Interior Design: Conceptual Basis

This book introduces interior design as a conceptual way of thinking, which is about ideas and how they are formulated. Now in its second edition, the book is enlarged to include topical subjects such as artificial intelligence, sustainability and climate change. The book prepares designers to focus on each concept independently as much as possible, whilst acknowledging relative connections without unwarranted influences unfairly dictating a conceptual bias, and is about that part of the design process called conceptual analysis.

The major themes of this second edition of Interior Design: Conceptual Basis are the seven concepts of planning, circulation, 3D, construction, materials, colour and lighting, which cover the entire spectrum of a designer’s activity. It is assumed that the site, location, building and orientation as well as the client’s brief of activities and needs have been digested and analysed to provide the data upon which the design process can begin. Designed as a highly visual illustrative book, as the interior design medium demands, the hands-on creative process of designing is detailed with original drawn illustrations. Concentrating on the conceptual process of designing interiors, and defining what these concepts are, this book helps the designer to organise his/her process of designing and to sharpen the links between the various skill bases necessary to do the job.

This book is stimulating for students and instructors alike and is aimed at any student who maybe majoring in interior design, interior architecture, architecture, design thinking or furniture design. It is also useful reference for students of design management and design leadership.

Anthony Sully (DesRCA, FCSD, FRSA, FHEA) has studied art and interior design at undergraduate and post-graduate levels and has practised interior design on a freelance basis and as an employee working with designers and architects. He has designed many projects, which have gained public recognition and awards and has been the course director for five degree programmes in the UK and a visiting professor to two institutions in the USA.

He has written four books previously published in 1970, 2012, 2018 and 2022,  and continues to  research and engage with current trends and developments. He is also an artist in acrylic and digital media.