THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN

The elements of design  There are five main elements of design:  Space  Line  Form  Texture  Colour

Space  Interior design considers two aspects of space:  The size of the overall design space  The arrangement of objects within that space

Space  To make space that is small appear larger  Limit the number of furnishings  Select small furniture of a plain design, patterns make a room seem smaller  Install mirrors to visually enlarge the room  Choose furniture that has a dual purpose

Space  To make space that is large appear smaller  Divide up a room with permanent or temporary room dividers or screens, or by arranging furniture in clusters  Use area rugs to visually divide a large room

Line

 Line delineates space, outlines form, and conveys a sense of movement or direction  Confusion can result when lines and shapes aren’t used harmoniously  Lines can also be used to unify or define space  Lines can be used to increase height and width

Line  Lines can also express feelings  a horizontal line might express rest  A vertical line might express action  Diagonal or zigzag lines convey excitement and movement  Curved lines have a natural, graceful effect

Form  Design-Principle-of-Harmony.htm Design-Principle-of-Harmony.htm

Form  Form describes the shape and structure of solid objects  We can use form to express:  Stability, through the use of large, heavy objects or through clustering objects *A designer is more concerned with an objects “apparent weight” than its actual weight

Form  It is important that forms harmonize with one another  When designing a room, you should look for furnishings with similar visual “weights”

Texture  Texture is the appearance or feel of an object’s surface  Tactile texture is what the object actually feels like  Visual texture is what the object looks like  Ex. A wallpaper could look like it is rough, but it could just be paper printed to look that way

Texture  Texture can influence the way people feel in a room  Plush furniture or carpet can provide a sense of comfort  Rough materials express a feeling of ruggedness and stability  Smooth velvets suggest luxury  Glass, metal and stone give a feeling of coolness

Texture  Texture can also affect the appearance of the size of an object, a chair covered in rough fabric may seem larger than the same one covered in smooth fabric  Texture can also affect colour; smooth textures tend to appear lighter in colour than rough  As you can see, texture can be used to add variety and interest to a room