Reflections

This semester I have learned a lot of new information from my Interior Materials class. We had several lectures in which we were taught new information.  In addition, we were able to go on several field trips around Lubbock to increase and further instill the principles we had learned in class.

I was able to learn a lot of information from our first two field trips in which we went to the Fiber and Bipolymer Research Institute. For one, I did not understand anything about fibers other than how we have natural and man-made fibers. The steps in which, for example, cotton goes through to become a t-shirt were quite intriguing.

This semester I also was able to learn new information on residential and commercial materials like wood, tile, carpet, vinyl, marble, stone, etc. This new information was re-instilled in my mind through the several field trips we went to places that specialize in materials and their installations like All About Looks, Collins Tile & Stone, and Leftwich Chapman. All About Looks focus is towards fabrics and using them mainly in upholstered furniture. Yet, their only limitation as to what they can is do is limited by the designer/client’s imagination. They are always looking for new materials that can be used as a fabric application in new, unique, and useful ways.  Collins Tile & Stone and Leftwich Chapman both specialize in tile and stone for residential and commercial spaces, one more than the other. From them we were able to learn the processes and stages stone goes through to be used as flooring or countertops. In addition we were exposed to several new tile shapes, colors, sizes, textures, etc. as well as carpets and other flooring materials.

Another field trip we went on was touring some of Jeff Seal’s homes. It was super exciting to see things that an interior designer from Jeff’s team designed and it put to practice in a space. This in a way gave me hope to what I can do in the future as an interior designer and it truly is exciting. Finally, we went to Parkhill, Smith, and Cooper. This field trip was my favorite since they are all about sustainable design, and I want to incorporate that in all of my designs, whether they be interior or exterior spaces. Sustainability is a growing trend since it is the only way to make use of our resources and still make sure the future generations have enough resources to survive. PSC is somewhere I am intrigued to learn more about and possibly intern for.

This semester I have gained quite a lot of useful information about the design world and all of its components. With this new knowledge, I am eager to put what I have learned into practice.