Design Tips

Italian garden Design has always adopted the use of art topiary to establish strong, evergreen structure in the Italian garden. From the origins of the Italian garden, Italian garden Designers have shaped evergreen plants into both symmetrical, obtuse and representational forms to highlight entrances, underline geometrical features or to accentuate angles etc. Even in Roman times plants were being formed into manmade forms in order to highlight and underline the Romans supposed control over nature.

The use of topiary continued through into the 16th and 17th Centuries across the whole of Europe, but particularly in Italy, France and Holland. Italian garden Designers have always enjoyed a certain precision styling in all aspects of their Design, but particularly in Italian garden Design, as this addresses the Italians need for clean lines and sharp styling. Fine examples of topiary in Italian gardens can be found at gardens like Boboli, La Bagnaia or Villa Gamberaia.

There are various plants that are adapted to being pruned into shapes that would otherwise not be present in the natural world. Plants like Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), Yew (Taxus baccata), Holm oak (Quercus ilex) and Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) have been among the most favoured plants since Roman times. These plants can withstand constant pruning, provide a smooth finish and are able to form a healthy evergreen structure that can easily be shaped into square hedges, spheres and even triangles.

A topiary plant needs to have a naturally dense growth habit that responds well to hard pruning, with a good resistance to disease. A topiary plant also has to be long lived, in order to provide a structure that will last for many years. The plants mentioned above are particularly slow-growing and there are faster growing alternatives, such as certain privet species. However a plant like privet requires more pruning due to its speedy growth habit and the finished effect can appear somewhat cheaper, rendering the garden less elegant as a result.

Contemporary Italian garden Design still adopts the use of topiary in this age of fusion Design and I feel that topiary is fundamental for linking areas within a garden Design and it is vital for adding a touch of elegance and class. Topiary clearly represents mans intervention, as without mans hand such shapes could not exist, therefore certain areas suit its use and certain areas do not. Areas closer to the house and living space generally lend themselves well to the use of topiary, as the presence of man is felt more in such areas. Areas near the house often continue the architecture of the house into the garden and therefore clearly suit a more formal and elegant feel.

Topiary, in the form of formal hedging, is essential in establishing the feel of a classic Italian garden and even contemporary Italian garden Design should certainly still adopt the use of some form of topiary to provide structure. Formal hedging and topiary in general can be considered as important to the landscape architect as walls are to a standard architect or engineer. They provide the basis upon which the rest of the garden can be Designed and constructed, so are therefore indispensable when creating an Italian style garden!

Jonathan Radford is an English landscape Designer, dedicated to creating ecological, Italian-style gardens from his base in Siena, Tuscany.Contact him at Design.eu">http://www.italiangardenDesign.eu or http://www.ecologicagardens.com

// posted by gng @ 3:35 PM 0 comments

For people wanting to become interior Designers, a post secondary education is necessary. A bachelors degree in interior Design is recommended. Twenty-four states require that all interior Designers be licensed as well. If your state does not require a license then joining a professional organization to obtain a Designation such as certified, registered or licensed is required. Students can obtain their degree through classroom and studio training or taking an interior Design online program.

Generally, training programs from the professional Design schools take from two to four years to complete. A graduate that completes the bachelors degree program usually qualify for entry into formal interior Design apprenticeship program. A Design students course load will include computer-aided Design software (CAD), spatial planning, fabrics, color, architecture, furniture Design, ethics, ergonomics and even psychology. These programs are available in interior Design online programs as well as the in class programs.

Students that have graduated must enter into an apprenticeship program that lasts approximately one to three years to gain the necessary experience before they can write the licensing exam. Apprentice Designers will work with experienced Designers when first entering the field. This will help them gain valuable knowledge and experience. Interior Design online students have just as much chance to succeed as the studio trained student.

Students who cannot attend school due to commitments such as employment or family prefer interior Design online training. It allows the mature student to continue their education without making drastic changes to their lifestyle.

Online interior Design students must be familiar with computer aided drafting software. It can be quite challenging to learn this software at home. Employers now prefer their employees to be knowledgeable in this type of software as it can save a lot of valuable time for the interior Design professional. Knowledge of building safety codes and general knowledge of architecture and engineering are also important to most interior Design firms.

It may seem obvious but interior Design students whether they are interior Design online students or not must be creative. The aspiring Designer must be able to convey their creative ideas both verbally and in writing or drawing.

Interior Design online students who eventually graduate can expect to spend up to three years as a junior Designer before advancing to higher position. If employed by a large firm the Designer may advance to chief Designer, department head or similar supervisory position. An experienced Designer may open their own business or even become interior Design teachers in a college or university.

Interior Design services are considered an expense afforded only by the wealthy, thus it is a luxury expense. If the economy takes a downturn then that will have a negative effect on the employment of interior Designers. However, there could still be a demand from specialty areas of Design such as the healthcare industry due to the aging population. Interior Design online and offline students should take the time to learn as much as possible about the healthcare industries need for interior Designers, as it may be an area that would not be affected by the economy.

Thinking of a career in Interior Design? Use our site as a valuable reference point for Design.com/Interior_Design_Distance_Education.html">Interior Design Online Education

by T.D. Houser

// posted by gng @ 7:18 AM 0 comments