Interior Design is (kind of) a numbers game

How do interior designers use math as it relates to interior design?

So many people are interested in learning how to better their interior design techniques, but they don't realize the importance of using math in a professional setting.

This is especially important for people who are trying to become interior designers or get a degree to design spaces.

How do interior designers use math?

Math and interior design are two of the most heavily debated topics in the industry today.

Experts and designers seem to be divided on the subject; while many prefer to use math in their design work, many other designers are against the use of math.

Regardless of the opinion, both sides can agree on a few things, which are that numbers do exist in interior design and math does have a place in the field. Calculations must be done when designing interiors.

What is math?

In a basic sense, math is a term used for a series of rules and equations used in practical applications. These rules are used to analyze and solve problems. Typically, math is done to calculate an answer to a problem or prove a concept.

In the interior design industry, math is used in three primary ways: modeling, systems, and coordination.

The importance of modeling:

Designers  can create 3-D renderings of their proposed designs using various modeling programs (Sketchup is a good example that comes to mind). These renderings are based on measurements, either taken by hand or through a CNC router.

The use of these models enables designers to visualize their designs from multiple vantage points. They are also an interactive way to acquaint the space with structures. Modeling is very helpful in placing furnishings and appliances.

To make a convincing model, a designer will need at least a cursory understanding of the math behind their designs. The math used is to calculate measurements and areas.

While the math required for modeling isn't as crazy as it would be for something like architecture, a good understanding of basic geometry can help this phase of the design process greatly!

Math and systems

Systems

Designers also use math to design parts of their design process. A few examples are how furniture pieces are built (structure, craftsmanship, etc.) and how furniture will be moved to place (mechanical, electrical, or any other kind of coordination).

Math is also used to wire electronics and piping, which is key in placement and room design.

Coordination

Designers use math to coordinate and structure their designs. They will often use math to determine the best use of space, where to place different pieces of furniture, or how much storage space is needed.

Area calculations are extremely important for this aspect. For example, no one wants a rug that is way to small for a living space!

What is math good for in interior design?

If math is good for interior design, then why do some designers say it is bad?

Perhaps to a certain extent, too much focus on numbers and not enough attention to instinct can hinder the design process. Having too much of a focus on the calculations can lose the inspiration and desired feel of the space.

Like most things in life, however, balancing the whims of your imagination with a cold hard look at the facts may help you keep your designs practical and effective. Too whimsical of a design can risk looking haphazard!

The real question to ask is: How can math help with the design process?

Modeling and mechanical designs

Many designers have models of their designs that they use for 3-D rendering. This is a great way to visualize the design before actually designing the house itself.

Using a model allows designers to see where a piece of furniture or other object will go in the space. It is quite a fun process to place the 3D renderings within the program to visualize the design of a room.

If a piece of furniture needs to go next to a wall, it is possible to see exactly where that wall begins, what the property line is, and what the area above and below is to determine how the furniture will fit in the space.

Using models also helps designers decide what piece of furniture will be used where. For example, the feel of a room may be totally different by switching a chair and a couch!

Some areas, like kitchens, are very flexible spaces. The furniture can be used in many different ways. In some kitchens, tables are put in an L-shape, which can be a bit awkward to use especially if there is not an L-shaped booth to accompany it.

Not everyone has a large table and some people don't like the long lines. In this case, a designer might use a table that was designed to fit a specific space (like an L-shape kitchen).

The table can be placed with a few horizontal edges towards the wall, thus making it easier to maneuver. Using a model to identify a correct placement for furniture can go a long way in helping designers create a well-planned and comfortable space.

How math is used to improve your designs:

Although using math is not always the best approach to interior design, it can still be helpful in the proper design process. Knowing the dimensions of a room and furniture can be extremely helpful in the whole room design process.

The most popular applications of math in interior design are visualizing a space, determining what furniture and other items will fit best in that space, and calculating how objects can be moved and used in different spaces.

Using math to solve design problems:

Using math to visualize your design is the first step to any design. When designing a space, it is important to see the space from all angles.

Designers create models to get the general look of a space and produce different design versions.

Knowing what areas of the space are not used in order to determine where and how furniture and other pieces of furniture can be moved and where they need to go.

Using a computer program to take a basic model and highlight the different furniture and items helps the designer see their design clearly. It is also good to use models to show their clients the design progress.

Sometimes a designer might see a space and think, “I would never fit that in there,” and then there is the stress of figuring out how to squeeze the furniture in. This is a good time to use math to help.

A design firm, Design Docs, often uses a program called BIM (Building Information Modeling) to help their designers visualize and design spaces.

How BIM works

BIM is a way to see the space and make adjustments based on geometry. It uses graphs and other calculations to identify where the furniture and other objects need to go.

The program allows the designer to easily work from many different viewpoints, such as from above, below, and from different angles. If the designer doesn't have any furniture in the space, they can view how the furniture might fit.

They can also calculate how much storage space is needed.

By using BIM, designers are able to find the best placement for every object in the space.

But sometimes, when a designer has furniture in a space, they might not be able to see the entire space with the furniture.

In these situations, you might need to create a plan that shows where the furniture will go. Designing the plan is similar to how the model is used. It is important to see how objects fit, not only for your furniture, but for other objects as well.

When a designer is designing a room, they need to look at everything: the walls, flooring, ceiling, and other areas where pieces of furniture and items will be placed.

Finding the perfect placement of objects in the space is a process that is not always straightforward, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Using math to visualize is a great way to plan a space, to figure out how objects can fit, and to see how furniture will fit when you need to move or remove it.

"Makies" are the product designs in the shape of a mouse. They are a popular, creative product. Makies are toys and functional furniture.

It’s also easy to make fun mouselike objects, like a mouselike lamp with mouse eyes, mouselike cushions, mouselike chair legs, etc.

Planning your space for planning purposes

Many designers use a program like AutoCAD or Revit to help them develop design plans. Creating design plans is a big part of the interior design process.

You’ll have many different views of your space from all different angles. A designer would use this to help define furniture and other objects for each section of the space.

They would also be able to see the connections in the space, such as where different spaces intersect.

Using AutoCAD or Revit helps the designer see all angles and areas of the space at once.

But perhaps most importantly, these programs help you with implementing your designs effectively.

They make the math elements of design easier by keeping your focus on the creative.

Think of these tools as calculators for some awesome, life-changing interior design.

All of the above applications of math to plan and visualize your space are things that are needed in the design process. For interior designers, math is definitely one of the most useful tools.

For more information on how math and design work together in the field of architecture, click here.