Basic Things, You Should Know About Interior Design

You don’t need to be a pro to decorate your home beautifully.

You don’t need to have a formal interior design education to transform any space beautifully. However, you will need to know the basics of interior design. From principles and guidelines to practical tips, you’ll need to know them all.

Luckily, it’s easy to get started with interior design. If you want to try your hand at remodeling your home, here’s what you need to know.

What Is Interior Design?

Interior design is the process of manipulating interior space. Interior design combines aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, and product design. It is both an art and a science.

Interior designers are professionals in the interior design field. They handle everything from conceptualization to implementation. In some areas, interior designers need licenses to practice professionally.

What Are the Principles of Interior Design?

1. Balance

Balance creates a feeling of equilibrium. When you consider balance, you assign weights to each object. Then, you make sure to keep these weights in mind when designing your space. Note that balance isn’t created only through shape, but also through pattern, color, and texture.

There are three distinct types of balance.

Symmetrical Balance. Symmetrical balance splits spaces into two identical sides. For example, you’d put two chairs on the left side of a table and two sides on the right. This kind of balance is easy to put in place since all you need to do is make sure both sides are identical. If you overuse symmetrical balance, however, things tend to get boring and monotonous.

Asymmetrical Balance. With asymmetrical balance, you balance the visual weights of colors, lines, forms, and textures without exact duplication. It isn’t as straightforward as symmetrical balance, but it does create more interest. For example, you can asymmetrically balance out a large sofa by placing two chairs opposite it.

Radial Balance. With radial balance, you assign an item to be a focal point and position other objects according to your focal point. For example, you could have a round dining table as the focal point. Then, arrange several chairs surrounding the table.

2. Harmony

Harmony uses all elements to create a unified message. It creates a sense of calm. For instance, you can create harmony by using only one color. Despite using one color, your objects may vary greatly in shape, texture, and size.

3. Emphasis

If you give everything in a room equal importance, the scene will look either scattered or boring. Therefore, you need an anchor to give emphasis to. This can be something like a fireplace or a large window with a fantastic view. You can give more emphasis to a certain point by arranging furniture around it.

4. Proportion & Scale

Proportion refers to how big one thing is compared to another thing. Scale refers to how big something is compared to the space that it’s in. You’ll need to make sure that everything is proportionate and scaled properly. A long dining table in a tiny room is not scaled properly.

5. Rhythm

Rhythm exists outside of music. In fact, you can experience rhythm visually. In interior design, rhythm is all about making patterns of contrast and repetition to create visual interest. You can do this by using the same shape or color at different intervals.

The goal is to get an observer’s eye to move across the room. You lead the viewer’s gaze using visual rhythm.

What Are Some Practical Interior Design Tips?

Now, you know some of the basic principles of interior design. You can apply these principles when decorating. We’re now moving away from concepts to some practical tips for first-time designers.

1. Spend Carefully

If you’re just getting started with interior design, it can be tempting to blow your budget because you think that more expenses mean better results. On the contrary, it’s better to take things slow and decide only on a few items to splurge on.

A good rule of thumb is to spend lavishly on couches and beds since they’re the most visually heavy items. All other furniture pieces don’t require you to spend all that much. You can get beautiful lamps, vases, etc. for affordable prices.

2. Think About Lighting

No matter how well-designed a room is, it can be spoiled by poor lighting. So, you need to make sure to factor lighting into your expenses. A few great ways to open up a small or dark space are by using windows, floor lamps, accent lighting, and overhead lights.

3. Use Accent Pieces

It’s good to focus on the big pieces in a space, such as couches, dressers, rugs, and tables. However, you shouldn’t forget about the smaller things.

Accent pieces are great for personalizing a room and keeping things interesting. Keep an eye out for knick-knacks like bowls, books, and other small decorations you can use to jazz up your space.

4. Give Your Furniture Room

When you get new furniture, it might feel natural to prop it up against the wall. However, doing this can make a room feel flat and stiff. Rather, try to keep your furniture at least a couple of inches away from the wall to make your room feel more spacious.

5. Your House Isn’t a Showroom

Your house isn’t a showroom, so don’t make it look like one. There’s no need to make your house look like the homes in professional photos or magazines. These photos are usually meant to show off furniture only.

If you want to make your home feel like an actual home, don’t make your house look like a showroom. Throw in some sentimental or eclectic pieces to make your home feel like your own.

6. Take Your Time

Lastly, it’s important to take your time. If you’ve decided that you want to design your home, you need to make sure that there aren’t any outside forces rushing you. Make sure you aren’t running on a tight schedule and be aware that interior design doesn’t happen overnight. If you rush the process, you’re bound to be left with a home you aren’t happy with.

Don’t pressure yourself to come up with a finalized design within one week. Even the best of the best take their time when designing a space beautifully. If you’re a novice, feel free to take as much time as you need.

Remember that ending up with a gorgeous home design that you can be happy with is more important than getting things done quickly. After all, you’re most likely to spend years living in your home. So, you’ll want to be able to have a home that you can enjoy being in almost every day.
Final Thoughts

Now you know the basics of interior design. You have enough information at your disposal to get up and running with your home remodeling project. Remember not to worry too much as you design your home. Mistakes can be always corrected.

By Jules R