From the Floors Up

How To Use the Elements and Principals Of Design To Decorate Like An Interior Designer, Part 9

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Part 9 Color

Color is arguably the most impactful tool you have when decorating a room. All of the elements of design we’ve discussed thus far are critical components of a room, but color offers immediacy unlike any other. The moment you enter a room color demands your attention and evokes a strong influence over mood and style. Indeed, it even influences your behavior in a room. So, what is color, actually? From a home design perspective it is a sensation produced by visible wavelengths of light. It is one, or any mixture, of the constituents into which light can be separated, as in a spectrum or rainbow. Sounds lovely, but let’s get a little more practical with it.

The easiest way to become an overnight master of color is to invest in a color wheel, and then study the rules it represents. There are endless variations but you can decide how far into color theory you wish to delve. Short on time? Learning just a few of the basic color schemes will be plenty of knowledge to get the job done! 

Complimentary – Colors opposite each other on the color wheel. For example: pink and green. Complimentary colors are typically well suited to creating bold effects or vibrant color harmonies.  

Analogous – Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Typically you’ll find three of them being used and they are great for creating a sense of harmony in a room. Be sure that there is enough contrast between them to ensure the effect is obvious. A good example is the use of red, orange, and yellow.

Tetrad – Four colors used in complimentary pairs. For instance red, orange, blue and green. Typically, it works well to let one of the colors dominate, and the other three to support the overall effect.

As mentioned, there are far more combinations than these three but they are a great way to start. Don’t feel like you have to use full saturation hues to accomplish the goal. The example shown above uses very bold and impactful colors. However, you can adjust the technique to include medium or pale shades as well!

Next read Part 10 – Balance

Don’t forget to go back and start by reading Part 1

How To Use the Elements and Principles Of Design To Decorate Like An Interior Designer, Part 7

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Part 7 Pattern

We know, we know! Pattern is one of the toughest elements to incorporate into decorating. There are so many choices that picking just one is a huge task. Forget mixing them! Who knows how to do that without creating a circus atmosphere? Well, actually, you! Simply follow these basic guidelines to get a grip on pattern.

As with our previous posts, let’s start once again with the definition of the word pattern. As it relates to interior decorating, pattern represents a change of shape or organized set of shapes wherein the parts of the series mimic the original in one or more attributes. Pattern is also predictable by nature, though it usually appears periodically in a room rather than throughout. When used properly it’s also proportionate to the other elements of design in the room.

So, what exactly does all of that mean? Let’s break it down. The fact that it mimics itself is obvious, but have you ever given thought to the fact that it evokes a sense of predictability? This is sometimes very effective for establishing a sense of continuity in a room. When complimentary elements of design like furnishings and textiles are combined, it creates a relationship between separate parts. When your surround it all with pattern, though, the room has a feeling of completeness because it’s as if it’s encased. The mind can settle into the oneness of the space by relying on the sense of predictability that causes us to feel as if all things important have been considered.

 For it to be executed expertly, however, pattern must be proportionate to everything else. One way to accomplish this is to use it periodically, for example, featuring a pattern on just three walls. Then, perpetuate the effect by incorporating additional patterns that coordinate. To do so you can use similar colors and/or smaller or larger versions related to the main pattern. This way they won’t compete with each other. Notice in the example photo that the three patterns are all a different scale. The floor is a large scale checker pattern, the wallpaper is a medium scale stripe pattern, and the pillows are a small scale geometrical patter. The harmony is completed by a consistent shade of green throughout!

Next read Part 8 – Time

Don’t forget to go back and start reading with Part 1

How To Use the Elements and Principles of Design to Decorate Like an Interior Designer

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Part 1: Intro

The scene: You, standing inside a fabulous model home with your mouth agape. This particular home happens to be the third you’ve seen on a walking tour of some of the most beautiful homes in the region where you live. At the first house you found yourself innocently admiring everything. “Oh, isn’t this lovely!” At the second home you found yourself absorbing the immense creativity that was required. “Wow, this is really impressive. Like, really, really impressive!” By the time you reached the third house you’re in full blown wonderment, accompanied by a sense of dismay because you are certain you’d never be able to accomplish anything like it. “How do they do it,” you think. “HOW IN THE WORLD DO THESE DESIGNERS PULL THIS OFF? IT’S INCREDIBLE!”

Then you go home and wish for the lifestyle of the rich and famous just so you can hire an interior design magician! “Wouldn’t it be marvelous?” you say to yourself. “Positively dreamy!”  

While you may never be a professional interior designer, unless you go to school, there is hope. There exists a set of elements and principles of design that guide any skillful designer. Yet, they don’t necessarily rely on innate creativity, so even if you consider yourself a bit lean in the area of artistic inspiration, you can apply these fundamentals. They’re not terribly difficult to learn either. It may take you some time to master them as a whole, but little by little you could certainly create a knowledge base that would elevate you from, “My house looks like I just moved in and I’ve been here three years,” to “Gee, this looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself!”

If you’re tired of dreaming and ready to start doing, grab a pen and paper, get comfortable, and prepare to take notes! We aren’t going to turn you into and interior designer, but we’ll help you get by until you have an opportunity to work with one. Which we highly recommend! The depth and scope of their knowledge is marvelous.

Next read Part 2 – Space

Great Items to Bring When Trick-or-Treating

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5823969_SA quick checklist to help your Halloween night go a little more smoothly:

• Glowsticks – There’s no end to how these little gems can help you on a dark night! Attach a glowstick to each child in your group to make everyone a little easier to see. Use matching glowsticks for the whole group or assign everyone a different color!
• Bottled water – Most kids will test their candy before arriving back home. Water will help wash it down and keep everyone hydrated.
• Sturdy bags or buckets – No one likes picking candy up after it has fallen on the floor! If you are traveling with multiple trick-or-treaters, an extra bag or two might save the evening!
• Flashlights and extra batteries – No need to explain this one!
• Jackets – In many locations, the temperature can change quickly once the sun sets. Also, don’t forget hats and gloves if the night might get super chilly!
• Camera – don’t forget this one so you can capture the moments for the years to come.
• Kleenex – Cool nights can come with noses that leak!
• A great sense of fun – Make sure to enjoy the time with the kids. Halloween is a fun night for everyone!

We hope your night is one filled with fun, sweets and safety!

How to decorate your home using magazines

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There were rumors, when all reading material became available digitally, print magazine wouldn’t survive. Nonsense! We still love magazines and even if we don’t always get around to reading them, they still come each month on subscription. Sure, you could throw them in the recycle bin. But why not display them while they’re current?

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Instead of leaving current issues in a stack where you won’t remember to read them, use wire hangers to hang them individually. This is a great way to use all those wire dry cleaning hangers you have lying around. Hang one magazine on each hanger, about half way through the magazine so it hangs evenly. Use a nail or tack in the wall and hang the hanger on it. You can hang just one as a focal point near a place where you organize other current items like mail. Or, hang several of them (each on their own hanger) in an interesting configuration on a wall. This is a great option in the bathroom. Speaking of the bathroom, another neat way to display magazines is by hanging them on the horizontal towel racks. Many people now roll up clean towels and store them in a cabinet or basket. Rather than leave the towel racks empty, offer up current magazines.

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Another great idea for using magazines to decorate your home is to create a display piece by folding some of the interior pages inward. As show in the photo, you can create a somewhat sculptural piece in the form of a heart. Make sure to use adhesive to permanently set it in place. We suggest using a magazine that is relevant to the room it’s in. Perhaps a fashion magazine in the bedroom/closet space, or a recipe magazine in the kitchen. What’s your favorite magazine?

From the Floors Up

From the Floors Up blog was created with the goal of providing a destination for consumers, designers and those interested in the flooring, design, and kitchen and bath industries. Here you’ll find, current, accurate and informative information that is always just a click away!

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