As an interior designer my goal is to create harmonious interiors for my clients that make them happy and allow them to live in their homes in the best way possible. There are a few basic principles that help guide me as a designer to create perfect spaces for my clients.
To create cohesion and harmony with designs it is important to select materials and elements that have commonality. Items don’t have to match but they should have something in common. This can be done in a number of ways.
Colour is the simplest way to create cohesion in design but using other elements alongside this will give the design depth. You can create flow from one space to another with a paint colour scheme and so it is important to think about all surfaces that can be painted. It is also important to look at all colours in a scheme together, so laying out samples of paint, tiles, bench tops and cabinetry for a bathroom next to each other before confirming final selections.
Materials can add cohesion by using similar materials throughout a design scheme and it is especially important for open plan rooms. However, it is important to take care to create a bland look by using too much of one material. This can be overcome by using contrast in shape, tone, colour, pattern and texture.
Shapes can create subtle connections between and in spaces, this might be with furniture, hardware, artwork and accessories. Shapes can be created in different ways, using irregular shapes found in nature, abstract shapes and geometric ones.
Adding texture creates interest with contrast and pattern is a form of visual texture incorporating shape, line and colour. Best used in smaller proportions though as it can overwhelm. The texture selected in material choices influence the style of your project, so for example if you use matte finish on furnishings try to stick to this throughout the design.
One of the biggest influences for material selection is the design style chosen, it is best to select one style to use throughout the scheme or if styles are mixed they need to be used to create an eclectic but intentional style
Following these basic principles results in a harmonious design scheme that flows cohesively and results in the perfect space.
If you need some help putting these principles in place why not get in touch and we can discuss your ideas?
