Gift Ideas for Interior Designers

Are you looking for a nice gift to give your interior designer, decorator, or someone with a flair for interior designing and decorating? If you answer yes, you must look for something practical and beneficial to the recipient. It must be a gift they will be happy to receive and one they will use as often as possible.

 
You may think that finding gifts for creative people is difficult because we feel that design-savvy individuals are hard to please. Not quite so. Although they are creative and love stylish and attractive things, if their endless search for the finest interior elements is anything to go by, their tastes are not necessarily on the high side. Interior design professionals especially appreciate items they can use while carrying out their duties.


They will appreciate interior design books and magazine subscriptions that keep them up-to-date with industry trends. They like unique curios and decorative objects they can place on table surfaces and wall shelves in their homes and offices. They find great use for sketchbooks, drawing books, workbooks, and logbooks where they can input and store their interior design project, task, and client details. And for the design-savvy individual, there are colouring books for interiors like kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and bedrooms.


When deciding what to gift, it is good to keep an open mind. Consider something purposeful, practical, and pleasant. Gifts like framed artwork, artsy containers, mini-sculptures, and décor accents are great, but so are software programs, flea market finds, books, DIY how-to guides, and personalised mugs.


Affordable Gifts for Professional Interior Designers and Home Design Enthusiasts


Magazine subscriptions

A magazine subscription will make a great gift for any interior design professional, including beginners, students of interior design, and design enthusiasts. The choice publications include House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Better Homes and Gardens, and Country Living.


Workbooks and sketchbooks

Interior design-specific books like notebooks, sketchbooks, yearly planners, and portfolio book journals are excellent gifts for practising designers. Gift recipients can draft floor plans, draw 3D illustrations, doodle and sketch, create design concepts, write descriptive briefs and notes, and document projects in methodically laid-out books.

 

Grid sketchbooks

Graph and dot grid sketchbooks are excellent to gift interior design students and beginners and are used for developing design concepts, drawing art forms, and sketching craft ideas. Notebooks with gridded pages are also vital for drafting, hand-sketching, plotting, stencilling and pattern-making and are functional gifts for beginners developing their drawing and creative art skills.



Colouring books

Who says colouring books are only for kids?

Gifting relaxation activity books is a great gift idea for design enthusiasts with a feel for beautiful interiors. Colouring beautiful images of living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and gardens is a comforting stress relieving experience and a pleasant way to channel professional designers’ creativity towards designing great indoor spaces. These books can also serve as inspirational ideas for interior design students.


All designers love drawing tools and desktop accessories. From colourful markers bound in decorative cases to cubed desk clocks that display time at the clap of the hands, gifts like these will bring a smile to an interior designer’s face. Other unique gift ideas are tabletop water features, paperweights, sculptures, and other ornamental keepsake pieces. Knowing the recipient’s hobby (or interest) will help to make an informed choice (as to what is best to gift).


Mechanical and technical gifts

Gift-boxed brass and copper mechanical pencils and brush pens will always be practical gifts for beginner interior designers. Designers draw, draft, write, render, and paint, and having the best types of drawing tools that are unique, stylish and impressive is one thing they all desire. Although the Digital Paint Selector is not necessarily mechanical but digital, it also falls under the category of fabulous gift ideas.


Inspiring or lifestyle books

Many interior designers love to read non-interior-design and motivational books. From books like “At Home with Dogs and Their Designers” which is a good gift for pet-loving designers who share stylish lives with their precious pets, to “Herding Tigers: Be the Leader That Creative People Need”; a book that motivates and teaches how to lead by influence instead of by control.


Interior design software

Technology has allowed interior designers to utilise software programs to create design concepts through 2D and 3D drawing presentations. These drawing software are great gifting ideas to beginner designers especially. Today, using software to create interior design drawings distinguishes professionals from amateurs. Popular software program choices are SketchUp, SmartDraw, RoomSketcher, and 3D Max.


Uncommon Gifts for Interior Designers


  • Custom printed wall tapestry.
  • Personalized throw pillows.
  • Pet furniture.
  • Artsy t-shirts.
  • 4th dimension wall clocks.
  • Sets of creative kitchen knives for chef-wannabe designers.
  • Metal wall art.
  • Black & white vintage prints. 


Further reading:
Interior Design Moodboards and How to Create One for a Project
How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles to Follow
How to Write An Interior Design Contract Agreement Document

Interior Design Moodboards and How to Create One for a Project

What is a mood board?


Mood boards are visual presentation tools and integral aspects of the interior design profession. While developing an interior design concept, a mood board will help designers working on a project communicate their vision and ideas with clients, contractors, and other stakeholders in the industry.

A mood board must include illustrations, swatches, colour schemes, textures, sketches, notes, and other elements. These will help to capture the style and mood of interior styling projects.
Image source: viryabo@polyvore.com



What purpose does it serve?


For inspiration, feedback, or presentation purposes. A mood board can also help to:
  • Clearly define the design concept, theme, style, and finishing.
  • Describe the scope of works through illustrations, notes, and finishes.
  • Explore different options and possibilities
  • Narrow down and refine material choices.
  • Present and pitch the outcome to prospective clients, employers, builders, and other stakeholders in the industry.


How to create a mood board


As a professional interior designer, the initial approach is to narrow your focus by asking yourself the following questions. With that, you will be able to have a clear direction for the task and choose the appropriate elements to create a mood board.
  1. Who are you designing for?
  2. What are their expectations?
  3. What are you trying to achieve with the project?
  4. How do you intend to accomplish your goals?
  5. What message do you wish your concept to convey?
After providing answers to the questions, it is time to:

1. Collect the required materials that match the theme, style, and ambience. These include images, photos, objects, samples, swatches, etc.
2. Arrange all elements methodically. Use boards, portfolio books, or design software.
3. Review and refine the collection. To create balance and harmony, enhance the features and elements where necessary (styles, colour schemes, finishes, and the like).
4. Share your mood board presentation with prospective clients, work team, or other stakeholders to communicate your vision and get their contribution or approval.



Use grids, collages, or freeform layouts to organize your elements. Add labels, annotations, or hand sketches to explain placements, selections, and design layouts. Remember that your mood board is your reference point and guide for any interior design project.

Related Books of Interest



Interior Design Coloring Books of Modern Home and Office Interiors

If you love interior design and have a feel for home decorating and office styling, these coloring books filled with modern interior images are for you. Filled with hand-drawn 3D illustrations of interior features and elements, they are enjoyable adult coloring activity books that will reduce stress and anxiety, tap into one's creativity, express individual personality, and lighten moods.

From cosy bedrooms to classic bathrooms and contemporary office interiors, whether you want to relax, get inspired, or simply have some quiet fun, each of these coloring books will provide hours of enjoyment and inspiration. They will give free rein to creativity and will stimulate imagination that can inspire DIY home styling enthusiasts to create their designs if or when they have plans to redecorate.

1. Kitchens


If you are looking for stimulating ideas for kitchen designs and layout concepts, you will love this. With kitchen drawings specifically tailored to stimulate your kitchen design ideas, Interior Design Coloring Book of Modern Kitchens offers a unique collection of illustrations that reflects a professional attribute of the industry.

2. Bedrooms


If you love anything home and garden décor related and love to colour in your spare time, this coloring book, Interior Design Coloring Pages of Modern Bedroomswill entertain you. Not only will it interest you, but it will also calm and soothe your nerves and shut you out from the everyday din around us. Additionally, it will give you little tips here and there on what you can do or add to your bedroom décor to enhance it.

3. Bathrooms


If you are an interior designer, decorator, or interior architect, this book, Interior Design Coloring Book of Modern Bathrooms, will not only stimulate your creativity, but it will also serve as an inspirational book if you are looking for bathroom designs and layout concepts. You will undoubtedly love this coloring book with its modern interior features.

4. Home and Office


This Home and Office Interiors Coloring Book for Adults is a great relaxation activity book for adults who love anything interior design and decoration related. It offers a unique collection of 3D hand-drawn illustrations you can color to quietly entertain, calm and soothe frayed nerves while shutting out the everyday noise around us. And if you are an adult with a feel for interior décor, this adult coloring book will give you some tips and ideas on enhancing rooms and interior spaces.


5. Kids' Interior Designing Coloring Pages


If you feel your kids or siblings love home decorating, a good way to set their focus on interior designing is through coloring book activities. And using this book, Kids Interior Designing Coloring Pages for 8 to 10-Year-Olds Who Love Home Decorating, is a great way to start. It is a fun and educative coloring activity book for interior design-inspired kids. It can inspire and influence 3rd to 5th graders to pursue one of the best professions in the world.

Conclusion

Colouring books are not only for young children but also for adult colourists who want to have fun and explore their artistic side. It is an excellent hobby that is worthwhile, comforting, and satisfying, a leisurely activity that is life-enriching.


Interior Design-Related Articles of Interest

How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles to Follow
Double-Height Interior Spaces: Bedrooms Overlooking Living Areas
9 Eclectic Style Mistakes - Why You Got the Design Wrong
Contemporary Interior Design Styling – Adding a Touch of Drama to Living Rooms

Interior Design Concept of Double-Height Interior Spaces: Bedrooms Overlooking Living Areas

One of the remarkable features of small interior spaces with double-volume ceilings is their visual spaciousness and airy feeling. You can also get two rooms sharing the same floor space (one above the other), something you will not find with the typical; two separate rooms on the same floor level.



Studio apartment with bedroom area overlooking the living room. Image used under license from 123rf.com

This retro-style studio apartment gives an impression of largeness and airiness, with a connecting feel between the living and sleeping areas. A striking feature of this double-volume room is the elevated bedroom with its modest metal handrailing, painted brick walls, and flooring framed with wide flange H-beams. The bedroom overlooking the living room is a perfect example of how to combine functionality and aesthetics in contemporary interior design.

This interior design concept is ideal for anyone on a budget looking for a small space exuding style and comfort.


RELATED ARTICLES
How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles

Contemporary Interior Design Styling – Adding a Touch of Drama to Living Rooms

The Minimalist Interior Design Theme

This modern interior design idea is aesthetically pleasing, calming, and absolutely clutter-free. You can call it the no-dramatic-dramatic look. With its soft colours of shades of pink with a bit of white, this is the dream look for those inclined towards minimalist style interiors.

Minimalist interior design idea. Image used under license from 123rf.com


Indoor House Plants (Artificial and Natural)

Adding flora to interior spaces will turn your living room into a space infused with nature. Greenery adds warmth to home interiors bringing in the outdoors in many dramatic ways. Additionally, indoor house plants, whether they are natural or artificial, are affordable, make great conversational pieces, and create a clean and fresh ambience.  

Beautiful splashes of green hues add warmth to this space.


Stylish Ethnic Interior Design Idea

Ethnic interior themes are mainly dictated by the addition of urban-style decor items and accessories. Majorly based on the traditions of different cultural groups, it is also referred to as tribal designs. This image of a contemporary interior style is decorated with African-style decor - simple furniture, framed wall art, natural wool rug, woven baskets, textured pillows with bold patterns, and other tribal artefacts.

Simple and stylish modern interior design.


Other Interior Design Posts of Interest

How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles