relegated to the homemaker, or a
, professional upholsterer or craftsman who could securely advise based on their artistic
eye for a home’s interior design. Incidentally, architects would also turn to craftsmen
and artisans to create interior design for their buildings.
The practice of interior design harkens back to the Ancient Egyptians, who decorated
their naive mud homes with basic furnishings enhanced by animal skins, simple textiles,
graphic biographical and spiritual murals, sculptures, and painted urns. Ornate gold
ornaments found in Egyptian tombs (such as King Tutankhamen’s) and trinkets
highlighted the need for more distinctively rich decoration to symbolize the more
wealthier and powerful Egyptians.
Roman and Greek civilizations advanced the Egyptian art of interior designing and
accessorizing by celebrating civic pride through their invention of domed-roof public
buildings. For their homes, elaborate Greek wooden furniture featured intricate ivory
and silver decoration while the Romans concentrated on marrying beauty and comfort,
with both civilizations home interiors designed to reflect wealth and social and political
status. Roman furniture was often made of stone, marble, wood, or bronze, and was
made comfortable via cushions and expressive tapestries. To elevate their homes, both
Romans and Greeks brought in vases and created mesmerizing mosaic floors, and wall
paintings and frescoes to make their spaces unique to them.
DESIGN EXPLAINED
With the profession of interior design clocking in at just over 100 years old, we’re
looking at the roots of interior design history and the seven legendary decorators who
made a name for themselves as the industry started gaining momentum in the early
1900’s. From the Ancient Egyptians to the dawn of modern interior design, here’s
everything you need to know.
It may seem a bit elementary, but let’s start with the basics of interior design services.
Interior design is defined as the art and science of enhancing the interior of a space in
order to create a polished and more aesthetically pleasing environment. An interior
designer is someone trained to execute plans, research, coordinate, and manage
decorative projects with authority. The profession of interior design is varied and
includes space planning, conceptual development, site inspections, programming,
research, communicating with the clients, project and construction management, and of
course the execution of the desired design.
Before the profession rose to prominence, interior design came in instinctively to strictly
coordinate with the architecture of buildings. The profession of interior design came with
the rise of middle-class society and the complicated architecture that rose to popularity
,during the industrial revolution. The quest to make the best use of space, along with the
attention to user well-being and functional design continues to push the development
and life-enhancing possibilities of today’s iteration on the interior design profession.
That said, the profession of interior design is distinctly separate from the work of
an interior decorator, a moniker more commonly used across the US. The term interior
decorator is less commonly used in the UK where the profession of interior design
remains unregulated and sadly, not yet considered an official profession to this day.
As far back as ancient India, architects used to double as interior designers to fully
develop their complete vision. This can be noted from the references of architect
Vishwakarma – one of the gods featured in Indian mythology. Those references feature
sculptures illustrating ancient texts and events seen in palaces constructed in 17th-
century India.
Throughout ancient Egypt, “soul houses” or models of houses were gifted in tombs as
vessels for food offerings. From these evocative trinkets, it’s possible to decipher cues
about the interior design of various residences throughout several Egyptian dynasties,
including updates to ventilation, porticoes, columns, loggias, windows, and doors.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and into the first part of the 19th century,
interior decorating was an exclusive concern relegated to the homemaker, or a
, professional upholsterer or craftsman who could securely advise based on their artistic
eye for a home’s interior design. Incidentally, architects would also turn to craftsmen
and artisans to create interior design for their buildings.
The practice of interior design harkens back to the Ancient Egyptians, who decorated
their naive mud homes with basic furnishings enhanced by animal skins, simple textiles,
graphic biographical and spiritual murals, sculptures, and painted urns. Ornate gold
ornaments found in Egyptian tombs (such as King Tutankhamen’s) and trinkets
highlighted the need for more distinctively rich decoration to symbolize the more
wealthier and powerful Egyptians.
Roman and Greek civilizations advanced the Egyptian art of interior designing and
accessorizing by celebrating civic pride through their invention of domed-roof public
buildings. For their homes, elaborate Greek wooden furniture featured intricate ivory
and silver decoration while the Romans concentrated on marrying beauty and comfort,
with both civilizations home interiors designed to reflect wealth and social and political
status. Roman furniture was often made of stone, marble, wood, or bronze, and was
made comfortable via cushions and expressive tapestries. To elevate their homes, both
Romans and Greeks brought in vases and created mesmerizing mosaic floors, and wall
paintings and frescoes to make their spaces unique to them.
