1. BASIC INTERIOR
DESIGN

2. When you know the basic interior design principles you can
transform any space to look fabulous. You know what it feels like
when you walk into a well designed room. You can sense how
everything feels cohesive and put together. It feels just right. You can
achieve that effect in your own home with a little knowledge of basic
design principles. Pair that knowledge with practice and
experimentation and you’re on your way to creating a beautiful
home.

3. “Interior design is the process of shaping the experience of
interior space, through the manipulation of spatial volume
as well as surface treatment. Not to be confused with
interior decoration, interior design draws on aspects of
environmental psychology, architecture, and product design
in addition to traditional decoration.

4. SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF INTERIOR
DESIGN
I.

5. When doing interior design it is
necessary to think of the house
as a totality; a series of spaces
linked together by halls and
stairways. It is therefore
appropriate that a common
style and theme runs
throughout

7. This is not to say that all interior design
elements should be the same but they
should work together and complement
each other to strengthen the whole
composition. A way to create this theme
or storyline is with the well considered
use of color. Color schemes in general are
a great way to unify a collection of spaces.
For example, you might pick three or four
colors and use them in varying shades
though out the house.

9. Harmony can be achieved when
color (in
fabrics, paint, accessories, etc.) and
shapes (in furniture, architecture
of home, accessories, etc.) and
textures (in
fabrics, finishes, rugs, etc.)
combine to look like they all
belong together.

11. Harmony creates a sense of
restfulness. For
instance, you can create
harmony by using just one
color, even though your
forms vary greatly in
shape, size and texture.

14. 2)

15. In design, balance creates a
feeling of equilibrium. It is all
about equalizing or
approximating the visual
weight of objects. Balance is
created not just through
shape, but through
color, pattern, and texture as

16. Balance can be described as the
equal distribution of visual weight
in a room and is an important
factor to incorporate into all
interior spaces. Balance can be
achieved in one of three ways:
symmetrical, asymmetrical, and
radial.

18. Symmetrical (formal):
where elements are given
equal "weight" from an
imaginary line in the middle of
a piece. For the most basic
example of symmetry, think of
your eyes in relation to either
side of your nose.

19. Symmetrical Balance

20. Symmetrical or formal: Traditional or
formal spaces call for symmetrical
balance where the space is evenly split
into two sides that mirror each other.
For example, two chairs on either side
of a coffee table can be said to be
symmetrically balanced. This kind of
balance is easy to achieve as design
elements are repeated on each side. If
you are not careful, this kind of balance
can become monotonous and boring.

21. Symmetrical Balance

22. Types of Symmetry
1) Reflectory or Bilateral
• Reflection symmetry is also known as
bilateral symmetry. It is the "mirror"
effect, or when one object is reflected across
a plane to create another instance of itself.
• Reflection symmetry can take on any
direction: vertical, diagonal, and anything in
between.

23. Reflectory or Bilateral Symmetry

24. Rotational symmetry (or radial
symmetry) is when an object is rotated
in a certain direction around a point.
Rotational symmetry in nature is found
in everything from the petals of a
flower to the topside view of a jellyfish.
In art and design, rotational symmetry
can be used to portray motion or speed.
Even on a static medium, rotational
symmetry can convey action.

25. Rotational symmetry (or radial
symmetry) is when an object is rotated
in a certain direction around a point.
Rotational symmetry in nature is found
in everything from the petals of a
flower to the topside view of a jellyfish.
In art and design, rotational symmetry
can be used to portray motion or speed.
Even on a static medium, rotational
symmetry can convey action.

27. • Translational Symmetry
• Translational symmetry is when an
object is relocated to another position
while maintaining its general or exact
orientation. In the example
below, we’ve moved one object
several times at even intervals. These
intervals do not have to be equal in
order to maintain translational
symmetry; they just need to be
proportional.

28. Translational Symmetry

29. Asymmetrical or Informal: The visual
weights of lines, colors, forms and
textures are balanced without exact
duplication. It is not as ordered as
symmetrical balance and can be more
complex and interesting. For instance
a sofa can be balanced by placing two
chairs in each side.

30. Asymmetrical Balance

31. Use Asymmetry to Draw Attention
• Asymmetry can make designs
more interesting overall, but it
serves another primary purpose:
to grab attention and create
visual hierarchy. Sometimes a
design can intentionally be
thrown off balance to direct the
viewer’s eyes to a certain area.

32. Asymmetrical Balance

33. Asymmetry vs. Symmetry
An asymmetrical object is visually
heavier than symmetrical objects.
Therefore, symmetry is great for
patterns, backgrounds, the general
layout, content, and anything else
that is meant to be visually passive.
Asymmetry is effective in drawing
attention and breaking monotony.

35. 3
.
Interior design’s biggest enemy is boredom. A well-designed
room has one or more focal points. A focal point must be
dominant to draw attention and interesting enough to
encourage the viewer to look further. A focal point thus must
have a lasting impression but must also be an integral part of
the decoration linked through scale, style, color or theme. A
fireplace or a flat TV is the first example that most people
think of when we talk about a room focal point.

36. If you don’t have a
natural focal point in
your space, such as a
fireplace for
example, you can create
one by highlighting a
particular piece of
furniture, artwork, or by
simply painting a
contrasting color in one
area. Try to maintain
balance, though, so that
the focal point doesn’t
hog all of the attention.

37. If we would speak about music
we would describe rhythm as
the beat of pulse of the music.
In interior design, rhythm is all
about visual pattern
repetition. Rhythm is defined
as continuity, recurrence or
organized movement. To
achieve these themes in a
design, you need to think
about repetition, progression,
transition and contrast. Using
these mechanisms will impart
a sense of movement to your
space, leading the eye from
one design element to
another.

38. Repetition is the use of the same element more
than once throughout a space. You can repeat a
pattern, color, texture, line, or any other
element, or even more than one element.

39. Progression is taking an element and increasing or decreasing one or
more of its qualities. The most obvious implementation of this would
be a gradation by size. A cluster of candles of varying sizes on a simple
tray creates interest because of the natural progression shown. You
can also achieve progression via color, such as in a monochromatic
color scheme where each element is a slightly different shade of the
same hue.

40. Transition is a little harder to define. Unlike repetition or
progression, transition tends to be a smoother flow, where
the eye naturally glides from one area to another. The most
common transition is the use of a curved line to gently lead
the eye, such as an arched doorway or winding path.

41. Finally, contrast is fairly
straightforward. Putting two
elements in opposition to one
another, such as black and
white pillows on a sofa, is the
hallmark of this design
principle. Opposition can also
be implied by contrasts in
form, such as circles and
squares used together. Contrast
can be quite jarring, and is
generally used to enliven a
space. Be careful not to undo
any hard work you’ve done
using the other mechanisms by
introducing.
too much contrast.

42. Another important element of interior design where it is necessary to take
infinite pains is details. Everything from the trimming on the lamp shade, the
color of the piping on the scatter cushion, to the light switches and cupboard
handles need attention. Unlike color people find details boring. As a result it
gets neglected and skimmed over or generally left out. As color expresses the
whole spirit and life of a scheme; details are just as an important
underpinning of interior design. Details should not be obvious but they
should be right, enhancing the overall feel of a room.

44. Scale and Proportion – These two design principles go hand
in hand, since both relate to size and shape. Proportion has
to do with the ratio of one design element to another, or
one element to the whole. Scale concerns itself with the size
of one object compared to another.

45. Color – Colors have a definite impact on the atmosphere
that you want to create when doing interior design.