ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that interior design always takes place within cultural-social venues. To understand this process, the methodology of this chapter seeks to identify the first principles of these cultural contexts. It is a philosophical method because philosophers often look for first principles that animate surface realities. This chapter compares how first principles find expression in two cultural periods: medieval culture, and the culture of the 19th- to mid-20th centuries in Europe and the United States. Armed with an understanding of how this process works, the designer gains a generalizable way to understand how any culture deeply informs interior design. More specifically, the designer can use this knowledge to better understand his or her approach to designing for clients in today’s culture.
