THREAD: Rules of Interior Design
By this point you might be thinking:
Wait a minute Kim! According to your own rules, there’s nothing that you ALWAYS have to do to make a room work. There are "no rules." But now you’re saying that you ALWAYS have to use these Principles of Interior Design. So wouldn't that mean Principles are really just Rules?
No. And here's why...Because a “rule” is a definitive action or non-action, like you must “always DO something” or you should “never DO something.” The Principles of Interior Design are not actions. They are feelings. Feelings that are created through design. Feelings that can vary slightly or greatly between people and cultures. There are no set-in-stone rules for creating these feelings.
However there are several tools that are used in many different ways to evoke them. These "tools" are better known as "elements" and there are infinite ways to incorporate and combine these elements in order to design a successful space. I'm sure that you are already familiar with them, but just in case...
Elements of Interior Design:
Line, Space, Shape, Texture & Value, Color & Light
(Let's revisit these Elements in more detail, in a later thread).
Another important tool in the design process, perhaps the most important tool, is the CONCEPT. You see in a design project, all of the Principles will exist to some degree, but they will not exist equally. You must choose which ones to emphasize and which elements you will use to achieve that emphasis. All of your choices and design decisions should be determined by your concept, which simply put, is the main idea or theme of your space. When dealing with your personal home I would call the concept your “Style”.
So I hope this is all making sense. What it really boils down to is that all well designed spaces have a sense of order to them. A purpose. This Order can only be achieved by emphasizing certain Principles, determined by your Concept or Style, using the Elements of Design. The possibilities are endless! That is why I say there is nothing that you ALWAYS have to do, or should NEVER do.
Literally - There are NO RULES!!! Enough said!...Unless you have something to add!
Showing posts with label Principles of Interior Design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Principles of Interior Design. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
It's All About Balance
THREAD: Rules of Interior Design
To me it really is ALL about balance - in design and in life! Think about it for a minute. Can you think of anything where balance is not an important element? It is essential in music, food, politics, finances (you know - the dreaded balanced budget), art and photography, sports, stories and books...I could go on, but you get the point.
You always hear self-improvement gurus talking about balance in your life. Balance between work and home, spiritual and physical, financial and social. You've probably experienced that guilty feeling when seeing these six spokes on the "wheel" of life and having to admit that you're woefully out of balance in at least one of these areas (in my case more)!
Balance is also critical to our physical well-being. You know if you have an inner-ear imbalance it will make you feel dizzy or "off". That's why I think Balance is THE most important Principle of Interior Design. Without it your room will just feel "off".
I consider Balance to be an inherent quality within all of the other Principles of design in that they just don't work without it. For example:
We discussed that a successful room should have common elements to tie everything together (Unity) but in order for it to not be boring, you have to introduce something unexpected to liven it up (Variety). And that's the trick - there has to be balance between Unity and Variety. Too much of either one is unsettling.
Every room needs a focal point, but it also needs a counter-point to balance it out. Otherwise the room will feel "heavy" on one side. If elements are arranged in such a way that they are out of balance, this will disrupt the rythm of the room as well. Your eye will get stuck on anything that's out of balance, throwing off the sequence or the flow of the room.
You've no doubt heard designers say that the scale or proportion of something isn't right. That's because you're comparing two or more elements and they are not relating to each other well. What it really means is that they are not balanced. You see in design, balance is all about "visual weight" and every item and element in that room has this weight. Therefore everything in the room needs to be arranged so that the weight is evenly distributed or balanced.
There's a reason why you shouldn't put a big, bulky, dark-colored sofa next to a petite, little, wooden, white chair. They are not in scale with one another and would feel unbalanced. If the two are next to each other, assuming there are no other elements to help balance them out, your mind processes them like they are on a teeter-totter. The visual heaviness of that sofa makes it feel like that little chair is about to be catapulted into outer-space. Not exactly a place you're going to want to sit.
So, I hope I've given you a glimpse into how imperative Balance is to the design of your space. That is going to be the subject of my next THREAD. I'm going to dive in deeper with more examples of how to achieve visual balance and we will explore the different kinds of balance: Symmetrical, Assymetrical, and Radial.
But before we go there I want to wrap up our THREAD on the "Rules of Design", because I have a feeling that some of you might be thinking that I've totally contradicted myself. On one hand I claim that there are no rules, and on the other I turn around and spout off all of these Principles saying they must be used to have a successfully designed room. You're probably wondering why I don't consider these Principles to be "rules". Especially if I'm saying that you must ALWAYS use them...and didn't I just have a whole post where I went off on designers making ridiculous assertions that you must "always" do such-and-such?
Well yes I did...but of course I can explain why I seem to be saying two different things, and why Principles are not actually rules. So tune in for next week's final post (for now) in this THREAD "Rules of Interior Design".
To me it really is ALL about balance - in design and in life! Think about it for a minute. Can you think of anything where balance is not an important element? It is essential in music, food, politics, finances (you know - the dreaded balanced budget), art and photography, sports, stories and books...I could go on, but you get the point.
You always hear self-improvement gurus talking about balance in your life. Balance between work and home, spiritual and physical, financial and social. You've probably experienced that guilty feeling when seeing these six spokes on the "wheel" of life and having to admit that you're woefully out of balance in at least one of these areas (in my case more)!
Balance is also critical to our physical well-being. You know if you have an inner-ear imbalance it will make you feel dizzy or "off". That's why I think Balance is THE most important Principle of Interior Design. Without it your room will just feel "off".
I consider Balance to be an inherent quality within all of the other Principles of design in that they just don't work without it. For example:
We discussed that a successful room should have common elements to tie everything together (Unity) but in order for it to not be boring, you have to introduce something unexpected to liven it up (Variety). And that's the trick - there has to be balance between Unity and Variety. Too much of either one is unsettling.
Every room needs a focal point, but it also needs a counter-point to balance it out. Otherwise the room will feel "heavy" on one side. If elements are arranged in such a way that they are out of balance, this will disrupt the rythm of the room as well. Your eye will get stuck on anything that's out of balance, throwing off the sequence or the flow of the room.
You've no doubt heard designers say that the scale or proportion of something isn't right. That's because you're comparing two or more elements and they are not relating to each other well. What it really means is that they are not balanced. You see in design, balance is all about "visual weight" and every item and element in that room has this weight. Therefore everything in the room needs to be arranged so that the weight is evenly distributed or balanced.
There's a reason why you shouldn't put a big, bulky, dark-colored sofa next to a petite, little, wooden, white chair. They are not in scale with one another and would feel unbalanced. If the two are next to each other, assuming there are no other elements to help balance them out, your mind processes them like they are on a teeter-totter. The visual heaviness of that sofa makes it feel like that little chair is about to be catapulted into outer-space. Not exactly a place you're going to want to sit.
So, I hope I've given you a glimpse into how imperative Balance is to the design of your space. That is going to be the subject of my next THREAD. I'm going to dive in deeper with more examples of how to achieve visual balance and we will explore the different kinds of balance: Symmetrical, Assymetrical, and Radial.
But before we go there I want to wrap up our THREAD on the "Rules of Design", because I have a feeling that some of you might be thinking that I've totally contradicted myself. On one hand I claim that there are no rules, and on the other I turn around and spout off all of these Principles saying they must be used to have a successfully designed room. You're probably wondering why I don't consider these Principles to be "rules". Especially if I'm saying that you must ALWAYS use them...and didn't I just have a whole post where I went off on designers making ridiculous assertions that you must "always" do such-and-such?
Well yes I did...but of course I can explain why I seem to be saying two different things, and why Principles are not actually rules. So tune in for next week's final post (for now) in this THREAD "Rules of Interior Design".
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Principles of Interior Design - The Closest Things to Rules
THREAD: Rules of Interior Design
Today I want to talk a little more about the Principles of Interior Design that I eluded to in my last post when I revealed my Top 5 Rules (aka "Non-Rules") of Interior Design. In case you've forgotten, here are the first three:
#1 - There are no rules!
#2 - Rules are meant to be broken.
#3 - The closest you'll come to "rules" for interior design are the Principles of Design.
Let me back up a little here because while I don’t believe in any “Rules of Design”, I do believe in the certain “Truths” of design. These truths are better known as “Principles of Design” and a space cannot be successful without them. So given their importance, let's discuss what these Principles are and what they mean. Depending on where you look, this list can vary slightly. For our purposes I will list the Principle and any other word I've seen to describe it.
Unity (Harmony) / Variety (Contrast)
I can give you a really bland definition of Unity like the "...arrangement of elements in an artistic work so that each contributes to the main theme"* but that's not how I would actually explain it, or how you probably want to hear it. And I'm pretty sure that you basically already get what it means. But just in case, I'll put it this way: Unity means that there has to be something in your room (and/or your whole house) that ties everything together. Some sort of common element. (TAWNT - we will explore the various Elements of Interior Design in future posts). However, even though it's the opposite of Unity, Variety is also included in this Principle because without it your space will be BORING!!! In other words, don't make everything "matchy-matchy"!
Rhythm (Arrangement)
The way in which you arrange elements in a space should create some kind of rhythm, or sequence. Rhythm is most often achieved by repetition and contrast. Both will create movement. When done properly, they keep the eye moving throughout the space in a pleasing and rhythmic sort of way.
Emphasis (Focal Point, Hierarchy)
Now I know you've heard of that all-important "focal point". Every room has got to have at least one. There can be more than one (especially if there's more than one way to enter a room) but they should not compete with or take away from the main focal point. That's where Hierarchy comes into play. Every element within a space has a certain level of importance which you dictate through your design decisions. I like this explanation:
"...hierarchy occurs throughout an arrangement and reflects a complex series of decisions, which grant the totality its character. Hierarchy grants the room its key moments of importance."* Again, not how I would have put it, but much more eloquent!
Scale & Proportion
These two are by far the most complex Principles and although they are different, in interior design we often use the terms interchangeably. I think that's okay because both are about comparing at least 2 objects. With Scale you are dealing more with comparing size, and with Proportion you are dealing with mathematical ratios...WAKE UP! I know this is turning into a snooze fest! The important thing to remember is that objects in a space are going relate to each other. It's up to you to make sure that they relate properly, and the best way I know to do that is through the Principle of Balance...
Balance
By far, this is my favorite Principle, and I don't think you can use any of the other Principles successfully without it. That's why it is its own Non-Rule:
#4 - The MOST important non-rule or Principle is BALANCE. I will explain this in much more detail in my next post.
One more thought that I want to leave you with is that when you are designing your room, you are designing an experience. You are NOT designing for a photo shoot. A room is not meant to be stared at from a fixed point. It is made to be experienced sequentially. You and your friends and family will be walking around in the space and viewing it from a variety of different angles. It's important to remember this so that you create a pleasing atmosphere, not just a pretty vignette. That right there is probably the biggest difference between Design vs. Decoration, but that's a TAWNT that we'll explore another time, in another THREAD.
Stay tuned...and please feel free to ask me any design questions that you may have!
*Quotes taken from "The Interior Dimension: A Theoretical Approach to Enclosed Space" by Joy Monice Malnar and Frank Vodvarka
Today I want to talk a little more about the Principles of Interior Design that I eluded to in my last post when I revealed my Top 5 Rules (aka "Non-Rules") of Interior Design. In case you've forgotten, here are the first three:
#1 - There are no rules!
#2 - Rules are meant to be broken.
#3 - The closest you'll come to "rules" for interior design are the Principles of Design.
Let me back up a little here because while I don’t believe in any “Rules of Design”, I do believe in the certain “Truths” of design. These truths are better known as “Principles of Design” and a space cannot be successful without them. So given their importance, let's discuss what these Principles are and what they mean. Depending on where you look, this list can vary slightly. For our purposes I will list the Principle and any other word I've seen to describe it.
Unity (Harmony) / Variety (Contrast)
I can give you a really bland definition of Unity like the "...arrangement of elements in an artistic work so that each contributes to the main theme"* but that's not how I would actually explain it, or how you probably want to hear it. And I'm pretty sure that you basically already get what it means. But just in case, I'll put it this way: Unity means that there has to be something in your room (and/or your whole house) that ties everything together. Some sort of common element. (TAWNT - we will explore the various Elements of Interior Design in future posts). However, even though it's the opposite of Unity, Variety is also included in this Principle because without it your space will be BORING!!! In other words, don't make everything "matchy-matchy"!
Rhythm (Arrangement)
The way in which you arrange elements in a space should create some kind of rhythm, or sequence. Rhythm is most often achieved by repetition and contrast. Both will create movement. When done properly, they keep the eye moving throughout the space in a pleasing and rhythmic sort of way.
Emphasis (Focal Point, Hierarchy)
Now I know you've heard of that all-important "focal point". Every room has got to have at least one. There can be more than one (especially if there's more than one way to enter a room) but they should not compete with or take away from the main focal point. That's where Hierarchy comes into play. Every element within a space has a certain level of importance which you dictate through your design decisions. I like this explanation:
"...hierarchy occurs throughout an arrangement and reflects a complex series of decisions, which grant the totality its character. Hierarchy grants the room its key moments of importance."* Again, not how I would have put it, but much more eloquent!
Scale & Proportion
These two are by far the most complex Principles and although they are different, in interior design we often use the terms interchangeably. I think that's okay because both are about comparing at least 2 objects. With Scale you are dealing more with comparing size, and with Proportion you are dealing with mathematical ratios...WAKE UP! I know this is turning into a snooze fest! The important thing to remember is that objects in a space are going relate to each other. It's up to you to make sure that they relate properly, and the best way I know to do that is through the Principle of Balance...
Balance
By far, this is my favorite Principle, and I don't think you can use any of the other Principles successfully without it. That's why it is its own Non-Rule:
#4 - The MOST important non-rule or Principle is BALANCE. I will explain this in much more detail in my next post.
One more thought that I want to leave you with is that when you are designing your room, you are designing an experience. You are NOT designing for a photo shoot. A room is not meant to be stared at from a fixed point. It is made to be experienced sequentially. You and your friends and family will be walking around in the space and viewing it from a variety of different angles. It's important to remember this so that you create a pleasing atmosphere, not just a pretty vignette. That right there is probably the biggest difference between Design vs. Decoration, but that's a TAWNT that we'll explore another time, in another THREAD.
Stay tuned...and please feel free to ask me any design questions that you may have!
*Quotes taken from "The Interior Dimension: A Theoretical Approach to Enclosed Space" by Joy Monice Malnar and Frank Vodvarka
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