Apr 05, 2023 | Flooring Canada
Seven often seems like a magic number, and there's no exception in interior design. If you've been stuck in a home decor rut, look to the seven elements and principles of interior design for creative inspiration. You might be surprised at how much you can learn by returning to the basics. Just read on to find out for yourself!
Understanding the seven elements of interior design is crucial to truly create a harmonious environment. These elements include colour, form, light, line, pattern, texture, and space. Each of these elements is a piece of the puzzle that, when combined effectively, contributes to the overall design and ambiance of a room.
Let's delve into just how these design factors influence your interiors:
Colour is more than just an aesthetic choice — it can influence a space's mood and overall ambiance. For example, most people consider red a "passionate" or "intense" hue. At the same time, blues and greens are usually perceived as "tranquil" or "soothing," and yellow is often associated with words like "happy" and "optimistic." Consider not only your visual preferences but also the energy or attitude you're trying to cultivate when deciding on a colour scheme for your room.
Joyous in Hush by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
Colour can make a room feel like a larger or smaller space than it actually is. For example, a brighter colour, like white, can make a room feel more expansive, while darker colours, like black, make a room feel smaller. These are a few important questions to ask yourself: are you looking for bright, eye-catching colours to create a vibrant space? Or are you hoping to stay monochromatic with something more neutral? Think of colour as your building blocks or foundation for designing the rest of your entire space. By picking out your colour scheme ahead of time, you accomplish a specific task that will be an essential element throughout the room design process.
Fort Smith Hickory in Hideout by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
Form is another term for shape, expressing the contours of artwork, furniture, or any other decorative object you could imagine. It refers to both the overall shape of the room and the décor. Form is all about balance and natural shapes. Furniture, lighting, and even flooring can take on two forms: natural shapes and geometric forms. Natural shapes are genuine and irregular, with curvy or abstract shapes. Geometric forms feature sharp, manufactured lines and edges. While geometric shapes tend to be bold, natural shapes offer a softer look.
Have you ever cringed at a photograph taken in bad lighting? Then you already know that lighting has the power to affect our perception!
Oyster Bay in Garden Cafe by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
Quality lighting is integral to any space, whether its sources are natural light or, artificial lighting, or some combination of both. Mood lighting sets the tone in your space. Creating a balance of natural light and artificial light will ensure your space looks great all day. When choosing the lighting for your room, think about factors like the colour of the light (cool blue or warm yellow?), the lighting's intensity (bright for cooking or soft for reading?), and whether the light should be dimmable.
Think of line as the perimeter around a form or shape. For example, if you were to draw any object in the room, you would probably start with its outline.
Lines help create a direction in your space's interior design and can help draw the eye to a focal point. Lines also bring structure. Different lines can influence your space. Vertical lines go up and down, while horizontal lines are side-to-side. Horizontal lines offer a sense of stability and are often found on furnishings like tables and chairs. Vertical lines are typically from doors, fireplaces, and windows. Interior designers say horizontal lines create a feeling of security, while vertical lines are expressive and bold.
Smart Laminate Rivera in Feminine Nightshade by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
There are also dynamic lines. Dynamic lines, which follow their own rules, can add a fun, exciting touch to any space when strategically used. Diagonals and zigzags are just two examples of dynamic lines that add an eye-catching element to your space!
Savoir-Faire in Steel by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
A pattern intentionally repeats forms, lines, or other interior design elements. Patterns add interest and excitement to a room. Patterns usually pop up on wallpaper, fabrics or carpeted flooring but can appear anywhere in the home, even in light or other design elements. Patterns add a visual texture and come in abstract, floral, or geometric shapes, as well as any other style you can think of. While patterns add life and motion to a space, be intentional with your pattern choices. Unless you're going for a maximalist look, too many clashing patterns can start to look chaotic, so limit your prints.
Not to be confused with pattern, texture is how an object feels. This can mean how the object literally feels to the touch (physical texture) or the sense it gives when observing the object (visual texture). For example, you might say that a surface looks "weathered" or "vintage" without actually touching it, thanks to the creative use of texture.
Girard Wall in Char Brown by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
Careful consideration of texture is especially important in parts of the home that you're frequently in contact with, like your flooring. Our experts at Flooring Canada can help you find floors with the perfect, comfortable texture to start every day on the right foot.
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Nadeau Edge in Bare Essence by Flooring America/Flooring Canada
Last but not least, space is at the heart of virtually every design decision. There are two basic types of space to consider: 2-D space (which accounts for the length and width of a room) and 3-D space (which covers height). For example, only 2-D space is essential when considering carpets or rugs — but you'll need to consider 3-D space before adding new shelving or furniture. Having a balance of positive and negative space is also very important. Positive space refers to areas in your room filled with furnishings and décor, while negative space is empty.
These seven elements of interior design don't work in isolation. They combine to create balance, contrast, and a sense of unity. Understanding how to manipulate these elements to create the desired effect makes one a true marvel in interior design.
As you move forward to refine your creative vision and bring it to life, remember the "rules" of interior design are guidelines, not strict requirements. They're meant to help designers navigate the vastness of design possibilities. Just like any form of art, interior design is subjective, and in the end, what truly matters is your satisfaction and comfort in the space you design.
So, dive in and explore the world of colours, play with light and shadows, experiment with patterns and textures, define your space with lines, and form your own rules. Start your journey with us here at Flooring Canada, where our extensive flooring catalog provides the perfect foundation for your design vision. Visit your local Flooring Canada store and let our experts guide you to the ideal flooring that brings your interior design dreams to life.
