Perceptions of Sense of Self Through Interiors of Homes

Abstract

The focus of this qualitative phenomenological study was to assess client perceptions concerning the roles their professional residential interior designers played in achieving a sense of self in their homes. This exploratory study of 10 families was undertaken to assess whether one person (a designer) could assist in expressing another person’s (the client) sense of self in one of the most intimate of sanctuaries—the home. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling and were studied in 1999. The study included personal interviews and observations of homes. Five themes emerged from data analysis: home as a sense of place, home as a sense of self symbolism of domestic objects, designer/ client relationship, and designer’s role in helping establish sense of self. Findings revealed that study participants used personal objects within the home, as well as the overall design of the interior, to describe their personal characters. Additionally, participants perceived interior designers to be effective in helping develop a sense of self in their homes. Housing and design educators might use the research results in teaching students the importance of sense of self and the symbols intrinsic to the creation of a personal interior environment.