Friday, September 23, 2011

Top 5 Non-Rules of Interior Design

THREAD:  "Rules of Interior Design"

In our last post (which you can read here) I told you the Top 2 Rules of Interior Design, which basically state that there are no rules.  That's why the Top 5 list is titled "Non-Rules".  But before we get to that, I had promised to tell you why, if there are no rules, designers on TV and in magazines are always telling you that there are.  So here goes...

Because even if they use the word “rule” what they really mean is “tip, trick, key, secret, etc..."  They are merely suggestions of what might work in your space.  It’s possible that they have their own personal rules. Maybe it’s their “signature” or something they always do. But I tell you what, I cringe every time I hear a designer use the word “always” (which to me implies “rule”) because I just don’t believe it’s true.

For example, I recently heard a designer on a TV show say that you should “always have live plants in a room.” Now I’m not arguing about whether live plants are a good thing or a bad thing. I’m just saying that they are not a “must” an “always” or a “rule”. The reason they’re not is because you can have a successful room without them.  You can also include them and your room still be an epic failure.  And while live plants do make for great photos they are often not very practical in a real life, everyday scenario.  Those babies demand attention!  So, while I agree that using live plants is a good “tip” for achieving maximum visual impact, I do not agree that you ALWAYS have to use that tip to create a successful room. Therefore, it’s not a RULE…and if you think it is, then just remember that it’s meant to be broken!

In the last post I also promised to share 3 more non-rules to round out the Top 5 List.  Here they are:

Rule #3:  The closest thing you’ll get to a rule is a Principle of Design.  I will list and discuss these Principles in more depth in Monday's post.

Rule #4:  The MOST important non-rule or Principle is BALANCE.  After we've defined all of the Principles, I'll give you my take as to why "Balance" is the most important.  I'm sure some will disagree, but that's part of the fun.
 
Rule #5 – The design of your space is always about you!  Yes I said, "always."  So I gave in and added a real, "always" rule.  I just broke Rule #1, but hey - that's OK, because I was just following Rule #2!

Seriously though, I hope you're getting the point that in design there are certainly things you can and should do in your space, and I fully intend to address them through this blog. I just don’t want you getting too hung up on them. Don’t go buy something black solely because you once heard someone say that “every room should have something black in it.” Although I admit that I do like that tip – remember - it's just a tip!

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