7 Design elements: Every day living

​      Do you love the ‘staged’ look of homes on the market or the ‘after’ pictures of space makeovers?  It makes sense. They look organized and are balanced by adhering to the ‘rules’ of 7 design elements. You can make drastic changes in the look and feel of your home by following these rules. Your home can have the ‘staged for everyday living’ look and feel and still use your own furnishings, and even on a small budget.

      This posting is an overview of the basics for achieving the balance of harmony, aesthetics and actual day-to-day usage of items in one’s home. Follow-up postings will reflect this balance as we look at each space individually.

      For most people feeling comfortable in their own home is a top priority. How we achieve what looks and feels comfortable is what will be explained. For now we’re going to discuss what our mind experiences and not our culturally learned aesthetic preferences.

      Important key to understanding why a ‘busy’ room can confuse us:  What we visually experience in a space is not consciously broken down and analyzed. (Unless, it is our intent, of course.)  Our brain takes in the visual information and we subconsciously make a decision on whether or not the space is pleasing to us, or more specifically, pleasing to and easy for our brains or minds to understand. If the elements in the space are not congruent, our brains are struggle to make sense out of ‘what’s going on in this picture’ and we instinctively, albeit often unconsciously, rebel. 

      Example: You walk into a living room. The couch is firm, with squared corners and black leather. Additional seating is a kitchen chair (stiff with an upright back, cane seat, and has a light gold pad), a light blue corduroy covered chaise lounge, and a lavender colored, floral print antique settee. There’s a furry white rug tucked under a box shaped coffee table. The kicker – tan drapes with black pin stripes. Are you having a hard time following this visual?  No worries. Your brain would have a hard time taking it all in if you were actually standing in the room!

      There are reasons your brain is struggling. None of these furnishings are similar in style or design, texture, shape, color, or overall theme. In fact, there isn’t a theme, trend, or scheme. Yet, believe it or not, most of these items could be brought together and made to ‘work’; using the right placement, fabric changes, enhancements / accessories and lighting.
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There are 7 basics of design needed in the above, or any, scenario for a more staged home look and feel. Here is a bird’s eye view:

1. Space: This is the most important of all, in my opinion. All of the other elements will be working overtime if the designer neglects the physical limits. Over or undersized furnishings or patterns will fail miserably if not matched appropriately.
2. Line: The structural design of the room, windows, furnishings, etc., can provide balance, guide the viewer’s eye to a focal point, and impact the viewer’s perception of the length, width, height…overall dimensions of the room. Example: You have a large window at the end of the room and a lush backyard. By aligning your furnishings perpendicular to the window the eye is guided up the middle of the room to the backyard. Boom! Easy.
3. Form: It’s fascinating to me how the mind immediately takes in repetitive shapes in a space and then interprets it as congruent, or pleasing. Example: Circular knobs on the stereo cabinet can be repeated in globe shaped finials, in chair legs or feet, fabrics, (including pattern and shape of throw pillows, rugs, and seat cushions), pull-backs on drapes, etc. Just don’t overdo it.
4. Light: Super important! The type, functionality, and placement of artificial and natural light can make or break a room’s design. When choosing your lighting, one should also consider if you are setting a mood, lighting an area you want to accent, and / or the function of the space (such as reading, writing, sewing, meditating…) Don’t forget; the color and type of bulbs used will also come into play.
5. Color: Our favorite part, right?  Bright colors for joy, enthusiasm, energy - oh, and small spaces. Use warmer colors for a cozier, relaxed feeling. By choosing the right color scheme that will suit your ENTIRE home, you will be taking a big step toward the congruent, staged for everyday living you’re looking for -- Even when the themes of the rooms change.
6. Texture: There are two types to be aware of. One your eye detects (pattern and 3D), and a tactile texture we either feel or can visually detect its depth (such as cashmere, satin, tweed, leather, wood, rock, metal, glass…). Texture provides interest and detail to a room.
7. Pattern: Like form, consistent and repetitive design is picked up by our brains. Patterns can be repeated in the soft furnishings (such as fabrics and rugs) as well as the hard surfaces (i.e., picture frames, window casings, furniture, etc.). Whether the pattern chosen is stripes, geometric shapes, floral, or animal prints, try not to use more than 3 and ensure they are all within the same color scheme.

      As you can imagine, there is A LOT more detail that could be added to the above. But, my intent is to provide you with some starting place/s for your creative thinking process.

 
 

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