Interior design is defined as the professional and comprehensive practice of creating an interior environment that addresses, protects, and responds to human needs (s). It is the art, science, and business planning of a creative, technical, sustainable, and functional interior solution that corresponds to the architecture of a space while incorporating process and strategy, a mandate for well-being, safety, and health, with informed decisions about style and aesthetics.
What is interior design?
Designing a space means shaping the experience that a person will have inside it. An experience that will also affect their life and, of course, their mood. Interior design is a project that defines how a space will function, how it will look, and how it will appeal to the senses. It should fit the needs, cultures, and lifestyles of those that inhabit it.
The way we inhabit a space has a huge effect on our creativity, happiness, and of course, our well-being, so it’s important to call in professional help so that the design is thought-out and tends to all the details–the acoustics, the surroundings, the positioning, and use of color all have to be taken into account for the space to work and feel complete.
what are the 7 elements of interior design?
These include:
–Color
Color is perhaps the single most important element in creating the desired mood in a room. The classical color schemes involve mostly primary and secondary colors but as interior designers, it is important to use more subtle colors and tones too. Colors are often used differently within a room too. The darkest tones tend to work well on the floor to represent the ground and pull of gravity, mid-tones on the walls to represent the distant horizon, and the lightest tones on the ceiling to represent the sky overhead.
–Form
Lines that join together produce the form, or shape, of an object, which in turn impacts the overall feeling of a room. Straight lines create rectangles, squares, and triangles. Curved lines form circles and ovals. The rectangle is the most popular form and is often the dominant shape in a room. Triangles provide stability and curved shapes soften the contours of objects.
–Light
There is so much written on lights, we can assure you that this element in interior design is as important as the others. Light provides a visual connection to all the objects in space and without it, there is no point in including all the other elements.
A well-designed space as per the principles of interior design has a good balance of artificial and natural light. And don’t mistake light in the form of an appliance only, elements like window coverings and the drapery used to filter light or hanging mirrors that reflect it are an equal part.
–Line
Horizontal, vertical, and dynamic lines help to shape a room and guide the eye. Creating lines using
the room’s furnishings and structural design can form harmony, unity, and contrast.
Horizontal lines, created by tables and other surfaces, give a sense of stability, formality, and efficiency.
Interior designers highlight horizontal lines to make a room appear wider and longer and to draw the eye to a focal point. But be careful, overemphasis on horizontal lines can make the space seem boring and uninspired.
Vertical lines, created by features such as windows and doorways, evoke feelings of freedom and strength. On a functional level, accentuating vertical lines often gives the illusion of a room being taller. Often suited to use in dining rooms, entries, and offices, vertical lines must be incorporated wisely so as not to leave inhabitants feeling uneasy.
Dynamic lines refer to diagonal, zigzag, or curved lines. Such lines can be found on stairs, for example, and
provide energy and movement. Stimulating to the eye, dynamic lines capture our attention longer. However, too many dynamic lines in one room can be distracting, and overpower horizontal or vertical lines.
Ideally, interior designers will strike a balance with the incorporation of different lines. This is typically
done by selecting one dominant feature line, following the client’s brief and the desired feeling they wish to convey in the space.
–Pattern
Patterns are everywhere in nature. When we look at using patterned fabrics it is important to ensure that they don’t overpower the other elements in the space, because it is easy for pattern to become the dominant focus in the space. Having said that, in a larger room, the introduction of patterns can provide a useful bridge between plain blocks of color, allowing the room to flow.
–Texture
Texture refers to the tactile surface of an object or of the finish on a piece of furniture, and is often the most easily overlooked element of interior design. It is the interaction of color, light, and texture which provides a room with enduring visual interest, so we’d strongly recommend considering texture within a room design.
–Space
Space acts as the key element in your interior design – both in aesthetics and in function. To define it in simple terms, space refers to the distance between various elements in a home along with its relevance to the entire proportion of a room. This element of interior design states that there needs to be a balance within the distribution of what we call ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ space.
Positive space is where all the objects like furniture, wardrobes, cabinets, tables, etc are placed.
Whereas, the negative space is the connecting feature that correlates the object with one another; it refers to the gaps, nooks, corridors, and open spaces within your home.
