Where Does Interior Design Really Begin?

It seems that people have their own kind of fantasy about the word "design."

If all the endless images and information about design disappeared,
the world might feel strangely empty.

Especially in interior design, where people actually live, use, and experience the space,
that fantasy becomes even more real.

So when a consultation begins,
a flood of images from magazines and social media often pours out all at once.

Every time I start a project,
I find myself facing that "invisible fantasy."

Everyone wants a beautiful space.
But where does it actually begin?

When I first started in interior design,
I was sent to train under one of the most well-known designers in Japan.

In the first class, he asked:

"What is the starting point of interior design?"

I was thinking of concept, layout, balance…

But his answer was unexpected.

"Cleaning."

He picked up a broom and a mop
and began cleaning the space himself.

That moment stayed with me.

It was the first time I understood
what the foundation of work really is.

Even now, when I begin a consultation,
the first thing I consider is "cleaning."

How easy it is to maintain,
and whether it can be kept without burden —

these matter just as much as how it looks.

This way of thinking shapes the entire design,
and years later,

people often tell me,
"It's so comfortable and easy to live with."

But the most meaningful comment has been this:

"The more I use this space,
the more I can feel how much thought the designer put into it."

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