A list to help you design & decorate your home
Have you tried to decorate your home but something seems to be missing? There is a science behind interior design which most people don’t know about, & once you learn it – decorating is easy! Follow these basic steps.
COLOUR
We all know that the right colour can create a massive change in a room. Colour is known to bring warmth or give a cooler feel, can be light & airy or dark & moody. It is also known to tie to certain eras & themes, & the combinations can give contrast or be simple.
CONTRAST
Contrast is about the differences between two pieces. This can be with colour like black & white, or with texture being sleek or shaggy, with finishes like flat & shiny. Contrast highlights both.
LIGHT
Light is necessary to be able to see what we are doing, but it also brings interest. It is best to have natural, task & ambient lighting in each room to allow a quick change in illumination. Light can be soft & relaxing or stark & fresh. It can also throw patterns on a wall or change the colour of a room.
BALANCE
This is the most understated element. Balance is important for a sense of consistency. This is where you ‘find a friend’. Balance allows you to repeat an element in the room. If you have a timber dining table, add a timber chopping board, or lamp with timber legs to balance across the room. This can be done with colour, shape, size, texture, light & pattern.
SCALE & PROPORTION
This refers to oversizing or undersizing an item in the room to give emphasis. This is seen regularly with large artwork or clocks. In the alternative, it can be great to undersize items to make a room look larger.
EMPHASIS
Emphasis is the feature of the room. It draws the eye & makes a statement. This can be done with colour, texture, pattern, size, shape or lighting effects.
TEXTURE
Texture is in every item. Even the sleek, straight lines are an absence of texture. This makes a room cosy, relaxed, or sleek & hygienic. Texture can be brought in with fabric, bricks, timber, stone, metal, wallpaper, linens & plants.
DETAILS
We all know that the difference between a good job & a great job is the attention to detail. This is the cherry on top. It can be a shadowline or bevel edge in kitchen cabinetry, piping on cushions, turned legs on a table or different coloured tile grout. This can easily be overlooked when building or renovating as you are focused on the overall look, not each element.
UNITY & VARIETY
Unity is the same thing, variety is different things. The combination of the two allows you to group different items together which have a unifying theme, such as all white vases of different sizes, or multi-coloured chairs of the same design. This helps to unify a room of random pieces.
RHYTHM / VISUAL INERTIA
Rhythm is repetition to draw your eye through a space. This can be done with colours, shapes, lighting, balance & proportion. Visual Inertia is similar, with the rhythm of the items making the illusion of movement, like zebra stripes in a group.
Most of us have an eclectic mix of items in our homes, with heirlooms & favourite items. Now you are able to find a way to make all these pieces work together & balance your interiors. As well as having fun interior decorating!
