Monday, July 28, 2008
Decorating as Art - Principles of Design
When you decorate your home you are, in fact, creating a beautiful piece of art. And, as with many other art forms, certain design principles must be applied by the artist in order to assure that the completed piece is visually pleasing.
The design principles that interiors designers and decorators apply to their trade are very similar to the design principles used by other skilled artists -
balance, emphasis, rhythm, variety/unity, proportion/scale.
Balance is the visual equilibrium of the whole space when all the objects intended for the space have been positioned therein. Balance can also be described as visual weight. A well balanced room has equal visual weight on opposing walls.
Emphasis is often described as a focal point, which is a major point of interest to which the eye is drawn. Although a room may have several minor points of interest, it should only have one focal point. A focal point is often a fireplace, large window or colorful piece of art.
Rhythm is the continuity of objects in a space so that each element of design relates to the other elements in the space. Rhythm can be achieved by
repetition and
progression (flow of movement) of objects. An example of repetition is that the colors of a focal point art piece are repeated in the fabric colors of the sofa and draperies. An example of progression is a series of similar decorative jars graduated in size from large to small and placed on a fireplace mantel.
Variety/Unity are the principles that are used to make the space visually interesting and visually hold the space together. Variety can be obtained by using different textures, colors, patterns and materials throughout the space. Unity can be accomplished by repeating those textures, color, patterns and materials throughout the space.
Proportion/Scale are the principles that deal with the size of objects. Proportion is the relationship of a single part of an object to the whole object. For instance, a table would be out of proportion if the table top was very thick and the legs were very thin. Scale refers to an object's size in relationship to some constant - and in interior design that is usually the human body. For instance, if a room has a 20-foot high ceiling, the room can be visually reduced to human scale by repeating art pieces around the room at human eye level.
