Interior Design is an abstract business. It is also highly personal and therefore subjective. But there are solid facts grounded in both design and science that can give you the ammunition to present your home in the best possible light. If there is an area of your home or office which needs attention but you don't have the contacts or knowledge to tackle it, why not PARTICIPATE in one of our weekend workshops or REQUEST a consultation?
The eye will be drawn to the main focal points of a room, the windows and fireplaces etc. Assess these main features and consider introducing new ones if appropriate.
Perception of space is based on body size. Different size spaces suit different size people.
Plan your furniture with a scale drawing of your room or cut out shapes to size to help you decide on the best arrangement for your furnishings.
Ensure the circulation passageway through a room is kept clear and access to all areas is easy.
Clutter closes down space, so edit your clutter to avoid reducing the perceived size of a room.
When planning decoration and lighting, work with the principles that vertical lines draw the eyes up and horizontal lines draw the eyes across to manipulate the proportions of a room.
Borrow space from the outside or adjoining room. Ensure an unencumbered view of the outside or use the same flooring throughout.
With grid tiling, the smaller the grid the bigger the room looks.
Consider what daylight your home gets and how it changes. Generally, north and east facing windows require additional artificial light and south or west facing windows benefit from controlling the light.
Think of light in three categories, general for background illumination. Accent to draw attention to particular features. Task lighting to illuminate particular activities.
Decide on your lighting scheme before you start decorating. Plan the position of plugs, sockets and light fittings.
Colour has three attributes:
1. Hue (it's colour) 2. Value (how light or dark it is) 3.Intensity (it's saturation).
Observing a colour in natural light and then artificial light will alter it's quality depending on the quality and type of artificial light used.
The darker the colour the more it will advance, the paler the colour the more it will recede. The purer the colour the more advancing qualities it has and the more combined a colour the more these qualities are lessened.
The 60-30-10 rule:
60% of a dominant colour, 30% of a secondary colour and 10% of an accent colour. This typically means: 60% of the room's colour is the walls, 30% of the room's colour is the upholstery and 10% is the accent pieces.
Don't underestimate the power of texture and pattern and their ability to bring all the elements of a room together.
Light can affect texture: direct light will enhance it, whereas diffused light will detract from it. Use shiny reflective textures where more light is needed and darker more absorbent textures where the light level is too high.
Selecting a pattern for a room is the most instant way of ‘buying into' a style. An individual selection of fabric or wall paper can provide the colour, design and style basis for a whole scheme.
Non-geometric patterned wall paper will provide good camouflage for walls with surface irregularities.
Too large a repeat on a wall covering will make a space appear smaller.
Avoid unnecessary clutter. It will make a space appear bigger.
Focal points provide ways of guiding the eye away from less attractive features and towards areas that give the room interest and character.
Alter the perceived proportions of a room by adjusting the level of skirting, dado and picture rails.
Accent lighting is important to highlight displays and create focal points.
Try to achieve themed connections throughout a room to create unity and balance. This is achieved through the use of colour, pattern and texture.
When choosing the personality of your room, consider your material preferences and past styles, such as Scandinavian or Gothic, Art Deco or Victorian. This will give you a good starting point.
Compile a style board to help you find your personal style and develop it.
Translate your style, pick and mix elements with existing features.
Personality can be expressed through objects that are meaningful to you, it is not always necessary to ‘purchase' a complete style.
