Whether you just bought your first new home or planning to redo an old house from scratch, the elements and principles of design are important tools to ensure a successful outcome. The elements are your raw materials much like paints are the artists and include space, line, shape, color and texture. The design principles are about how to use these different elements and in relation to the balance, proportion, rhythm and scale. They give a room unity and harmony.
The number one design principles is balance and refers to the visual balance of a room. Careful consideration attention to the placement of objects within a room according to their visual weight. Line, shape, color and texture all help to determine their visual weight, which is simply how objects occupying space within a room. Try to distribute several objects across a room to maintain balance. Formal balance is symmetrical balance refers to creating a sort of mirror effect. Informal balance uses different objects of the same visual weight to create a sense of balance in a room. It gives a spontaneous feeling of warmth to a room.
The second design principle is the emphasis it relates to the focal point of a room. The focal point is an obvious feature in a room so that the eye is drawn and may be from a fireplace, artwork or a window treatment with a beautiful view. The focal point of the room should insist on the use of line, shape, color and texture.
The third design principle is the rhythm that controls the eyes as they move around a room. Rhythm allows your eyes to move from one object to another and creates a harmonious atmosphere in a room. Rhythm is created through repetition of line, shape, texture and color. It can also be created by the progression which is simply a gradual increase or decrease in the size, direction or color.
The fourth design principle is the proportion and scale. Proportion refers to how the elements within an object associated with the object as a whole, while the scale is related to the size of an object compared to the space where you are.
The fifth design principle is harmony and unity. A well-designed room will have a unified whole that gives a sense of order. The shapes and sizes of objects in the room are consistent with a harmony of color and texture. Elements of repetition, balance them through a room and add a little variety of interests will give a room its own personality.
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