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7 Elements of Interior Design

Interior design involves more than just decoration - it is the design of an entire living space from scratch based on key elements and principles. The 7 elements of interior design are space, line, form, light, color, texture, and pattern. Space acts as the foundation, lines define shapes and guide the eye, forms establish harmony, light sets mood and ambience, color impacts psychology, texture adds depth and defines surfaces, and patterns provide interest and continuity. An interior designer must understand how to utilize these elements effectively.

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Justin Philip Abgao
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438 views5 pages

7 Elements of Interior Design

Interior design involves more than just decoration - it is the design of an entire living space from scratch based on key elements and principles. The 7 elements of interior design are space, line, form, light, color, texture, and pattern. Space acts as the foundation, lines define shapes and guide the eye, forms establish harmony, light sets mood and ambience, color impacts psychology, texture adds depth and defines surfaces, and patterns provide interest and continuity. An interior designer must understand how to utilize these elements effectively.

Uploaded by

Justin Philip Abgao
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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7 Elements of Interior Design

The problem with Interior Design is a lot many people confuse it with Interior Decoration. While the
former refers to designing an entire living space from scratch, the latter refers to decorating an
existent living space with added furniture and upholstery. Interior Design is indeed a science that is
bound by its own elements and principles and yes, it is not as simple as one imagines it to be!
Generally interior designers go by the rule book that states that ‘There are 7 elements and 7
principles of Interior Design’.

1. Space
Space is one of the most important elements of interior design. Space acts as a foundation on which
the entire interior design plan is built. Hence it is essential that the designer is well aware of the
space available, its dimensions and its utilities. Space is divided into two types namely – Two
Dimensional Space which covers the floor (includes length and width) and Three Dimensional Space
which forms the living space (includes length, width and height). A space that is essentially filled with
furniture/décor items is a Positive Space and an empty space is a Negative Space. An equilibrium
has to be maintained between the positive and negative spaces and either overcrowding or skimping
on the furniture/décor items is going to affect this equilibrium.

Space Planning
2. Line
Lines give birth to forms and shapes and are responsible for establishing a sense of harmony,
contrast and unity (3 of the 7 principles) in a living space. They define shapes and act as visual
guides of an interior space. Lines are broadly categorized into three types – Horizontal, Vertical and
Dynamic. While horizontal lines adorn structures likes tables, chairs and beds, vertical lines can be
found on windows, doorways and almirahs. While horizontal lines add a safe and secure feeling to
the space, vertical lines emote free and expansive nature. Dynamic or angular lines, which are
action oriented add drama and can be seen on structures like stairs. An interior designer must know
how to utilize these lines to define the forms, another important interior design element.

Lines

3. Forms
Forms mean shapes in general, an outline of any three dimensional object in the space. Forms can
be created by combining two or more shapes and can be accentuated with the help of other
elements like texture, patterns and colors. A well-defined form establishes harmony and additional
forms add balance to the space. There are two types of forms – Geometric (man-made) and Natural
(organic). Also forms are categorized as open and closed; open forms are those that can be looked
into and closed forms are those that are enclosed by a closed surface. A solid understanding of the
above mentioned elements i.e. space and line is required to achieve a goof form.
Forms Light

4. Light
Light is one of the most obvious elements of interior design. Either natural or man-made, without
light other elements namely color, texture and pattern have no significance at all. Light sets in the
mood and ambience into a living space and highlights the every other element including space, line
and forms. While smart placement of doors and windows should take care of the natural light, man-
made or artificial lighting is broadly divided into three major types namely – Task Lighting, Accent
Lighting and Mood Lighting. Task light as the name implies, includes light sources like table and bed
lamps which have a defined purpose, dedicated for a specific task. Accent lights are meant for
highlighting a particular piece or show item like artworks, structures, sculptures and so on. Mood or
ambient lighting basically set the mood of the living space and illuminate the overall space.

5. Color
Colors don’t need any special introduction. Colors establish an aesthetic connection between objects
and set the mood. Colors must be chosen based on the psychology and the mindset of the dweller.
For example, red is an excellent choice for dining room as it encourages appetite and green for
bedroom as it is the color of tranquility and health. Each color has three distinct characteristics
namely Hue, Value and Intensity, and an interior designer must be well aware of these
characteristics to perform various permutations and combinations. Colors are broadly classified into
Primary and Secondary colors and also sub-categorized into Tertiary, Complementary, Analogous
and Monochromatic colors.
Colors Textures

6. Texture
Texture mainly deals with surfaces and determines how a typical surface looks and feels. Texture
adds depth and interest into a living space and defines the feel/appearance and consistency of a
surface. Texture is broadly classified into two types – Visual Texture where the texture is only visible
and Actual Texture where the texture is both seen and felt. Anything that has to do with textiles such
as pillow cover, bed spreads or anything to do with covers like drapes, wall paint or wallpapers have
a texture. While there must be a dominant texture to define a mood, a contrasting texture must also
be included to avoid monotony.

7. Pattern
Patterns add interest and life to interior design and work along with colors. Patterns tell a story of
their own and add the elements of continuity and smooth transition in a living space. Patterns could
be of any shape and mostly comprise of attractive and repetitive designs. Paisley, a design pattern
which takes the shape of a droplet-shaped vegetable is one of the most commonly used patterns on
wall paints, pillow covers and other decorative surfaces.

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