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9 Good interior design adds a new dimension to a space. It can increase our effi ciency in the way we go about our daily lives and it adds depth, understanding and meaning to the built environment. ough ul and well-cra ed design makes a space easier to understand and experiencing such a space li s the spirit, too. It is, therefore, not just about the aesthetic; it is a practical and philosophical discipline. Beautiful spaces betray a logical and rational questioning of the status quo and can be an honest a empt to fi nd new and exciting ways to lead our lives. ere is o en some confusion between the terms 'interior architecture', 'interior design' and 'interior decoration'. What is the distinction between the diff erent professions? In truth, the distinctions are not absolute. Where boundaries are drawn depends upon several factors. In a professional sense, it may well come down to a ma er of which country the designer is working in (or perhaps more properly, which regulatory system the designer is working under). ough not defi nitive, the explanations below give an indication of the diff erent roles and responsibilities of those whose work involves the design of habitable space. Architects use planes (walls, fl oors, ceilings) to defi ne the volumes (spaces) that combine to make up a building. ey are trained to design structures from scratch. ey will take intellectual and practical considerations into account, and the building design will be informed by its location. Some architects will limit their involvement in this, while others will also plan furniture layouts in detail and create decorative schemes. Interior architects are generally concerned with taking existing structures and reforming them to suit new functions. ey will pay a great deal of regard to the previous life of a building, and usually allow this knowledge to provide some connection between the fabric of the building and the newly created interior. Interior decorators generally work with existing spaces that do not require physical alteration. rough the use of colour, light and surface fi nish, they will transform the look of a space, perhaps making it suitable to function in a diff erent way from that for which it was originally designed, but with very li le or no change to the structure of the building. Interior designers span the ground between interior architects and interior decorators. e scope of the projects undertaken will vary from the purely decorative, to ones where a great deal of structural change is required to meet the brief. An interior designer will competently handle the space planning and creation of decorative schemes at the same time as considering major structural changes. None of these professionals will necessarily be experts in all aspects of a project, and will call on other specialists (such as structural engineers or lighting designers) to help fully realise their ideas.