Elements and Principles of Interior Design

Whether you are working with existing furnishings and fabrics or “starting from scratch” with an empty room, you should always use the elements and principles of design as a guide in choosing everything. The elements are your tools or raw materials, much like paints are the basics to a painter. The elements of design include space, line, form, colour, and texture. The principles of design relate to how you use these elements. The principles of design are balance, emphasis, rhythm, proportion and scale, and harmony and unity.

Elements of Design Line

Line can convey various feeling and emotions: a delicate, smooth line seems serene and soothing, while a bold, frantic line can suggest anger or energy.

Horizontal lines suggest rest and stability; they have a relaxing, informal effect, and are ideal to create calm interiors. Horizontal lines also suggest breadth, so they visually expand a room. Vertical lines express a state of equilibrium with the force of gravity; they generate the psychological impression of steadiness, strength and simplicity. They add height and dignity, creating a more formal atmosphere. Diagonal lines imply movement and are visually active and dynamic; they attract attention and can add drama, but they can be disturbing unless supported by verticals or opposing diagonals. Too many oblique lines can make the interior restless. Curved lines tend to promote softness; being similar to natural forms, we perceive them as freer than straight lines. Large upwards curves suggest gentle, relaxed movement, while downwards curves seem serious and sad; small curves can express playfulness and energy. An excessive use of curves can create an ornate, fussy appearance.

Shape & Form

Lines joining together define the form or shape of objects. The most common shapes found in our homes are squares, rectangles and triangle – created by straight lines – and circles and ovals – created by circular lines. The square represents the pure and the rational; like the triangle, it’s a stable, serene figure but it becomes dynamic when standing on one of its corners. All rectangles can be considered to be variations of the square, however rectangular shapes are more pleasing to the eye than square ones. Rectangular shapes are clearly the norm in architectural and interior design, however too many rectangular shapes can become boring. Add interest by varying their size, proportion, colour, texture, placement, or orientation. The triangle represents stability, but it’s also a dynamic shape because of the different angles formed by its sides. Add interest by varying their size, proportion, colour, texture, placement, or orientation. The circle is a compact shape that represents unity and continuity; although it’s normally a stable shape, it can appear to have motion when combined with other lines and shapes. Curvilinear shapes, like curved lines, express softness and fluidity.

When shapes extend into the third dimension they create volume; the space defined by walls (a room) is the most common volume in interior design. Totally geometric spaces can seem too formal or restrictive, while free-flowing spaces can

feel open and confused, so it’s necessary to balance both kind of forms.

Principles of design

Principle 1: Balance

Visual equilibrium in a room is called balance. A well-balanced room gives careful consideration to the placement of objects according to their visual weight. The elements of line, form, color and texture all help determine an object’s visual weight, which is the amount of space it appears to occupy. Balance also refers to how and where you place the elements within a room. To maintain balance, try to distribute the elements throughout the room.

• Formal balance, often referred to as symmetrical balance, creates a mirror image effect.

• Informal balance uses different objects of the same visual weight to create equilibrium in a room. It is more subtle and spontaneous and gives a warmer, more casual feeling.

Principle 2: Emphasis

Emphasis is the focal point of the room. The focal point should be obvious as you enter the room; it is the area to which your eye is attracted. Whatever is featured as the center of interest – a fireplace, artwork or a window treatment framing a beautiful view – must be sufficiently emphasized so that everything else leads the eye toward the featured area. You can add emphasis to a natural focal point or create one in a room through effective use of line, form, colour and texture.

Principle 3: Rhythm

Rhythm supplies the discipline that controls the eye as it moves around a room. Rhythm helps the eye to move easily from one object to another and creates a harmony that tells the eye everything in the room belongs to a unified whole. Rhythm is created through repetition of line, form, colour or texture. It can also be created through progression. Progressive rhythm is a gradual increasing or decreasing in size, direction or colour.