Considerations

Understanding Interior design for

 Interior design is the art and science of enhancing
the interiors, sometimes including the exterior, of a
interior design
space or building, to achieve a healthier and more
aesthetically pleasing environment for the end user.

 An interior designer is someone who coordinates

plans, researches, coordinates, and manages such
projects.  Interior design is a multifaceted profession
that includes conceptual development,
space planning, site inspections,
programming, research, communicating
with the stakeholders of a project,
construction management, and execution
of the design.

 Interior designer implies that there is more of an

emphasis on planning, functional design and the
effective use of space, as compared to interior
decorating.
 An interior designer can undertake projects that include arranging the basic layout of spaces
within a building as well as projects that require an understanding of technical issues such as
window and door positioning, acoustics, and lighting.
History of Interior design
In the past, interiors were put together instinctively as a
part of the process of building. The profession of interior
design has been a consequence of the development of
society and the complex architecture that has resulted
from the development of industrial processes

The pursuit of effective use of space, user well-being

and functional design has contributed to the
development of the contemporary interior design
profession. Illustrated catalog of the James Shoolbred Company, published in 1876.

In ancient India, architects used to work as interior designers. This can Throughout the 17th and 18th century and into the
be seen from the references of Vishwakarma the architect - one of the early 19th century, interior decoration was the
gods in Indian mythology. Additionally, the sculptures depicting ancient concern of the homemaker, or an
texts and events are seen in palaces built in 17th century India. employed upholsterer or craftsman who would advise
on the artistic style for an interior space. Architects
would also employ craftsmen or artisans to complete
This interior was interior design for their buildings.
designed by John
Dibblee Crace, Elsie De Wolfe was
President of the one of the first
Institute of British female interior
Decorators, designers. Rejecting
established in 1899. the Victorian style
with the 1899 she grew up with,
formation of the she chose a more
Institute, it vibrant scheme,
represented almost along with more
200 decorators comfortable furniture
around the country in the home.
Elements of Interior design Primary elements
of interior design
 The elements of design are the fundamental building
blocks of any composition.
 These pieces work together to form a unified
composition, and when utilized successfully, create a
strong, dynamic visual layout. Line composition
 The designer uses these elements as tools that control
how a message is delivered to an audience.
 These principles can be applied to fine art,
photography and graphic design
Shapes

Form composition

Colour disk
Texture Negative positive space
 characteristics
 a mark, or stroke that is longer then it is wide. It is the
path of a point moving in space. Objects and things are
Elements of Interior design perceived by the line that describes them.
Characteristics of line include:

Line
 Width-thick, thin, tapering, uneven
 Length-long, short, continuous, broken
 Direction-horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curving,
perpendicular, oblique, parallel, radial, zig-zag
 Line can be used to show movement and guides the
 Focus-sharp, blurry, fuzzy, choppy
eye throughout a room.
 Feeling-sharp, jagged, graceful, smooth ... can you
 Line can be used to show mood.
think of others?
 Lines can be used to convey a sense of strength,
serenity, gracefulness, or action. This poster shows
 Combining lines and placing them in a design in how just a few
certain ways can create specific effects and feelings. strokes of line can
 The use of line can also have an effect on how space be used to
is perceived. effectively illustrate
 Different types of lines have different effects on a swan. While the
design lines do not adhere
to the anatomy of a
 One of most important element of design, line swan, the image is
defines a subjects form or shape on a flat, two- unmistakable, and
dimensional surface. the simplicity and
 Lines can be thick or thin, smooth or jagged, rigid grace of the lines
and mechanical or organic and hand drawn. convey a feeling of
 When discussing line as it applies to interior design, tranquillity.
we mean the lines created by the furnishings and
architecture of a room.
 Line sets form and shape.
 Line is responsible for harmony, contrast and unity
in interior design. .
 Elements of Interior design

Line
Vertical lines lead
the eye up, Can be seen in:
adding height Tall furniture
formality Columns
growth Pillars
spirituality Striped wallpaper
grandeur Long narrow draperies
strength to a design.

Lines are being used from a ceiling making different shapes and
intersects on the middle of the ceiling.

Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines lead the eye to the
left or right, suggesting informality
calm
Can be seen in:
Long, low roofs
peace
Long, low furniture
gentleness
pieces such as sofas and
gravity
chests
restfulness.
 Types of form
 Organic-natural, living form.
Elements of Interior design  Inorganic or geometric-man-made, non-living forms.
 Open-forms-forms that can be looked into.
Form  Closed-forms-self-contained.
 Geometric Shape-circle, square, rectangle, triangle,
 Form is the outlined edges of a three-
pentagon, octagon, other polygons.
dimensional object.
 Geometric Form-sphere, cube, pyramid, cone,
 It has length, width, and depth (or height) as
cylinder.
well as volume and mass.
 Free-Form-any non-geometric shape: irregular, am
 Form can be measured, from top to bottom
orphic
(height), side to side (width), and from back to
front (depth).
 Form is also defined by light and dark.
 It can be defined by the presence of shadows
on surfaces or faces of an object.
 There are two types of form, geometric (man-
made) and natural (organic form).
 Form may be created by the combining of two
or more shapes.
 It may be enhanced by tone, texture and color.
 It can be illustrated or constructed.
 It has volume and mass.
 Types of shapes
Elements of Interior design  Mechanical Shapes or Geometric Shapes
are the shapes that can be drawn using a
Shape ruler or compass. Mechanical shapes,
whether simple or complex, produce a
 A shape is defined as feeling of control or order.
 a two or more dimensional area.
 All objects are composed of shapes and all other  Organic Shapes are freehand drawn
'Elements of Design' are shapes in some way. shapes that are complex and normally
 Shape is a flat image with two dimensions: Length and found in nature. Organic shapes produce
Width. a natural feel.
 Any self-contained area with defined form or outline.
 It refers to the nature of an enclosure, actual or
implied, formed by a line/curve on a flat surface.
 Examples of "shape" in this context include "a
geometric shape" (esquire), "organic shape" (flower-
shaped object).
 Perceivable area.
 Shapes can be created by enclosing line, or by
colorant value changes which define edges.
 Types of colour
Elements of Interior design
 Primary colors are hues from which all
colour 
other colors can be made: red, yellow, blue.
Secondary colors are made from mixing
equal parts of the Primary colors: orange,
 Colour is the key element of green, violet.
interior design.  Tertiary colors are those colors between
 It is used to create aesthetically Primary and Secondary colors: yellow-
pleasing combinations and also orange, red-orange, etc.
works on a psychological level.  Complementary colors are colors that are
 Each colour has three opposite each other on the color wheel: red-
characteristics: hue, value, and green, orange-blue, yellow-violet.
intensity.  Analogous colors are colors that are
 It can give emphasis to create a adjacent (side by side) to each other on the
hierarchy and the piece of art color wheel.
 Colour Saturation gives a colour  Monochromatic colors are variations in
brightness or dullness. value of one color by adding either white to
 Colour may connote emotion make tints or black to make shades.
(excitement, rage, peace) and
stimulate brain activity (action,
relaxation, concentration).
 Light is additive –working
towards white.
 Paint or pigment is subtractive –
working towards black.
 Mixing red blue and yellow can
create any pigment colour.
 Tints are made when white is
added to a pure hue to make light
values.
 A Shade is when black is added
to a pure hue to make dark values.
 Types of texture
Elements of Interior design  Visual texture is a quality of the surface that you can

Texture
‘see’, but not necessarily ‘felt’.
 Actual texture is a quality of the surface that you can
both ‘see’ and ‘feel’.
 It is the surface quality or
appearance of an object.
 Texture can be used to enhance
a room’s features or provide
added dimension.
 The element of texture is
defined as “the feel, appearance,
or consistency of a surface.”
 Texture is a surface’s tactile
quality.
 Tactile refers to the perception
of touch.
 Principals of
Principals of Interior design interior design
 The Principles of interior Design are the ways
that designers use the Elements of interior
design to create good Compositions
(decoration/ arrangements).
 Design principles are ways of arranging or
organising design elements.
 These principles evaluate each element in a
design (magnificent vs. mediocre right vs.
wrong).
 The way the elements are arranged to create
a feeling of stability in a work.
Principals of Interior design

Balance
 There’s three different kinds of
balance:
 symmetrical (formal),
 asymmetrical (informal)
 radial.

 Symmetrical (formal)
Balance
 He easiest way to achieve
balance is by using the
symmetrical or formal form,
objects are repeated or
mirrored along a central axis.
 It’s when the space is evenly
split into two sides that mirror
each other.
 Symmetry is created by
dividing a space and the
elements within it equally.
 Symmetry can create order,
formality, calmness and
stillness.
 Symmetry Makes Design
Simple
Principals of Interior design

Balance
Asymmetrical/informal balance
 Asymmetrical design is typically
created with an odd number of disparate
elements.
 Lines, colours, forms and textures are
balanced in a space without
duplication.
 The two sides of a work of art are not
exactly the same, but are still visually
balanced.
 Asymmetry can look informal, natural
and energetic.
 A design effect in which elements on
either side of an imaginary central line
are unmatched but appear to be in
balance.
 Asymmetrical balance makes for a
more relaxed and lively interior space.
 This balance scheme uses a central
line but relies more on the eye's sense of
balance to complete the design.
 Rather than having identical objects on
either side of the central axis,
asymmetrically balanced spaces have
different objects of equal visual weight
on either side of the line.
 Asymmetry Helps Us Stay Interested
Principals of Interior design

Balance
Radial balance

 When there is a central focal

point with other elements
radiating from it or around it, this
is radial balance.
 Radial balance is almost
circular –distributed
arrangement of items around a
central point either extending
outward or inward.
 You see radial balance less
often in traditional homes; round
rooms are difficult to link to
other spaces. But the result can
be stunning. The central
elements of a radially balanced
room —like the dining table and
light fixture in this dining space
—become the immediate focal
points.
 The chairs, sculpture and print
all radiate out from this central
point.
 Space can be defined as positive or negative.
Principals of Interior design Positive space is the filled space, the

Space
object(s) or element(s) in the design.

Negative space is the empty space, or the

 Space, in two-dimensional design, is essentially flat. open space between design elements or
 It has height and width, but no depth. objects, such as a background.
 There are certain visual cues, however, that can create the
illusion of space in the mind of the viewer.
 By using those cues, artists and designers can create
images that are interpreted as three-dimensional.
 Space is the area provided for a particular purpose.
 It may have two dimensions (length and width) such as a
floor, or it may have three dimensions (length, width, and
height), such as a room or dwelling.
 It refers to the area that a shape or form occupies.
 When space changes gradually, it is more pleasing than
when it changes abruptly.
 When space changes suddenly, the eye shifts from one
view to the other without making a smooth transition.
 Principals of Interior design

Focus/emphasis
 Accent, stress, or importance placed
on a part of a piece of artwork.
 Focus is used to centre attention.
 Focus can be created by contrasting
elements so that they attract attention.
 Emphasis is something we all know
about. It simply means that every room
or space has a focal point, whether it is
architectural or an object.

 A fireplace is the most

common architectural focal
point.
 Oversized artwork or a large
piece of furniture can also be a
focal point in a room.
 Interior design elements like
color, texture and form are
used to add emphasis to a
focal point.
 If you refaced your fireplace
with bronze glass tiles, you
have used color and texture to
create emphasis
Principals of Interior design

Rhythm
 The design principle that suggests
connected movement between different parts
of a design by using colors, lines, forms, or
textures; also referred to as continuity
 Rhythm is visual flow: the eye should be
able to ‘flow’ smoothly across the room.
 Regular repetition of lines, shapes, or colors
that create a movement.
 Patterns have rhythm .
 Rhythm refers to a way of utilizing the art
elements to produce the look and feel of
rhythmic movement with a visual tempo or
beat.
 Rhythm is a feeling of structured
movement created by the repetition of
elements.
 Rhythm can be used to create a sense of
movement in, through or around a design.
 Repeated elements and the spaces
between them make patterns that we
experience as rhythm.
 This helps to give a composition visual
harmony by creating unity in a layout.
 Examples include the repetition of similar
shapes, colors or textures.
 Alternation
 Alternation is used to create
rhythm by alternating two or
Principals of Interior design more elements in a regular

Rhythm
pattern.
 The pattern may be ABCABC
or ABBABB, but always
Rhythm can be accomplished repeating in the same order
through the following means:  a modular sofa with
alternating colours of white and
1.Repetition green, placing a small
2.Alternation roundtable between two
armchairs, or even differently-
3.Progression shaped wall recesses can
achieve this effect, as seen
Repetition below.
 The repeated use of certain objects or physical Progression
attributes of decor elements.  Interior design elements placed according to size from
 For example: chevron patterns on both your sofa and smaller to bigger ones, or perhaps according to the
wall tapestry, a series of similar vaseslining a mantle or gradient of their colours.
a stack of books on a shelf.  Rhythm can also be achieved through progression.
 Similarly-themed homeware and arts will also Examples are a gradation of colour or a series of objects
contribute to the theme of your interior design. that start small and become large in a very regular
manner.
 Some of the ways to achieve unity include:
1. Alignment
Principals of Interior design 2.Similarity
3.Proximity
Unity 4.Continuation
5. Overlapping

 Unity is achieved when all of the different elements in a

design work together to create a unified whole. Alignment
 Designers use unity to make elements in a composition  Alignment consists of arranging elements so that
appear to belong together. their edges are lined up.
 When each elements has a clear visual relationship too  The common alignment allows the eye to group
ne or more other elements, the composition is unified. those elements together.
 Unity is what draws the whole design together. Simply  A grid is often used to create unity through
put, every single item in your home should contribute to alignment, not just in a single design but also
the overall interior design concept, not draw away from between related designs (the pages of a magazine or
it. book, for example).
 All Parts of a work of art are interrelated, balanced,
and organized to achieve a quality of oneness.
 A unified design is greater than the sum of its parts; the
design is seen as a whole first, before the individual
elements are noticed.
 Unity can be compared to harmony, integrity or
wholeness.

When unity is achieved:

a composition does not become cluttered or
confusing.
a concept can be communicated more clearly.
a design evokes a sense of quality and organization.
 proximity
Proximity is based on grouping by closeness; the closer
elements are to each other, the more likely we will see them as a
Principals of Interior design group.
Proximity is one of the easiest ways to achieve unity.
Unity
Similarity
Repeating colors, shapes, values, textures, or
lines creates a visual relationship between
elements, called correspondence.

Overlapping

Continuation Overlapping
design elements
 Continuation means that something (a line, an can contribute
edge, a curve, a direction) continues from one to unity by
element to another. creating a
 The viewer’s eye will follow the continuing line or relationship
edge smoothly from one element to other and the between
mind will group the elements because of this separate
connection. elements.
 Implied lines are one example of continuation.