Aspiring interior designers join interior decorating courses in NJ because they want to build a career in a creative field. The first things students learn are the principles and elements of interior design. Elements refer to the tools a designer uses to create a living space for their clients while principles refer to the guidelines they follow to create them.
Principles matter even when you’re trying to create a unique design because you need to know the rules to break them with the desired effect. This blog will focus on what the principles of interior design are and how to use them:
Balance
Balance refers to distributing weight evenly for steadiness. In interior design, we balance the elements of design between the two sides of the room to create visual balance. There are three types of balance that students learn about during interior decorating courses in NJ: symmetric, asymmetric and radial.
Symmetric balance occurs when you distribute the elements even on two sides of the room. It gives the room a formal and traditional touch but can become monotonous if you aren’t careful. You can do this by repeating the elements on the two sides.
Asymmetric balance refers to balancing the room without dividing the elements in any order. This style is popular among the students of interior design certificate programs in NYC due to the freedom it gives the designer. You can create interesting and complex designs using this style but need to maintain visual balance.
Radial balance refers to when you distribute the elements by creating a focal point and radiate them from or around it. Dining rooms with round tables are a good example.
Rhythm
Rhythm refers to the pattern in which you repeat certain design elements. It’s one of the first things you learn during interior design certificate programs in NYC. Rhythm helps you gain the viewer’s attention and guide their eye movement. You can establish the room’s rhythm by taking an element like color or texture and repeating it throughout the room.
Harmony
Harmony refers to how different elements relate to each other. It creates a sense of restfulness and makes the room seem wholesome. You can achieve harmony by ensuring that every element relates to each other directly or indirectly.
Unity
Unity refers to how different elements come together as one unit. Holistic interior design institutes like NextGen Design Academy heavily emphasize on this principle. According to this principle, you must ensure that every element you use belongs in the room and adds value to it. No element should exist for the sake of existing.
Scale & Proportion
Scale refers to the size of one object in relation while proportion refers to the size of the object compared to other objects. It’s a useful principle to remember when you remember the sizes of different objects. You can play around with the sizes of different objects to create some interesting visual effects.
Many students learn about the golden ratio when they learn interior design online. Also called the phi or 1.618 ratio, many believe it to be a naturally recurring ratio. Many professional interior designers use this ratio to create a perfect design.
Emphasis
Emphasis refers to when each element of the room focuses on a center point. You need to identify the point in the room that will dominate the other elements. You can create emphasis through either design elements or placement. Lights and colors are the most effective tools for creating emphasis. You can place the focal point at the center of the room or the end of a hallway.
Contrast
Students also learn about contrast in schools like NextGen Design Academy. It refers to the difference in colors or luminescence of different objects. It allows you to distinguish the elements from each other and create interest. Professional designers use space, form and colors to achieve it.
These are some basic principles of interior design that you need to keep in mind. They aren’t hard and fast rules but guidelines for you to come up with something beautiful.