Interior design: it’s something we all engage in at one time or another, even if we don’t choose a career path in such a field. Using various techniques in interior design, we can create the space of our dreams whether we prefer a space that is more modern or more traditional. However, Interior design isn’t always about how the interior of our home looks but also about how it makes us feel and how functional it is.

Regardless of the role interior design plays in your life at present, it’s interesting to consider what interior design was. It’s also intriguing to learn how design has developed and altered over the years. Yet, most of us just know interior design basics in terms of selecting complementary colors, finding furniture pieces that look good with one another, and using different elements to create a certain mood or style in our home.

With the following interior design tips, you’ll gain a plethora of new facts you may have never known previously:

1 - Interior Design Is Much Older Than We Think

We talk about interior design like it’s something new or recently-established. Some of us might presume interior design didn’t truly come about until at least the Victorian era. However, the truth is, it may have been present in the prehistoric era. Some might consider drawings on cave walls to not just be forms of communication but also ways of decorating a space.

If you don’t consider cave drawings interior design, you might when you hear what other cultures did. Older tribal cultures would decorate their mud huts with animal skins and tree branches, and the ancient Egyptians decorated their homes with painted vases, sculptures, and animal skins.

2 - Current Interior Design Trends In One Country May Be Completely Different In Another Country

Although thanks to technology and methods of transportation, countries around the world are essentially more integrated than ever before, there are still vast differences each country has from one another. Interior design trends are one of those things. After all, interior design depends greatly on the primary culture, customs, or beliefs of a country and what items or materials their country has available.

For example, in Australia, interior design in 2019 encompasses minimalism, bold and daring wallpaper, and pastel colors. Meanwhile in America, minimalism is out while maximalism is in, floral wallpaper, and moody hues are in.

3 - American Actress Elsie De Wolfe (1865 – 1950) Is Credited For Helping Make Interior Decorating A Profession

Apart from being a wonderful actress, Elsie de Wolfe was also supposedly the first ever professional interior decorator and the author of her book, The House in Good Taste. De Wolfe may no longer be around, but her interior design style lives on. In her time, de Wolfe’s interior design skills were considering refreshing yet simple.

“I believe in plenty of optimism and white paint, comfortable chairs with lights beside them, open fires on the hearth and flowers wherever they ‘belong,’ mirrors and sunshine in all rooms” de Wolfe wrote. Although her style is no longer relevant today, her ability to make a dim place brighter and make a home more suitable and comfortable for living in is very much still inspiring.

4 - Having Plenty Of Windows In Your Interior Design Can Alleviate Pain

Many of us are aware that interior design plays a heavy role on how we think and feel. Some of us are aware that certain colors in an interior design are more relaxing than other colors that might instead give us energy. Many also understand that the amount of lighting entering our home can also alter our mood. However, did you know that having windows in your interior design may be able to alleviate acute or even chronic pain? It’s true!

Multiple studies conducted in different hospitals found that when patients were placed in rooms with windows featuring a beautiful landscape view, they didn’t require pain medication. A big reason for this is the fact that plants and the color green are very relaxing psychologically. When the brain is relaxed, the body tends to follow. However, when someone is highly anxious or stressed, they are more likely to experience pain (e.g., headaches, muscle aches, chest pains), even without a medical cause.

5 - Nature-Made Versus Man-Made Furniture And Décor Last Longer

More than ever before, we are turning to natural materials to use in our interior designs like bamboo, cork, hemp, cotton, stone, and clay. Likewise, many of us are turning away from man-made materials like plastics, laminate, and faux leather. There’s a good reason for selecting natural materials over ones that are fabricated: because they last longer!

It makes sense why many natural materials last longer as they are usually weather-proof, and in nature, fibers of materials are naturally intertwined rather than forcefully fused together in a factory. Additionally, natural materials are also very trendy in interior design right now, and not to mention, are eco-friendly, making them excellent to opt for in both furniture and décor.

6 - The Average Lifespan Of Your Couch Receives 782 Sitters And 1,663 Spills

Knowing how many people will sit on your couch and how many spills your sofa may experience during its lifetime is simply staggering. For some folks, it might even be a little disturbing. But couches are meant for sitting, and we all know that accidents happen with food, beverages, and other products. That’s life.

After learning the latter two statistics, it is more important than ever to select a sofa that not only is comfortable and will look suitable within your interior design but will also be durable, long-lasting, and easy-to-clean. Choose a couch that can go through a little wear and tear over the years if you have a big family, and consider different materials like leather, especially if you have children or plan to eat on the sofa. Regardless, there will be people sitting on your couch frequently, and there will be spills and messes!

7 - Avocado Bathrooms Were Incredibly Trendy In The 1970s

Trends come and go, and it certainly shows we when look back on the old interior design fads. In fact, a dream bathroom in the 70s would have an avocado-colored toilet, sink, bathtub, flooring, and/or tile. Today, we would shriek, “Yuck!” and opt for a major bathroom remodel. After all, our ideal bathroom today usually consists of lots of white with neutral accents and maybe a hint of a modern color like cherry red or teal.

Knowing how quickly people can change their minds about interior design trends overtime teaches us something valuable: that it’s okay to develop new interior design interests overtime and start fresh. So, do that remodel, redecorate your space, or give up that old chair you’ve been contemplating getting rid of. Don’t fear change; embrace it over the years.

Conclusion

There’s so much more to interior design than what it currently is and what’s trending at present. We might think we know all about interior design – like how to pick the perfect color of carpet, arrange candles in the right manner, or set the mood with the right lighting – but there are so many things we don’t know about interior design that we could benefit from.

Considering the latter fun facts about interior design, we become more curious about what it entails and how it even came about in the first place. Knowing all we can about the past, current, and future of design, we can feel more comfortable with the challenges we are presented with when we are designing our own spaces.

If you need more interior or exterior design-related tips and tricks, check out the rest of our blog posts.