The Seven Elements of Design
The Seven Elements of Design are concepts that are used to create a room, or a publication, or a car. Designers use the elements to make their work attractive, functional and human-friendly. Interior designers think of these things in terms of 3-D space and furnishings. Maybe one or two of these tips can help you solve a decor problem that you might be struggling with.
Elements of Design/Tip #1. SPACE
Interior designers get to work with three-dimensional space: width, depth and height of a room. It’s the foundation of every design plan, and also the final frontier. There are two types of space: positive and negative. Positive space holds all of the furnishings in the room, and negative space exists between the furnishings, as in the space for people to walk through. A well-designed room has a pleasing balance of both negative and positive space, i.e. not too much furniture, but not sparse.
Elements of Design/Tip #2. LINE
You know the three types of lines: Vertical, Horizontal and Dynamic.
In designing a room, we see windows, doorways and built-ins as vertical lines. They give visual strength to a space. Accentuating them with things like vertical stripes or tall plants can make a room seem taller.
Tables, desks, and seating are more horizontal in nature. They give a grounded, secure feeling. Use horizontal lines to direct people’s attention towards focal points like fireplaces or conversation circles.
Dynamic lines really jazz up a space with curves, zig zags or diagonals. Staircases or round tabletops give a sense of energy and movement. Using two or three fabric patterns together does this as well.
Elements of Design/Tip #3. FORM
Form refers to the three-dimensional outline of the room itself, and also the outlines of the objects inside it. There are two kinds of form: geometric and natural. Geometric forms have straight lines and square corners, while natural forms are more curvy and organic.
Use a mixture of forms in your space, like a curvy wing-back chair with a rectangular side table, or a long, solid countertop with ergonomic swivel bar stools.
Elements of Design/Tip #4. LIGHT
This is an essential element. It lets us function day and night, and it sets the mood like nobody’s business. There are three types of lighting for interior design: Task, General, and Accent. Task lighting helps you see what you’re doing up close, with under-cabinet fixtures for cooking and clip-on lamps for reading. General lighting covers the whole space, often with ceiling fixtures like recessed cans or pendant lights. Accent lighting is the highlighter and the mood-setter, with things like picture lights and dimmable switches. Use all three types in every room for ultimate flexibility.
Elements of Design/Tip #5. COLOR
Color can set a mood, and even affect us psychologically. Colors must be chosen with the intended atmosphere and function of the room in mind. Warm colors like red, orange and yellow tend to energize us, while cool colors like blue, green and violet tend to calm us down. Devise a color scheme for your room by choosing two or three colors from a rug, painting or fabric. Then use only those colors for other items in there, with two-thirds of those things being the main color, and the other two colors used in smaller proportions throughout the space.
Elements of Design/Tip #6. TEXTURE
Texture gives a room visual and tactile depth, inviting us to touch that wallpaper or feel that blanket. It helps us to differentiate objects in a space by creating a variety of dimensions: the flooring is flat and smooth, while the rug is thick and shaggy. Generally, texture happens on the surface of an object. Play up textures in your bedroom with soft cotton sheets, quilted blankets, furry throw pillows or a tufted headboard.
Elements of Design/Tip #7. PATTERN
Patterns breathe life into a space. There is a huge variety of them: stripes, florals, geometrics, pictoral or animal prints are just a few. Two things to consider when using patterns are scale and style. Choose one large-scale and one or two small-scale patterns to balance out your room. And if your decorating style tends toward retro, use stripes or geometrics. If you prefer shabby chic style, try florals and lace. Limit your patterns to three per room, and keep them within your color scheme.
