[Deco 101] The Principle of Balance-Type of Balance

In this posting and upcoming 2 postings, I will examine the principles of interior design-

balance, proportion, scale, emphasis, and unity.

These principles are guidelines help you create satisfying living environments and

fast rules to be followed in every decorating job.

Let’s begin with the principle of balance.

Formal Balance

In formal balance, a centreline divides an area into two matching parts.

One half is the mirror image of the other.

The centreline is the balance point,or called pivot point, for the arrangement.

Example of formal balance below.

As formal balance is the mirror image of the other and highly symmetrical.

In fact, formal balance is sometimes called symmetrical balance.

This shows another example of formal balance.

Informal Balance

While in formal balance, equal objects are placed at equal distances from a centreline.

With informal balance, or asymmetrical balance,

unequal objects are placed at unequal distances form a centreline.

However, since they’re place at unequal distances from the centreline, balance is still maintained.

Radial Balance

Radial balance is a circular balance in which the objects are balanced around a central pivot point.

This type of balance is frequently round in a dining room setting.

The centre of the dining table, which can be either square or round, forms the centre of balance.

Although radial balance is used most frequently in dining area, it’s sometimes used in a large room

to add variety to the furniture arrangements. Radial balance is also sometimes used on a paito,

where chairs are grouped around a small. light, round table.

[Deco 101] The Elements of Design Vol.5- Pattern

Pattern, along with texture, is an element that appears on a surface which is mostly repeat in a predictable manner. As always, nature provides the inspiration for much of the way that pattern is used in interior decorating. Spotted pattern of a jaguar, a symmetrical pattern on the wings of butterfly, one of the best structures and patterns in honeycomb, repetition and periodicity on a daisy. We are surrounded by these unique natural patterns and inspire us to develop similar patterns in our artificial surroundings.

A row of identical shape in the same colour forms a pattern. One piece of tile on the centre of wall and another identical tile comes on the edge of one another and repeat it in the same manner forms another creative pattern. No matter how large or small they are, one adds on another, one clings to another together forms its own special pattern at the end.
As a decorative item being used, pattern, may be woven into a fabric or printed on surfaces. A mix of tinted and shaded blue mosaic tiles laying on the floor creates deep blue ocean, or bring a zebra to your bathroom by painting your wall in black and white strips, or repetition of yellow hexagon-shaped decorative stickers along the backslash tiles in your kitchen to enjoy it while you’re cooking. Any natural pattern can be adopted to decorate your own space. But, in a real life, to achieve your desired effect, consider the size of your room or piece of furniture in relation to the size of the pattern and to the desired effect. When your room is a quite big and needs more than 2 patterns, first the dominant pattern- which would covers the most portion of the room- should be selected then coordinate the minor pattern with the dominant pattern. In this case, the second and/or third pattern shouldn’t be as strong as the dominant one.
The next The Basics post will be writing about The principles of interior design-balance, proportion, scale, emphasis and unity.
Thanks for reading!

[Deco 101] The Elements of Design Vol.4- Texture

Texture is the surface feeling or appearance of an object. Unlike other elements of design as I had earlier posted, texture appeal us to both the sense of touch and sight-this is why I love in search of beautiful textures. A surface of an object can appear soft or hard, smooth or rough, shiny or dull, and even you can feel the texture by looking-dry like wood or moist like jello.
Look around at the objects near you and touch them. How do they differ to you? What do you remember the most? Surprisingly, people respond to texture even more instinctively than they do to colour and these memories of texture can use in selecting decorating items.
When you select decorating items as you need, you definitely want to consider textural difference of each object. There are a few things to specially consider with; balance, comfort, visual texture and practicality.
Balance. Any space or any interior want to be turned out reasonable and acceptable then it should have a balance of texture in its object. For instance, a room filled with metal frames of furniture have all glass top, crystal accessories and mirrors on wall. This room may look contemporary and sleek, but perhaps all shine surface would become monotonous. You can add some dull and ragged texture to create a balance.

Comfort. As much important as a balance of texture, comfort is surely one of the special considerations in selecting texture. No matter how beautiful the texture is, if it is not comfort to anyone of your family, then that’s not right texture for you, it should be met every family member’s physical needs before you achieve aesthetic pleasure.

Visual texture. This visual texture often found in a wall covering, flooring, and some in furniture surface. A lace pattern on wall paper may give the wall having one more layer of lace texture on a plain wall paper and a wood pattern on floor tile may appear the floor is hardwood finished floor, even though the actual materials are completely something else than they appear. By using of this brilliant technical trick to create unique surface, the space not only has a cool illusion, but we can have a various of selection of materials and decorative items in affordable price.
Practicality. A sleek and shiny black dining table shows fingerprints, a tinted beige coloured woven rug on your hallway gather all dirt. So, you want to choose an adequate texture, as well as its appearance and colour.

[Deco 101] The Elements of Design Vol.3- Colour and Value

Colour is an element that instantly appeal. Colour represent symbols, messages, emotions, regulations and beyond. Colour is everywhere in nature-red sun, blue skies, green mountains, purple violets.

And, there is Value, which is one of properties of colour and it refers the amount of the lightness or darkness of a colour. By unifying the value and colour as elements of interior design, it able to develop area looks wider and avoid undesired subtle finish. For example, in nature, we may find strong colour contrast like dark brown tree trunk in green forest, and little colour contrast like white polar bear on snow.

Colour and value, a unification of those two elements in interior decorating are as essential as lines and forms are. As every object and material has its own unique colour and value, they should be handled in a good way to fit into the unified whole.

[Deco 101] The Elements of Design Vol.2- Form

As lines together make form: form is a series of lines enclosing a space, I think today’s post about the elements of design vol.2-Form could be a nice continuation of the previous post about the elements of design vol.1-line.
Form is closely related to line, outlines of a form may appear straight, as in a cube, a box, and a pyramid. The outlines may be curved, as in an apple and a ball. Other forms may have outlines that are a combination of straight and curved lines, as in a cone and a cylinder.
People always like good examples, so let’s take a look at some examples of form.
I have got some geometry of several basic forms along with some examples of these forms in nature.

Sphere

…

Orange

Cylinder

…

Tree Trunk

Cone

…

Pine Tree

Pyramid

…

Mountain

These basic forms are commonly used in decorating rooms as well as in designing architecture. These forms are not only in designing buildings and spaces, but these forms have literally been living in a world with us ever since the world created. The monitor what you are looking at to read this post. Look around your table and your room where you are in. If you take a carefully look at the edge of object and entire shape of it, you will easily notice that all of those objects in the one of basic shapes (could be in the very complicated shape, though it is assembly of basic forms) , and their shape is designed from a shape of nature by designers who was inspired by nature.
In pictures below show how those basic forms translated into interior decorating.

Lighting fixture and candle holder are in the shape of sphere.

This beautiful piece of table lamp’s base is in the shape of sphere too.

Decorative pillows and ottomans are cylinder-shaped.

And, a set of cylinder vases could be the best choice for modern style of decorating.

A unique cone-shaped outdoor fireplace gives some cozy look and

seems very stable and functional as its bottom is wider.

And, another unique and modern design of sink also in the shape of cone.

Pyramid, similar to cone-shaped, but it has 4 sides and a square or

could be a rectangular bottom possibly.

Oriental bamboo shade of ceiling pendant is in the shape of pyramid.

And, Chiffonnier designed pyramid drawers.

These 4 shapes are the basic forms in interior decorating items. There are more than a thousand of enormous shapes in the world, which have thousands of lines and sides, and those gigantic shapes are made from assembly of each basic geometric form. Now, if you look a round, you will be able to spot those shapes in your rooms or outside of your rooms: in tables, chairs, lighting fixtures, and even more.

Next post will be about colour, textures and pattern in interior decorating. Thanks for reading my post!

[Deco 101] The Elements of Design Vol.1- Line

Are you living in an apartment or a house?

We may be living in a different environment, yet those artificial places were created of the same or similar elements of interior design. The elements of interior design – line, form, colour and value, texture, pattern, light, and space-are very essential and basic sources of design. They exist not only in an artificial environment, but they are originally from nature. Nature is always a great source of design elements, which enables us to decorate our environment more naturally and creatively.

Today, I would like to post about line as one of the design elements.

Line involves motion, which leads our eye from one point to another point. A line may be straight or curved. It also gives our eye a path to follow.

Picture below shows an example of a horizontal line in nature.

A horizontal line appears calm, peaceful, and stable. We can see those horizontal lines in lake shore, green field and in many other places. This horizontal line can be incorporated into interior decorating where needs the restful mood, such as a living room.

A vertical line, oppsed to a horizontal line, seems strong, firm and dignity. Those vertical line can be seen in a forest of tall trees surrounded.

Tall wall, bookself, cabinet, bedframe post and even a tall-street-light, a vertical line exists in objects as dividers or stackable storages. As the line gives the mood of strength and dignity, it is often used in rooms like library, foyer area, hall way and even some guest waiting area.

Meanwhile, a horizontal line and a vertical line give us a path either left to right or down to up, here we have lines give us the feeling of more active and flexible.

A diagonal line, which is neither vertical nor horizontal, seems to be dynamic, vigorous. The contour lines of mountains seem to be restless and alive.

It is neither up nor down, but rather on the move. If you feel like to climb the Rocky Mountain, how about a beautiful staircase on your hall way? I would say a staircase is the best example of this dynamic diagonal line.

The last line, but it could say not a line, yet the most elegant line-a curved line. A deep cove of sea, sand dunes or low hills, and some shape of clouds show us how magical curved line harmonize with other lines.

A curved line has soft and sensual quality. Arch windows are one of a typical design that created of this romantic curved line.

These elements of line can be incorporated into any other interior and/or exterior design. Lines are definitely the essential elements of design used to establish the mood of the entire room, thus it should be carefully added into decorating. Too many horizontal lines may give the entire room boredom and flatness; too many vertical lines may make it too imposing and overwhelming.

In my next posting, I will share some idea of how to embrace a series of lines to make it a ’form‘