While interior design and interior decoration are two distinct fields the lines between them can sometimes become blurred. Design can have a profound influence on decoration and decoration can be used to bring out aspects of the design that might otherwise go unnoticed or unappreciated. A great interior decorator must have both an intuitive as well as professional understanding of interior design and use her knowledge and intuition to generate interior experiences that delight and impress. In this post we’ll look at some of the hallmarks of good home interior design that lay the foundation the decorator builds upon.
7 Tenets of Home Interior Design
Great interior design is often the result of challenging preconceived ideas about form and function. It requires stepping outside that comfort zone we know so well and looking at things from a different perspective. Regardless of your personal viewpoint however, all good interior design should embody the following 7 qualities.
1. Harmony – Harmony is essential in any type of design work, whether it be the layout of a magazine cover or the design of your Burlington or Hamilton home interior. Harmony is the coming together of the various components of the design into a pleasing whole where each part of the design plays a key role in the overall effect.
2. Symmetry – We’re not talking about the unforgiving symmetry of the Bauhaus but rather a more subtle type of symmetry derived from a respect for balance in a design. Certainly symmetry will often mean echoing objects from one side of a space to another, but it can also mean echoing volumes or shapes rather than exact objects.
3. Rhythm – Good interior design is never static. Instead it guides you on a journey through its conceptual underpinnings through motion embedded directly into the design. That motion is generated by rhythm; the organized, deliberate recurrence of patterns, shapes, colours, lines and more within the design that lead the eye from one component to another.
4. Contrast – Contrast is more than simply black and white. Contrast can be created through the use of texture, materials, shapes and even colour temperature. Good home interior design will embrace contrast as a means of engaging the eye and sparking the imagination.
5. Luxury – A truly great home interior design is not afraid to be a bit special. A reclaimed hardwood floor can become a luxurious touch when given the proper accompaniment as can exposed masonry. Wainscoting and other types of trim can transform an everyday space into one with a luxurious feel.
6. Confidence – A design that lacks confidence can be a nightmare for even the most talented interior decorator. A poor design cannot be disguised under layers of expensive fabric and quality wallpapers. It can’t be retrofitted or even embraced in a sort of ironic way. All good interior design believes in itself and that belief is apparent the minute you walk in the room.
7. Joy – Even the most classically formal interior should express some degree of joy; be it in the embrace of geometry for expressive purposes or in the directing of the eye toward a stunning focal point. Other less formal interior designs can express joy through the introduction of whimsical touches in the woodwork or windows (stained glass) or by revelling in the sheer beauty of natural materials.
Good home interior design is an exploration of space and its possibilities. Once the interior designer has established some basic parameters the interior decorator then takes up the challenge and continues the exploration using the art of embellishment.
Whether you’re in Burlington, Hamilton or anywhere else in the Greater Toronto Area call Decor Isabelle for all your interior decoration needs.
