interior design

Parsons Interior Design

ARGH.

Everyone asks me the same question: Oh, Parsons? What are you studying, ashion?

No, I’m not at Parsons or ashion, I’m here or INTERIOR DESIGN. No one really knows how secretly great our Interior Design department really is. I didn’t ask the director or the chair o the department, but instead all o these answers are rom the students themselves. It is what you would call the INSIDER INFO, a view you won’t get rom the administrators.

The First Questions Why Parsons? What is the ID department like? Isn’t it really time consuming? I’ve heard people never sleep… Are the materials expensive? I hate doing math… How many students are there? Is the aculty any good? What can I do ater graduation? Do I get to pick the color o walls? And other requently asked questions...

ISN’T IT REALLY TIME CONSUMING? Yes, many students have spent endless hours building their models and reportedly have not had much sleep in the frst year. There is no such major where you do not spend time working on your projects; they all require it.

I HATE DOING MATH... Don’t worry, it isn’t completely necessary.

ARE THE MATERIALS EXPENSIVE? You do need to prepare to spend the most in sophomore year. Generally, it will cost up to $400 per semester. Technically, this is double the suggested amount or Foundation studio courses.

IS THE FACULTY ANY GOOD? Positively. Most o them are practioners themselves and will be o great inspiriation or you in terms o proessional insight and perhaps as uture employers.

DO I GET TO MATCH COUCH COLORS WITH THE WALLS? The BIGGEST misconception by ar is the idea that the program is all about interior decorating. Interior Design at Parsons is essentially Interior Architecture and very conceptually oriented. You are not going to be Martha Stewart. You will be moving oors, walls, ceilings and changing acades to provide unctionality, quality o lie and aethetics o design.

SHED SOME LIGHT  A glass-walle d room welcomes you when you open the doors to the second oor o the 25 East 13th Street building.

Internships As previously mentioned, most o the aculty o the ID department are practitioners. Do you know what that means? I you’re good (and i they like you) they are your best bet at getting your frst internship! How awesome is that?!? You can intern any one o  the 3 years and build up experience, skills, and your resume. The majority choose to intern junior year because o the extra time they have due to elective courses. Plus, you want to make sure you are ocused on school during your senior year.

Internships

Jessica Yu Junior, Student Council

“Proessors are your best bet at getting your

“I’m actually interning this year. I’m a junior, and my riend mentioned me

frst internship, because they see the way you

at her workplace and they asked i I could come in or an interview

think and work in general. Thereore the hard

and look at my portolio. I got hired and I work on construction

”

work does pay o in a way.

“At my frst internship, I did a lot o site measuring, urniture layouts and material palettes.

Martina Sencakova Senior Student Council

”

demo plans, reective ceiling plans, and new layouts.

”

“I think internships are great or learning and experiencing the real world out there. They give you a more technical aspect o what it’s really like,

while at school, you have reedom to be creative.

”

I there is one thing you need to know,

Cecilie Lindsay Junior, Interior Design

“I have an internship with Skidmore Owings & Merrill in the interiors department. I work in the materials library. One o my teachers rom my sophomore year

used to work there and got the job or me.

”

“During the summer o 08 I will return to working at SOM and I might go to Paris or the summer program there. Ater graduation, I don’t know what I want to do quite yet but I do

”

not want to work or a large corporation, such as SOM..

AutoCad is defnately a required skill.

Look, Look Here Jessica, the Junior Student Council Representative in ID tells me they are currently working on designing a dormitory. The actual site is Elliot Hall at Barnard College. Prelliminary research and concept generation is necessary beore initial designs. This is an example o how the projects are designed as real-lie situations and oer actual work experience outside the saety net o the school. In junior year, students learn to design with the environment in mind.

“The biggest dierence between sophomore & junior year is the work load. I eel like I have twice as much work. ” -Cecilie Lindsay

On a scale o 1 to 10, how would you rate the aculty, resources and equipment?

Resources Faculty Equipment

7

8

9

My recent project is on luxury retail stores. It is a two-story space with walkways and a colorul interior. As with most projects, we have a specifc client and this store is based on the works o Emilio Pucci. -Cecilie Lindsay

So, What Now? Work OVERLOAD?

The students do not deny it. There will be sleepless nights and you will need to invest a lot o time in order to fnish projects and be ready or the desk and “pin-up crits.” Habits and time management certainly are important actors in the improvement o your work as well. I this is your PASSION, you will not mind it and in the end, it will be a w ay to prepare you mentally and physically or the demanding feld. It will help you to work aster and multitask, which is defnately a must.

I you want... There have been several cases where students transerred into the architecture program because they realized it interested them more than Interior Design did. Some were overwhelmed with the workload and decided to take a semester o, as in the case with a ew people in Martina’s senior class. I you have not transerred out or taken a semester or two o during your stay at Parsons, you will most likely be looking or employment upon graduation.

To become a certifed Interior Designer, you will have completed one o the three basic requirements set up by the NCIDQ (National Council or Interior Design) by graduating rom a Council or Interior Design Accreditation (ormerly FIDER) accredited program. Parsons ID programs are certainly appropriately accredited. The remaining two requirements are or you to work or a NCIDQ certifed designer or two years as work experience and proceed to take the NCIDQ exam in order become fnally, ully certifed.

What do you plan on doing ater graduation? My plan ater graduation is to fnd a ull time job or about two years and then I would like to continue getting a masters degree. I am not sure whether it would be design/architecture related yet but there is hope. Hopeully the two years o working everyday will help me pinpoint what it is that I am really passionate about because there are tons o things that I am interested in. -Martina Sencakova, Senior ID

“

I love having my own desk.

I like being able to stop what I'm working on without cleaning up and picking up where I let o the next day. ”

-Cecilie Lindsay

The second oor consists o Junior ID and Archite cture students.

Facing er sismolessit verat. Lent enibh exej odolutat laorper ipis num ilit lorperat. Ommy nostrud te vendigna conse tie magna alit ilit iofuscinibh er il ea am aliquat ionummod mi Facing er sismolessit verat. Lent enibh exero od olutat laorper ipis num ilit lorperat. Ommy nostru te vendigna conse tie magna alit ilit iuscinibh er il

Still not dea am aliquat ionummod minisit am eliquat uer convinced about anything? You will be happy to know that there have been numerous successul dsaorper ipis num ilit lorperat. Ommy nostrud te ven alumni’s rom Parsons sdigna conse tie magna alit ilit iuscinibh er il School ea am ali o Design. One o  them includes Mr. Mario quat ionummod minisit am eliquat uerat. Ulla alisit iliq Buatta, who has been psum dolorem nim in hendipi siscil dolorem an iurem inuential member o  Architectural Digest’s top 100 list. The ollowing section describes his long but rewarding journey in the world o interior design, as well as photos o his numerous works and designs. Read on! Facing er sismolessit verat. Lent enibh exero odolutat

Alumni Bio

h c s ir H y re ff e J & ia b m u l o C k c rit a P id v a D . 6 0 0 2

m o .c ry ia D l a i c o S rk o Y w e N

Mario Buatta Interior Designer 

“Luxury, Texas Style. In Houston. a ‘1930’s House Revels in Easy Elegance.”

Architectural Digest July 2007. Photograph by Gordon Beall.

He completed an apprenticeship at B. Altman & Co., and also became associated with other design frms such as Elizabeth Draper, Inc. Mr. Buatta is amous or his tasteul use o chintzes, incorporating texture and pattern. His clients include Mariah Carey, Henry Ford II, Barbara Walters and Billy Joel. One o his major works includes the Blair House; the ofcial White House guesthouse in Washington D.C.

Mario Buatta, born in New York, attended Parsons School in Paris and studied architecture at Cooper Union.

“Luxury, Texas Style. In Houston, a ‘1930’s House Revels in Easty Elegance” Architectural Digest July 2007. Photograph by Gordon Beall.

My personal dream house would be... One where I wouldn’t have to do anything to it! Actually, it would be in England, in the country, and have beautiul gardens and people to take care o them, a wonderul cook and someone to share it all with. I like 18th-century style, but I want all the amenities o the 21st century. -Mario Buatta