Architecture on the inside
A
career in interior design called early for Nicole Immonen (pictured right).
As a child she liked to paint her room and move around the furniture – so
much so that her dad was driven to nail all the furniture to the walls.
Since graduating from UniSA with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture in 2003 Nicole has worked for one of Adelaide's leading architecture and design firms, where she's designed the interiors of apartments, townhouses, shop fit outs and a restaurant.
"Interior architecture is misunderstood by a lot of people – trying to explain that it goes far beyond curtains and cushions does get frustrating at times!" she says.
While the selection of furniture, fittings and artworks is an important part of the job, interior architects are concerned with all aspects of the planning of interior spaces, and that requires a good knowledge of structure, joinery, lighting and materials – not to mention contract administration.
"Knowing what forms you have to put in at what times and keeping up to date records of absolutely everything is one of the most challenging aspects of the job," she says.
We'll leave the admin to the professionals like Nicole, but from an insider's perspective, what trends do we have to look forward to in interior design?
"We have just been through a minimalist phase, but things have started to change over the past year and much more pattern is now acceptable – as well as pattern on pattern, you just have to make sure it's the right pattern," she says.
"I think people have become a bit more daring – wall paper and
chandeliers are definitely back! Curves are also experiencing a come back."