Thursday, November 29, 2007

6 Common Elements for Great Designs

The elements of design are the most basic component parts of any great design. They are the underlying structure that helps to convey your message when decorating your home. Here are the six most common elements to incorporate in your design for a beautiful room.

Color

Color is probably the most powerful of the elements. It will add interest to any area in which it is correctly used. Color can evoke strong emotions, which affects our perception of color. The human eye can see more than 16 million colors. When making choices for colors, look at the pieces in your room that will be staying and use those to choose your colors.

Line

Lines represent order. They give your eyes a direction as to where to look. Lines can be vertical, horizontal, curved, straight, diagonal, bold or fine. Lines can also have a psychological impact based on their direction and weight as well as on variations in both direction and weight. Curved and diagonal lines are dynamic while straight lines are more static. Lines can also be used to create a sense of movement or depth. They can also be combined to create effects of texture or pattern.

Pattern

Pattern is the way that a concept or design idea is arranged in a repetitive manner. It is an underlying structure which systematizes surfaces in a regular way. Pattern can be thought of as the skeleton of a design.

Texture

Texture defines the roughness or smoothness of a surface area. It can be both visual and tactile. An important element of texture is the ability to create the illusion of texture as well. Any sensation that we can imagine feeling can be described as texture. Rough, smooth, hard, soft, bristly and wet are all types of texture. Texture adds variety and interest to any design.

Shape

Shapes are forms used in a design. They are geometric areas of self-contained form. They can be 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional. They can be repeated to create a sense of movement, which increases the decorative effect of using shapes in your design. Try to limit the number of different shapes that you use in your interior design.

Space

Space is the relationship between two things. It refers to the area occupied by a shape or a form. Space can be positive or negative. It is positive when the area of space is filled in. It is negative space when used as a background. Space can add excitement or a sense of contrast to any design.

Use these six basic elements of design correctly and you can transform any room into a dynamic and interesting living area that you will enjoy spending time in. Visit GoCeilingMedallion for many more design options for your home.