At the end of this article youll be able to recognize and use the basic interior design principles used

by every interior designer to create a great design, and who knows maybe youll also save some

money, or start a new career ! Now lets begin with the beginning, and undestand what interior design

is

Interior design is the process of shaping the experience of interior space, through the manipulation

of spatial volume as well as surface treatment. Not to be confused with interior decoration, interior

design draws on aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, and product design in addition to

traditional decoration.

An interior designer is a person who is considered a professional in the field of interior design or one

who designs interiors as part of their job. Interior design is a creative practice that analyzes

programmatic information, establishes a conceptual direction, refines the design direction, and

produces graphic communication and construction documents. In some jurisdictions, interior

designers must be licensed to practice. Source :Wikipedia

Now that you have an idea about interior design, we can move forward and learn something really

useful, the principles of interior design. Lets begin !

When doing interior design it is necessary to think of the house as a totality; a series of spaces linked

together by halls and stairways. It is therefore appropriate that a common style and theme runs

throughout. This is not to say that all interior design elements should be the same but they should

work together and complement each other to strengthen the whole composition. A way to create this

theme or storyline is with the well considered use of color. Color schemes in general are a great way to

unify a collection of spaces. For example, you might pick three or four colors and use them in varying

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shades thoughout the house.

In a short sentence for those who just scan this article balance can be described as the equal

distribution of visual weight in a room. There are three styles of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical,

and radial.

Symmetrical balance is usually found in traditional interiors. Symmetrical balance is characterized by

the same objects repeated in the same positions on either side of a vertical axis, for example you

might remember old rooms where on each side of a room is an exact mirror of the other. This

symmetry also reflects the human form, so we are inately comfortable in a balanced setting.

Asymmetrical balance is more appropriate in design in these days. Balance is achieved with some

dissimilar objects that have equal visual weight or eye attraction. Assymetrical balance is more casual

and less contrived in feeling, but more difficult to achieve. Asymmetry suggests movement, and leads

to more lively interiors.

Radial symmetry is when all the elements of a design are arrayed around a center point. A spiral

staircase is also an excellent example of radial balance. Though not often employed in interiors, it can

provide an interesting counterpoint if used appropriately.

Interior designs biggest enemy is boredom. A welldesigned room always has, depending on the size

of it, one or more focal points. A focal point must be dominant to draw attention and interesting

enough to encourage the viewer to look further. A focal point thus must have a lasting impression but

must also be an integral part of the decoration linked through scale, style, color or theme. A fireplace

or a flat tv is the first example that most people think of when we talk about a room focal point.

If you dont have a natural focal point in your space, such as a fireplace for example, you can create

one by highlighting a particular piece of furniture, artwork, or by simply painting a contrasting color in

one area. Try to maintain balance, though, so that the focal point doesnt hog all of the attention.

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If we would speak about music we would describe rhytmas the beat of pulse of the music. In interior

design, rhythm is all about visual pattern repetition. Rhythm is defined as continuity, recurrence or

organized movement. To achieve these themes in a design, you need to think about repetition,

progression, transition and contrast. Using these mechanisms will impart a sense of movement to your

space, leading the eye from one design element to another.

Repetition is the use of the same element more than once throughout a space. You can repeat a

pattern, color, texture, line, or any other element, or even more than one element.

Progression is taking an element and increasing or decreasing one or more of its qualities. The most

obvious implementation of this would be a gradation by size. A cluster of candles of varying sizes on a

simple tray creates interest because of the natural progression shown. You can also achieve

progression via color, such as in a monochromatic color scheme where each element is a slightly

different shade of the same hue.

Transition is a little harder to define. Unlike repetition or progression, transition tends to be a

smoother flow, where the eye naturally glides from one area to another. The most common transition

is the use of a curved line to gently lead the eye, such as an arched doorway or winding path.

Finally, contrast is fairly straightforward. Putting two elements in opposition to one another, such as

black and white pillows on a sofa, is the hallmark of this design principle. Opposition can also be

implied by contrasts in form, such as circles and squares used together. Contrast can be quite jarring,

and is generally used to enliven a space. Be careful not to undo any hard work youve done using the

other mechanisms by introducing too much contrast!

Another important element of interior design where it is necessary to take infinite pains is details.

Everything from the trimming on the lamp shade, the color of the piping on the scatter cushion, to the

light switches and cupboard handles need attention. Unlike color people find details boring. As a

result it gets neglected and skimmed over or generally left out. As color expresses the whole spirit and

life of a scheme; details are just as an important underpinning of interior design. Details should not be

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obvious but they should be right, enhancing the overall feel of a room.

Scale and Proportion These two design principles go hand in hand, since both relate to size and

shape. Proportion has to do with the ratio of one design element to another, or one element to the

whole. Scale concerns itself with the size of one object compared to another.

Color Colors have a definite impact on the atmosphere that you want to create when doing interior

design. A more detalied post about how colors affect our moods you can find here.

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Fantastic article.>it is necessary to think of the house as a totalityI think you should put this in bold because its probably where most people go wrong right of the start.Great explanation of the different design elements/considerations also.Pete

Im glad you like it.

That was very interesting. That gives me a good idea of the role of an interior designer. It gave me fresh ideasand a nice beginners lesson.Thank you

26 comments

Modern Flat Modern LivingJULY 21, 2007 AT 14:04 PM

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Thanks for the post!

In my opinion the report is FANTABULOUS and makes someone like me who is a novice to perceive the basicfundamentals of POD thoroughly.Wishing you best of luck for future!

Do you have any info on LINES of Interior Designing???? and how to spot the LINES in a picture???Thank You

well: its really an iconic article about the interior design.I, m damn sure that ill save my money if do thecontinous visit to your website; instead of doing a part time course.It would be a better plat form for the freshers, if some more information like; basics in size and scalemeasurement are added to the article.THANKS and Awaiting for favourable artcles.

you guys dont have better things to do than this it is torture ={

NoviJULY 29, 2007 AT 12:38 PM

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Very nice article. pls continue on for more such articles. my best regards to the author

what is this? i am right in the middle of computers classresearching about stupid unity and harmony and I get this!!!!!!dont you guys have better things to publish,although some of thishouses are coollll >

This page sucks maybe some of us like our houses how it is !!!!!! Good Day !!!

Marvinnnn , this is Amanda [: Im incomputers as of now . This project is hard .

this is a very important aspect but dude it sucks

ahh.. i hat this project!! oh, hi amanda its me angelica!!lol ;D idk what im doing right now supposed to be researching!!

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Unity and Harmony, Rhythm, etc. are elements of Design, which is general in nature.I am glad though that you mentioned focal point and details which makes this a useful Interior Design 101article.Thanks!

Please, if you are planning on writing an internet or any other type article, use spell check before finishing. Theauthors grammar is very distracting and makes the article somewhat confusing. Having said that, yourinformation on interior design is useful.

Look like some people dont like this aticle, I sugested to them that they dont read it.From my side Im interior decorator student and I think is realy helpful. Thank you

[] step. Making the home more amenable to caring for those in recovery also involves taking the same designprinciples that any home can benefit from. Theres a lot of room for spontaneity and improvisation, and []

you no this work is only for a good boy like me if you see my face i sure your become a guy yack guy ihaet guylike you but ilove people sorounding at me

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Organizing the Home for Medical Supplies and TLC | Maryjean WallSEPTEMBER 22, 2010 AT 01:13 AM

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I know nothing about design theory but I have creativity, I am studying the principles of interior design to usebetter my natural skill. Even though english is not my first language, the vocabulary used in the article was easyto understand and I it get across the ideas. Thank you very much.

Great tips. Do you run courses remotely online???. Id really love to see some examples of interiors that tick allthe fundamental boxes. I seem to be able to pull some elements together, but not all at once, its not easy!Look forward to more posts from you. Regards, Fleur

I make Petuss words my wordsthat was really good and helpful.many tks for your time to post it

In the principles of design, balance strives to make the elements of an interior gain equal attraction so that theeyes of the onlookers, visitor, and the inhabitants of the house may find the room looks restful. If that is so,emphasis contradicts balance since it talks about focal point; an element such as sofa in the living room forexample attracts the eye. Where balance speaks of equal attraction, equal weights of the furnishings and visualbalance, emphasis is all about making an object or two to be dominant while the rest of the elements are onlysubordinate. These two principles confuse me. I dont know how to apply these two.

Thanks! The information was very useful.

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haha i like the interior design fail!

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