Houses...from the outside-in

By trade, I'm a house designer (aka Architectural Technologist -- although most people don't know the term, so when asked what I do, I usually say "I design/draft houses!").  But I'm not an Interior Designer, or even technically a Decorator (although I LOVE decorating and would love to take some short courses or a night class on decorating -- paint colors, fabrics, furniture history, etc).  Instead of designing the inside of your home, I design it from the outside-in (although technically I do the exterior of your house last...), meaning that if you were to build a new house, I would be the one who designs your floor plan.  I say I'm not an Interior Designer, as they take a few of the same courses I did, but with more emphasis on colors, fabrics, etc.  If I was to take some decorating courses, I would basically have the same qualifications as an Interior Designer. Sort of. I already have the qualifications for structural elements, as well as knowledge on some plumbing and mechanical requirements, but that's the boring stuff anyways! Here is one image of a floor plan I designed for friends moving back to Nova Scotia, and the rear exterior of their friends house I also designed that moved back to Newfoundland (I'll post more floor plans in later posts...)



Main floor of a house I designed




Rear of another house I designed (The Ferdinand)


As the months have gone on recently, I'm not sure if I'm a little bored in my day-to-day job (working for a builder, and times are a little slow lately), or if it's that my husband and I have been renovating our house as of late, that I've found an interest (and almost obsession!) for decorating.  Do I still like designing floor plans? Absolutely. But after starting a recent custom house and struggling with all the angles the client was requesting (making a roof layout nearly impossible to come up with!), I began to question myself.  Is starting my own custom house design business something I really want to do? Is it something I love that much? Or am I just good at it? The more I can decorate (or plan to decorate) my newly renovated house, the more I'm falling in love with decorating...If I could find a course (not a 'certified' program...i just want to take some courses for fun and knowledge at my own pace), maybe I could do both! I could design your house (literally) from the outside-in!!