In an average week at least one person makes a comment to me along the lines of, "Ooh! You're an interior designer - what a luxurious job!" And I never know quite how to respond. On one hand it is a luxury, but simply because I love what I do. On the other hand, it really isn't so luxurious sometimes to be responsible for other people's homes or businesses, money, and even their own perceptions of the finished project.
Looking at this from another point of view, I have to wonder if it is being implied that I am a provider of a luxury service. Interior design is not a luxury. Is it a luxury to have a work environment that accommodates all necessary equipment and supplies, tasks, and people? Is it a luxury to have a kitchen designed to take into consideration your right- or left-handedness, and shopping and cooking habits?
Interior design, or rather good interior design, is first and foremost about function - then come the luxuries and aesthetics. Yes, it certainly is a luxury to be in a space done in your favourite colours and motifs, and yes, it is a luxury to go home at the end of the day to a beautiful house. But it is not a luxury to make sure you're doing something right once you have made the decision that you will be doing it.
1 comment:
Well it's all relative, isn't it? Most people who work a standard 9-5 wrought with equal parts routine and tedium are envious of anyone who earns a living through creative thought. My job is slightly off the beaten path and I get both raised eyebrows and looks of raptuous envy when I describe what I do. Luxury is in the eye of the beholder, usually your neighbour.
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