My name is Terry Ryan, and I've spent my entire life immersed in art and design -- as an artist, an interior designer, and an art and design historian. After a lifetime of working and creating in these fields, I have a ton of information in my head that I need to download somewhere, as well as many new questions and expanding interests I want to explore….and share. So I created this blog.
There’s so much to tell you, but something important to understand from the beginning is this: Ryan Art & Design is the name of the interior design firm I opened over twenty years ago. Why “art and design”? Briefly, as the tag line suggests, it’s where two apparent opposites meet: the poetic (art) and the practical (design). That union has shaped all of my creative work—and what drew me to it lies at the heart of this site: meaning. Which I’ll mention a lot. Just ask my students!
For over ten years, I’ve been teaching the history and theory of interior design as well as studio courses to interior design students, and in all classes, I impress upon them that meaning is the key to superior design. Anyone with an “eye” can pick out cool-looking stuff and pull a room together, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But as design “professionals,” if you want to take things to a higher -- or deeper – level, go for meaning -- in as many ways as you can.
What do I mean by meaning? And how is that achieved? The answers to those questions are two of the main themes of this blog. It’s all about creativity and concept—two ideas students often need help with. But when they succeed, it is transformative. When they learn not just what to choose, but why; when their design decisions are grounded in meaning, the work becomes clearer, more confident, more expressive, and ultimately more creative. Which is why I hope that, beyond serving as a place for my own reflection and exploration, this site will also become a resource for interior design students to return to for review, discovery, inspiration, and growth.
That realization reshaped how I thought about this blog: It just might be useful to professionals as well as students. Thus the mission statement on the home page reads:
“Helping interior designers achieve more creative and meaningful results.”
First, as I mentioned, it’s a place for me to explore topics of personal interest. These will be free-ranging and will color outside the lines of chronological periods and styles.
But, to satisfy the part of me that also adores order and coloring inside the lines -- and for those who need/want this -- there will be a series of posts that start at "the beginning" and move forward, discussing the periods and styles of the fine and decorative arts chronologically in terms of characteristics and culture; mankind and meaning.
For Interior Designers: Students and Professionals
If you are reading purely for pleasure or general interest, may you enjoy the material. But if you are looking for something more, I hope you will gain….
1. A sharper ability to recognize and interpret historical and contemporary design
2. A deeper understanding of why styles, movements, and precedents matter
3. A more refined ability to see, feel, and articulate beauty on your own terms
4. The capacity to generate stronger concepts grounded in meaning, not trend
5. Greater confidence in making intentional design decisions from concept through execution
6. Stronger creative fluency when translating ideas into coherent, expressive interiors
7. The knowledge and sensibility to design with authority rather than imitation
8. Renewed inspiration drawn from history, theory, and precedent supporting more creative, meaningful, and enduring work
And for those who are neither student nor professional, but simply have a strong interest in the topic, (Yes, I’m talking to you, my many clients who have expressed an interest in “knowing more.”), I hope you find some topics of interest.
In closing, I just want to say, This is only the beginning!
student testimonials
“I learned so much about the history of different cultures, their interiors and functions, even more than I thought I could know. I love being able to identify different pieces of furniture, their histories, where they came from, and what inspired them. I feel so knowledgeable and am really impressing a lot of people.”
—CF, Brookdale Community College Interior Design Department
“I just wanted to thank you for a terrific semester filled with great and valuable information. As an interior designer about to enter the professional world, I now feel more confident in pointing future clients in the right direction.”
—RD, Kean University Robert Busch School of Design
“Excellent, erudite. Dynamic, caring instructor”
—Anonymous, New York School of Interior Design)
“Previously, I had never given much thought to how the history happening around a piece of furniture or textile is a product of the time it was produced. In literally every unit you can trace the current events of the time to how/why a piece of furniture or the architecture looks the way it does.”
—DMcG, Brookdale College Interior Design Department
“This class has really helped me. I brought a lot of what I learned into my design concepts in my other classes. I enjoyed the story-telling aspect of the lectures. They’re really authentic. It made it more interesting to learn, and I appreciate the thought and passion that was put into creating them
—BB. Brookdale Community College Interior Design Department. Asynchronous course format
“Thank you for a great semester and for all the hard work you put into each day. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of your class.”
AvM, Kean University Robert Busch School of Design