Have you ever wondered what tools are used in professional interior design? While each designer has their preferences and specialties, some tools have stood the test of time. Here is a simple guide to some of the most common interior design tools:
Interior designers regularly use both manual drawing tools and computer-aided-design (CAD) software. Basic drawing tools like pens, pencils, rulers, compasses, protractors and graph paper are commonly used to sketch out room layouts and design concepts. CAD software then converts the sketches into workable 3D models designers can use to flesh out ideas with their clients.
Color theory is essential to interior design, and a color wheel is a powerful tool to help. With a color wheel, designers can find relationships between colors and choose the most harmonious and aesthetically pleasing combinations. By illustrating how different colors fit together, color wheels make coming up with color schemes simpler for designers and their clients.
Color alone won't tell you everything, which is why designers rely on fabric samples in their work. Designers typically get books of samples from different vendors and fabric makers to test and select fabrics for a room design. By consulting the samples, designers can pinpoint the exact texture, color palette and style they need for a design.
Digital cameras are extremely helpful to interior designers, even more so when built right into a smartphone. With digital photography, designers can create visual records of job sites and track progress. They can also make quick references of furnishings, accessories and other details they encounter during the process.
Some CAD programs and other software can even import the photos directly to integrate into design plans. With the advent of virtual and augmented reality technology, digital cameras have become a starting point for a more advanced and immersive client experience.
Ted draws energy and joy from building synergetic relationships with his Clients. Ted's nature is graciously gregarious and persevering; he's honest; and he's been dedicated to a substantial list of clientele throughout his 25 years in the hospitality business and almost two years as a REALTOR. His passion is creating a sincere, successful relationship with people.
Ted grew up in a family of Realtors in central Indiana, earned a degree in economics and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame, and jumped into all aspects of the restaurant business. His ensuing hospitality career path eventually led him into the Event Management Sales & Service role in hotels and quickly guided him to Los Angeles, San Francisco, and finally to a luxury resort in the Napa Valley, where he, his husband, and their dog have resided for almost a decade now.
The irony is not lost on Ted that his ‘growth’ journey has culminated in“living happily ever after” in an agricultural area with a small-town feel and sense of community strikingly reminiscent of his youth…and as a REALTOR nonetheless!