The Principles of Good Interior Design
UNITY - Unity refers to the designer's concept and the honesty and thoughtfulness that is
brought to achieve the concept. Through repetition and similarity, a single motivating idea emerges.
When you design a home, make every effort to have the objects and colors relate to each other in
some way. Use repetition of color, pattern, line and shape to establish unity. But use creative thinking
to avoid being stuck in the theme. Too much unity becomes monotonous.
VARIETY - Vary your colors, shapes, patterns and themes within the rooms, but don't sacrifice
unity to do it. The right combination of variety and unity will bring harmony to each room and
ultimately to the home.
EMPHASIS - Give the appropriate amount of emphasis to each part of the room. Draw attention to
the most important parts and less attention to the rest. Create centers of interest, or focal points,
set against less important backgrounds. The final look you want to achieve will hinge on how well
you downplay the least important parts.
To know what to emphasize and what to downplay, take a good look at the natural conditions present
in the room. Let's say the room has a fabulous panoramic view - an obvious focal point. This is where
you want to place the emphasis. Secondarily, let's say you have a great piece of art you want to
place over the twenty foot high fireplace. This becomes the dominant level of emphasis. Then choose
simple but elegant upholstered pieces that blend subtly with the room as your sub-dominant level
of emphasis. Keeping the floors, walls, ceilings and other accessories rather neutral, they become
even more subordinate to everything else. This way the eye of any viewer will first go to the
panoramic view, then to the art above the fireplace, then to the seating arrangements and accessories,
and finally to the background of floor, walls and ceiling.
RHYTHM - Simply put, rhythm is continuity. Movement and the direction rhythm implies will make your
home come alive. You will achieve rhythm by using repetition and progression. This is easiest done with
the repetition or lack of it in shapes, colors and textures. Avoid repetition of ordinary and
commonplace things. Avoid monotomy by utilizing contrast in color, size and shape.
Progression has to do with transition or sequence - how the colors, textures and shapes flow from
one area of the room to another, from one room to another. Perhaps the color palette remains the same
throughout the home, but one color is emphasized in one room while downplayed in another. Consider
how the elements in one room alter slightly in passageways, emerging in a similar yet different fashion
in another room.
Principles of Good Design, Part I
INTERIOR DECORATOR - INTERIOR DECORATING - INTERIOR DESIGN - INTERIOR DESIGNING - INTERIOR REDESIGN - INTERIOR REDESIGNING - HOME STAGING -
INTERIOR DECORATING TIPS - INTERIOR DESIGN TIPS
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