The process of learning to understand and properly apply interior
design often takes years of formal study, or on-the-job training. Many
people attempt it only to fail miserably. The sad thing is that,
unfortunately, many of these people don't even realize what they are
doing. They are just happy to hack away. Understanding the basic
principles and elements of interior design is a critical first step to
succeeding. Whether you do or not really comes down to who you ask. In
most people's minds, the bottom line is whether you successfully create
living spaces that you are comfortable in. Someone else will always have
a different idea of what a successful design should look like. There
will always be someone who thinks your design doesn't work. And as in
most other endeavors, it is nearly impossible to please everyone.
Interior
design is not an exact science, but there are principles to pay
attention to along the way. As you learn to apply those principles
you'll notice that you start to look at your rooms differently. You will
start to notice symmetry, or the lack thereof. You will find yourself
paying closer attention to the details, to how art pieces, sculptures,
chairs, vases, bookshelves and other things are located in a space. Your
eye will develop a keenness for arrangement, orientation, shape and
color.
One of the best ways to remember the principles of interior
design is to try to apply what you learn to the specific spaces in your
home or some other location that you are familiar with. Think about
something you see or know where that principle is in use. This will help
cement the concept in your mind. This may go without saying, but it is
always a surprise to me how many times a person will learn something
from a book, or from the internet, or even from a live teacher and
forget to make application to their own life or surroundings. Don't be
one of those people, apply what you learn so it sticks.
One of the
basic principles of interior design is balance. It is how things feel.
If you look at a room that has symmetrical balance you would find that
the feeling in the room is achieved by the way things are placed on each
side of the room. You will likely have an intuitive sense of whether a
space is in balance or not. In extreme instances of symmetrical balance
you will find an almost mirrored reflection of one side of a room to the
other. I was recently in an office where there was a fireplace on the
far wall. To each side was an identical bookcase. In front of the
fireplace was a desk with two identical large vases on each side. In
front of the desk were two identical chairs. Draw a line down the middle
and you have extreme balance. This is a very formal and traditional
approach.
On the other hand, asymmetrical balance uses weight and
color to achieve the desired result. This is a wonderful way to achieve
balance because it lends itself to a larger variety of mixed objects.
You could, for example, place a bronze figure on a surface with a
balancing painting on the wall. No need to mirror, just compliment.
Because
interior design makes our living spaces more comfortable and pleasing,
it is certainly worth learning a little bit about it on your own, and
when desired, involving the help of an expert.
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