What were you doing on Saturday, May 31? From Nigeria to Argentina, interior designers and architects belonging to various design organizations celebrated ‘World Interiors Day’ put on by the International Federation of Architects/Designers (IFI).

As the international body advocating for the interiors profession, IFI seeks to form a unified understanding and intends to help raise the standards and enhanced definition of the design discipline and its contributions to society.

Although the day hasn’t gained much traction stateside yet, this year’s theme “Design Matters” worked to promote the role design serves as a medium for positive change, how it affects people’s quality of life, and how it promotes creativity and innovation in many corners of the world.

Kicking off the day, the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, adopted the “Interiors Declaration,” a first in the Latin American region. The deceleration is the belief that design does matter, and is central to IFI’s mission.

The entries below are reports from some professional members who celebrated this World Interiors Day, each with a unique vision, but who hold in common the conviction that design is essential.

Association of Professional Interior Designers (United Arab Emirates)

On May 31, an event was held at the Gulf Model School, in Dubai, where volunteers were split into groups to paint murals, organize library books, assemble new school furniture and install new toys. This was an opportunity for members to put their artistic abilities towards enriching the learning environment for students, making a significant impact on the lives of children.

“I joined the group painting walls of the corridors with colorful scenes of animals, alphabets, numbers and development prompts,” said APID member Christine Hudson. “This really was an example of how design can improve our daily lives. The children will have a fabulous surprise awaiting them.”

Association of Russian Designers in coordination with the Council of Experts of Interior Design and Architectural Environment

In a joint collaboration between two IFI professional members, with the support of SALON interior magazine, a round table discussion took place in Moscow with the theme “Design Matters.”

“A constructive dialogue took place with open conversation and criticism,” said Yuri Nazarov, President of ARD. “Such meetings are helpful to the design profession and will be certainly continued.”

Chinese Society of Interior Designers (Taiwan)

The Chinese Society of Interior Designers gathered at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei for an open house event to celebrate World Interiors Day. The event kicked off with a showcase of designers’ studios and award-winning product displays to welcome visitors. CSID also offered discussions of achievements, quality of life improvement and social contribution.

Interior Designers of Argentina Association

The association celebrated World Interiors Day at the Plaza Pierre de Coubertin, bordering the French Embassy in the Retiro district, CABA. The event brought together a large number of associates, friends of the institution and interior design enthusiasts. Interior designers demonstrated their abilities by drawing on mirrors arranged on the steps of the plaza. The works, performed by Edgardo Minond, Laura Ocampo and Juan Azcue, among other designers, were auctioned to those attending the event.

Interior Design Association of Nigeria

At its annual three-day Interior Design Exhibition, the Interior Design Association of Nigeria brought together interior designers, architects, builders and other patrons to converge and network, discuss trends and seal business deals. This year’s theme “ROOTS…because our roots matter" played on the over arching theme of “Design Matters” and ran through all the participating displays.

“I think it does put us in a positive light and people can now see we have a lot of positive things coming out of Africa,” said the keynote speaker at the opening night of the exhibition, Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Yewande Amusan. 

Swiss Association of Interior Architects/Designers

The glamour of the Villa Patumbah lies in its architecture, its privileged location overlooking Lake Zurich, the beautiful park surrounding it and its unique interiors. All afternoon there were guided tours by two art historians working for the Swiss Heritage Society. During the tour, participants were given a glimpse into the painstaking craftsmanship required to complete the recent renovation.

The next World Interiors Day will take place in May 2015. The IFI is interested to know how designers plan to celebrate the day around the world. Send in your firm’s plans to secretary@ifiworld.org.