Form and Function in Interior Design: Conflict or Integration?

Abstract

This research addresses a pivotal philosophical issue in interior design: the nature of the relationship between form and function — is it an inevitable structural conflict, or a genuine possibility for integration achievable within contemporary interior spaces? Departing from the absence of a clear analytical framework to answer this question, the study employs a descriptive-analytical-critical methodology to examine the historical and philosophical evolution of this relationship, from Sullivan's seminal dictum "form follows function" (1896), through the Bauhaus school, to contemporary design trends. The study analyzes modern design models across residential, commercial, educational, healthcare, and hospitality spaces to observe how this relationship is managed in applied contexts. The research concludes that the assumed duality between form and function is not an inevitable conflict, but rather a creative tension that can be managed and directed toward genuine integration through specific design criteria, yielding interior spaces that combine functional efficiency and aesthetic quality while enhancing user wellbeing and satisfaction. The research proposes a triaxial conceptual framework: Form ← Balance → Function, along with practical recommendations for practitioners and researchers.