I love a good movie night at home. And if the movie is about interior design, that’s even better. I just finished watching Abstract: The Art of Design on Netflix. This documentary series covers different aspects of the design world, from illustration to architecture. In it, British Interior Designer Ilse Crawford comes on to discuss her approach to interior design. She designs spaces from the outside in, considering the human experience first and moving from that place of empathy to deliver a finished product that improves the daily life of those who live and work there. This approach especially resonates with me. Here at my Austin interior design studio, we pride ourselves on our mantra of “design for better living.”  After all, what good is a pretty space if it doesn’t actually function or improve your life? 

 

After finishing the interior design episode of Abstract (and my popcorn), I took some time to reflect on the top lessons to be learned from Interior Designer Ilse Crawford. Now, I’m sharing them with you. 

Some Background on Interior Designer Ilse Crawford 

If you aren’t familiar with the work of Ilse Crawford, let me give you a quick background. Ilse Crawford is a British interior and furniture designer. She was the launch editor of Elle Decoration, and after her stint at the magazine, she opened her own London studio in 2001. One of her highest-profile projects was SoHo House in NYC. Additionally, she created a line of home accessories for IKEA centered around her timeless, human approach to design. She’s published multiple books, including A Frame for Life and Sensual Home, showcasing her accessible and approachable interiors grounded in “the thing that touches you.” 

10 Lessons Learned From Ilse Crawford 

Here are the best interior design lessons to be learned from Ilse Crawford. 

1. Design is More Than a Visual Art

Over 87% of our lives are spent indoors, so the design of our spaces really has a powerful effect on our well-being and presents an opportunity to enhance our lives. Interior design is not just a visual experience; our spaces also have a smell, sound, and tactile aspect to them. 

2. Design Must Consider the Human Experience

The design process starts with the human experience. However, that is not something that has always been considered and regarded as highly as it is now. Ilse’s humanities-based approach to design is what makes her spaces so special. The way people will live and interact in the space should be considered at every stage of the process. That is the key to good design. 

3. Empathy is the Cornerstone of Good Interior Design

Interior design is not a product. Design is a service, and it has to be approached with empathy and understanding. Ilse’s approach starts by asking clients the hard questions about their space, how it functions, and how they envision their lives. She listens. She empathizes. And from there, she designs. As interior designers, we have to have compassion and understanding for our clients, not just through our working relationship but how we approach their homes. After all, home is a personal space. We have to empathize with how it will feel to live there long after we’re gone. 

4. The Home Has to be Taken Seriously 

Ilse takes the home seriously. For her, living is an academic subject. This idea of taking our living spaces seriously is fairly new. For decades, interior design was seen as frivolous. Other leaders in the home space, like Martha Stewart, have used their influence to shift this perspective and encourage folks to give our homes the respect they deserve. Our environments affect our brains — how we think, feel, and act. As designers, our role is more important than ever.  

5. Design Affects Us on a Subconscious Level 

It’s easy to see how a functional kitchen design can improve the daily chore of cooking a meal. However, the emerging field of neuroaesthetics shows that our interior spaces have a much more nuanced effect on our subconscious. It’s important to understand how a furniture arrangement can encourage conversation over isolation. As designers, we have to be students of human behavior. Will guests feel comfortable here? Does this space promote relaxation? Where should we place lighting to guide someone to a gathering area?  

6. A Good Designer Loves to Work 

Ilse loves to work. I love to work. And, I think that’s a quality of a good interior designer. My own interior design process is slow and complex. I like to do my research, and, like Ilse, I seem to be doing it all the time. As designers, it’s hard for many of us to walk into a space without reimagining the furniture in our heads, making a few small tweaks to the color palette and layout, and wondering just how big a difference it would make to the backdrop of this party. 

7. The Home Should Place Comfort Above Beauty 

Ilse’s interior design approach advocates for comfortable spaces. While this is a more popular way of designing today, it was somewhat revolutionary when she began practicing and writing about it. In many of her most notable projects, like The Old Bell Inn, she takes stuffy formal spaces and reimagines them into something informal and relatable. You actually want to have a conversation here, and that plays to her empathy for the human experience. Livability is always above appearances. 

8. The Humanities & Design Fields are the Way Forward

Understanding humanities and social sciences is the path forward for us all as a society. Of course, science and technology have their place, but what use are their advancements without an understanding of the human experience? We need to forge compassion for and connections to one another, and we need spaces that facilitate this shift. 

9. We Understand Materials by Contrast

The only way we can really understand a material is by its contract or response to another. We can’t have a smooth textile without a rough stone. And a room will look vastly different at sunrise and dusk. Materials are constantly collaborating with each other, and that’s a lesson that extends to the folks who make up the design. Good design comes from a constant collaboration of contrasting ideas and experiences from the designers, clients, makers, builders, and vendors. Contrasting opinions are worth paying attention to if you want a better outcome. 

10. Good Design Thrives on Restrictions

I love to have rules in design. Boundaries around budget, color, and size give us something to push against and the opportunity to solve problems creatively. An unlimited budget is not only unrealistic but also uninteresting. Boundaries are important — both in our personal lives and design plans. 

Design is Abstract, But It is Powerful

The concept of design can be abstract. But this abstract vision has the power to change how people live and behave in a space. A less formal and stuffy hotel lobby can encourage people to talk to the travelers next to them, and a well-designed dining room can turn a weekday meal into an extraordinary shared familial experience. 

 

Design is powerful when it puts people first.