226 Interiors Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Boundaries organize interior space even if they are not structural or permanent. Inside a restaurant, sitting in a booth, space is defined by its partitions and seating. In an office building, glass panels may establish boundar- ies, Figure 8-13 A and B. The height of walls, ceilings, windows, doorways, balco- nies, and stairwells individualizes an interior space. Commercial hotel foyers, for example, appear unique depending on these features. As you walk from one room to another or one enclosed area to another, you experience the interior space. The quality of interior space—its ability to comfort or serve as a sanctuary—is what you experience and remember. In an interior, the size of openings has a significant impact on the human sense of containment. In addition, how much of the space is enclosed impacts feelings about that space. For example, in a room with many windows, the space appears lighter and more open than in a space with one small window, Figure 8-14. As a person moves through an interior space, he or she may find small or large as well as partially or fully Designer Profi le Kia Weatherspoon, Allied ASID—Passionate for Design Kia Weatherspoon, principal of DETERMINED by DESIGN in Washington, D.C., was a dancer turned soldier who fell in love with interior design. Read more about Kia’s unplanned, inspiring path to a career in interior design. “Interior designers are visual storytellers. Instead of words we use walls, shapes, textures, lighting, furniture, and a variety of materials to get the reader enthralled into a space. No two stories are alike likewise no two spaces are alike. There may be similarities, however, but a writer’s source of inspiration is unique and specifi c to him or her. This is also true for interior design. The most valuable tool you have is your ability to tell your individual design story. Think about what led you to interior design? “Once you have pinpointed the passion for your purpose, learn how to share it with as many people as possible. This is important because your passion will ultimately come through in every space you create. Your story will inevitably set you apart from every other designer. Know your design story and start every project from that place of inspiration. Here is some insight into my passion for design. “After 13 years of training as a ballet dancer, collegiate pursuit of my childhood passion was inevitable. What I did not foresee was the inability to afford my dream at the university level. My solution to the lack of fi nancial aid led me to the U.S. Air Force in 2001. My plan was simply to utilize the military’s educational benefi ts to pay for my academic endeavors. I intended to serve my country during the day and continue my dance education at night. The unforeseen tragedy of September 11th, however, altered my plans. “Shortly after 9-11, I was deployed to the Middle East to a bare base—in lay terms imagine sand, tents, aircraft hangers, and more sand. In a shared space with fi fteen other women, I needed a reprieve. I needed a place to let out the fl ood of emotions I was feeling—it was my fi rst time away from my family and out of the country. “What I lacked, thousands of miles away from home, was privacy and a sense of comfort. So, when military supply issued troops sheets and miscellaneous items for our tent-city living quarters, I didn’t put them on my cot for comfortable sleep. Instead, I took some string, hung it from the top of the tent, and created three sheet-walls around my cot. This was the fi rst space I created—a space that wasn’t dictated by extravagant fi nishes and furniture. It was a space that evoked an emotional reaction and a lasting memory. When I left the military in 2004, I knew I wanted to create spaces.” You can read more about Kia’s design experience in the Appendix. Designer: Kia Weatherspoon, Allied ASID/Firm: Determined by Design