Interior design has evolved significantly over time, reflecting social, cultural, and technological influences. From bold and colorful designs in the 1970s to sustainable and natural aesthetics in the 2010s, interior design has adapted to meet changing needs and preferences. The Neoclassical period, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman styles, emphasized simplicity, symmetry, and the use of color. Contemporary interiors are defined by clean lines, decorated minimalism, and current trends.
The seven fundamental components of interior design include space, line, form, light, color, texture, and pattern. Balancing these elements is key to creating beautiful interiors. The vibrant colors popular in the 1970s home decor evolved to softer, more natural hues by the 80s. With the advancement of technology, entertainment equipment like televisions, radios, and DVD players became a part of every household, and home decor started to revolve around them.
The fabric and structure of the interior design world have shifted, with open shelving, mix-and-match furniture groupings, and flexibility in moving pieces becoming common. Interior designers today have access to infinite styles, influences, colors, textures, objects, and movements that allow them to create spaces that are not only stylish but also functional and practical.
The 1980s home design era revised the bright colors brought by the 1960s and 1970s, transitioning to more subtle and organic colors. The decade of the 1970s was characterized by an explosion of color, bold patterns, and an open attitude that found its way into pop culture and interior design. Modern interior design emphasizes practicality and functionality, with proper lighting design enhancing visibility, highlighting design features, and affecting the overall mood of a space.
📹 The Elements of Interior Design EXPLAINED
In this video I share with you the Elements of Interior Design. As interior designers it is crucial that we know how to work with the …
Why do designers need elements of design?
The elements of design are essential for creating objects and are the responsibility of the designer. They learn the power of these elements and format them within design principles. Color, also known as hue, represents a specific color or light wavelength found in the color spectrum. Lines, as geometric concepts, are points in motion with only one dimension – length, and have both position and direction in space. Variables of lines include size, shape, position, direction, number, interval, and density.
Points create lines, while lines create shapes or planes and volume. The discipline of learning the power of these elements and formatting them within design principles is crucial for creating a functional and visually appealing design.
Why are the elements of design important in interior design?
Lines are essential elements in interior design, as they guide the eye and create the right feeling within a room. Natural lines, such as walls or furniture, can give height and draw the eye into focal points. Balancing these lines is crucial for creating the right atmosphere. Zig zag lines, like those provided by stairs, can hold attention but should be used sparingly.
Light is another integral element in interior design, closely intertwined with other elements. Natural light, which can be affected by the direction of a room or building, affects the quality of sunlight. Understanding the natural light of a space helps inform the choices made for other aspects, such as color schemes.
Artificial light sources, such as ceiling lights, wall lights, or table lamps, can be used as aesthetic features or to light specific areas or bounce light around a room. Overall, the balance of lines, light, and other elements is crucial for creating a cohesive and visually appealing interior.
How technology has changed interior design?
The manual sketching process has been replaced by digital drawings, allowing designers to communicate ideas faster and with greater precision. However, access to a service has been limited due to a HTTP response code 503. If you believe you have been blocked, contact the site owner for assistance. If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges, enter your email address and click “Send” to regain access.
What is redesign in interior design?
Redesign is the act of arranging furniture, creating focal points, and accessorizing to create natural traffic flow and visual interest. It is more economical and faster than traditional design, allowing you to utilize existing pieces while still achieving a designer look. Redesign is ideal when you feel bored with your home’s appearance, feeling cluttered, or experiencing a big change in your life, such as expecting a baby.
It is also a great service to keep things fresh and functional, as it allows you to reflect the different stages of your life. It is recommended to do a redesign every few years to keep things fresh and functional.
How technology has changed creativity and design?
Technology significantly enhances creativity by reducing the cost of actualizing our intent, allowing us to search domains, mix and match ideas, and test concepts easily. This increases the chances of producing outstanding work. As Richard Florida argues in The Rise of The Creative Class, creativity is becoming an intrinsic part of working life. As a more technological society, many rote tasks have become automated, and our potential to engage in experiences that lead to greater creativity is increased. As a result, we are becoming a more creative society.
What is modern vs old interior design?
Modern interiors are characterized by simplicity, functionality, clean lines, and neutral colors, while traditional interiors are defined by warmth, richness, and intricate details. Modern interiors use neutral tones, while traditional interiors embrace warm, earthy colors. Furniture is sleek and functional, while lighting focuses on natural light and minimal fixtures. Transitional design combines elements of both styles for a balanced look.
Choosing the right design style enhances the aesthetic appeal of a home and creates a space that reflects one’s personality and meets functional needs. A visionary design team led by Architect- Nilesh Sawant aims to transform spaces into extraordinary works of art, inspiring, uplifting, and leaving a lasting impression.
What are the new interior design style trends?
Sage green is set to become a prominent color in 2024’s interior design palette, reflecting the growing trend towards nature-inspired tranquility in living spaces. This soft, natural hue balances mint and greige, offering a calming, restorative quality that complements the popularity of indoor plants. Sage green represents balance and harmony, offering a sanctuary from modern life’s stresses. Homeowners are increasingly embracing the opportunity to imprint their unique tastes and preferences onto their spaces, with bespoke furniture pieces and personalized layout plans echoing the personal story and style of their inhabitants.
What is the difference between modern and post modern interior design?
Mid-century modern and postmodern design movements emerged in the mid-20th century, focusing on simplicity, functionality, and clean lines. Postmodern design emerged in the late 1970s as a reaction to mid-century modern’s minimalist aesthetic, rejecting a single, universal style and embracing a playful mix of styles, patterns, and textures. Postmodern designers often used synthetic materials and bold colors, while mid-century modern is known for its minimalist and functional approach.
What is the difference between modern and classic interior style?
Combining contemporary design with classic furniture is challenging due to the need for a perfect balance. Classic designs are elegant, timeless, and predictable, while modern interior design is minimalistic, space-conscious, and full of surprises. Both have distinct looks and feel, but combining them requires artistry. Classic contemporary furniture is unchanging, enduring, and traditional, often made from precious materials like oak, mahogany, marble, ceramics, copper, silver, and bronze. These luxurious pieces are often used with a soft, neutral palette like grey, white, and beige.
How is interior design changing?
The interior design industry is rapidly evolving due to the growing focus on wellness, sustainability, and technology. Interior designers are at the forefront of these changes, influencing trends and product specifications. Brands that understand and adapt to these shifts will be better positioned to meet the demands of the evolving design industry. Erica Waayenberg, Head of Research and Content at ThinkLab, a research division of SANDOW DESIGN GROUP, combines SANDOW Media’s reach to the architecture and design community with proven market research techniques to uncover relevant trends and opportunities for the design industry.
How did interior design change over time?
By the 20th century, interior design became more functional due to the increasing presence of home appliances like stoves, washing machines, and televisions. This new challenge required interior designers to design spaces with more than aesthetic reasons. As the 20th century progressed, novice designers and publications worked to challenge the influence of large upscale retail outlets on interior design.
Feminist English author Mary Haweis criticized the excitement of bourgeoise people seeking to furnish their homes hastily around dictating retail outlets, advocating for people to create unique design styles tailored to their needs and lifestyles.
The transition towards the decorative arts as an individual artistic profession was accelerated in 1899 with the launch of the Institute of British Decorators, which represented over 200 interior designers nationwide. By 1915, the London Directory saw an increased listing of 127 professional interior decorators, with only 10 women. Rhoda and Agnes Garrett were the first recorded women to be professionally coached as home designers in 1874, and their guide, Suggestions for House Decoration in Painting, Woodwork, and Furniture, further cemented their authority and spread their artistic interior design approaches to the middle-class.
📹 Tips for High Performance Home Floorplan: Designing Out Condensation, Odors, Discomfort, and Hassle
There are so many simple tricks you can incorporate into a home’s layout that will improve performance, including closet …
I love your website, all your articles are so detaild and well structured and on point. I’ve subscribed and liked most of your stuff and I will continue perusal. Many thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge of interior design, it’s helped me get even more excited about studying and working as an interior designer.
Thank you for making these articles, although we learn these things in school it is still very useful and beneficial to get to hear them again when we look for them as professionals. I am subscribing 😉 👍 … and yes, a article about lighting is much appreciated … Thanks for your hard work and sweet personality 💕
We ended up with the most energy efficient house in our wee town by sheer luck. I live in the Canadian Arctic where temperatures fluctuate 100C from coldest to hottest temperatures, so insulation is no joke. We were really fortunate that the previous owners changed all twelve of the large windows to custom quad-paned units. Even when the exterior temperature is around -60C, the glass on the inside never gets cold. I will be sad to say goodbye to our little house when we retire because Northerners value function over form; I can decorate to make it cute, but I can’t fix major structural deficits. Because the permafrost is just a few scant feet down, there are no foundations or buildings set right on the ground, but on jackposts or piles. Usually the floors are frigid, but in our house we have a heated crawl space below so the floors are always lovely! There were two strange or new things for me, though, with this house: 1. having a humidifier going during the winter. We came from Nova Scotia where DEhumidifiers were da riguere, so this was new. We usually go through about 7-8 litres of water every day in our humidifier; and 2. Central AC. I realize this is nothing new, but it was the very first time I have had central air in a house. Not only does it combat the heat when we are in the high 30’sC, but when we are in a heavy smoke from forest fires, the hepa filter eliminates any trace of it inside. As an asthmatic, that is a HUGE boon, especially when you live in a remote town with no road going to it except when the ice road is open each winter.
Dude, if you’re getting condensation and mold growth on the inside of an exterior wall, then that wall is not properly insulated. I don’t see how this has any relevance to new construction. It might be useful to know for minor remodeling of older homes that might have little to no insulation in the walls. But if you’re building new, you should insulate and control vapor and air properly such that you can put closets/storage on exterior walls. It is a good point though about using them between rooms strategically for noise reduction. I also always thought it would be a good idea for kitchen corners to have that difficult to use space be used by the other room. For example, in the layout shown, that master closet could have a chest of drawers built into the wall that uses the space under the kitchen cabinet corner (or from the laundry room). Yes, you lose some kitchen storage space, but it’s awful storage space, and it becomes much more useful in the closet. You could even steal some space back from the closet (or laundry room) with a small nook to be able to recess the fridge a bit so it’s flush with the counter. This makes the space a little less flexible for changing around in the future, but it uses space much more efficiently. So depends on your preference I guess.
Some interesting info. I will be building a hempcrete home with living by the water and having moisture issues in the sometimes humid summers. It’s moisture regulating and very insulative, among other benefits. I don’t like a/c, preferring open windows/fresh air. I like curtains on closets and even cabinets, or leave open with no doors, or ventilation holes (can be stylish) for air flow, as it gets musty smelling in a regular home near the water without using a/c, no matter what. Ceiling fans etc help too. There’s various things like calcium chloride that can help absorb moisture.
I hoping to build my dream house. It will be constructed of SIP panels, which are meant to have high thermal performance. I was wondering if mould would be a problem here. All the windows are double-glazed with thermal break aluminium frames. As for the bath, I have heard that placing insulation under the tub in the building helps keep the water warm longer
Please go on more about why thermal bridging isn’t as big a deal as we think. We’ve probably all seen the thermal imaging photos which clearly show thermal bridging. Actually, I’ve seen that in frost that has formed on siding: there is less frost where the studs are. Have you done a article on the ZIP system?
when I think of building a home I want closets, and lots of them. 1 closet (large) for each bedroom; a coat closet at the front door, a broom closet, a bathroom linen closet, a closet for actual linens (sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.); and 2 not technically closets-a mudroom and a large pantry. And if you show me a plan where you walk in the front door and the kitchen is staring you in the face I will slap you bald.
Hi Corbett, I enjoyed your article – lots of good information. I was wondering what you would recommend doing to improve the durability of the wall assembly in the bathroom when you have no choice but to put the tub/shower against an exterior wall – or in a corner with two exterior walls? I know from perusal other Youtube articles that a common mistake some builders and most DIYers make when installing a tub on exterior walls is that they forget to install water resistant drywall or cement board below the tub deck. Yes, they do install cement board ABOVE the tub deck so they have some place to attach the tile but the stud bays below the tub deck are left open and that just allows moisture laden air to flow freely into the bays and condense on the inside surface of the exterior sheathing. So after installing water resistant drywall around the entire tub area (before you install the tub) would it be a good idea to build a second insulated wall up against the outer wall for an added moisture barrier? Essentially the sequence of layers would be: exterior sheathing, exterior wall studs with insulation, water resistant drywall as an air/moisture barrier, interior wall studs with insulation, smart membrane (?), cement board, tile, tub. Good idea, or overkill?
Obsessed with the information I learn from this website. Designing my own high performance home. My intentions are to have closets on exterior walls, but I plan on all of my exterior walls being highly insulated, and all of my closests having HVAC registers, and their closet doors having grilles/louvres in order to return back to HVAC. Would I still have that kind of moisture problem you mentioned at the beginning of the article? Thanks for your help. I should mention I live in hot/humid South Florida.
thermal bridging for sure is something to think about in Canada! I moved into a new build in 2021, left a pillow leaning against an exterior wall for a few nights. when I wanted to pick it up it was frozen to the wall because it leaned right in front of a stud. imagine having a closet on an exterior wall. all the condensation that’s collecting in there. you’d have an extreme mold problem.
Corbett you’ve got 2 very excited crawlspace tunnel rats that I personally can vouch that would LOVE to be in charge of going into the crawl and changing filters and scooting around on the creepers. And one more tunnel rat in training. I’m not as worried about you getting hit by a bus, I’m more worried about Big Plasma coming after you lol.
Love learning and seeing how things can be done better. Hopefully one day I can take all the strategies and build my own. Do you have articles about taking older homes say without wall insulation and the best practice to improve them since air leakage can be super high? Do erv/hrvs still make sense? It would be cool to see you break down steps on improving this type of house since most of what I see can’t start from a clean slate.
My brother has a heated workshop that sees higher level of moisture due to parking a snowy vehicle in there and everything melting. More to the point you can find every stud and most screw holes behind the white-painted drywall because moisture condensation and then either dirt or mold as a result of said moisture. With 16″ O.C. framing at least 10% of you wall is a framing with ~R-7 insulation verses the ~R-21 in the cavity.
Thanks for fighting the good fight! A couple of questions: 1) Exhausting directly from the Shower and Powder room to a continuously running ERV seems to make good sense on some level. Should we assume that there is no conditioned supply in these locations, or does the conditioned supply air get pulled into the bathrooms? It seems that if there was supply in the Bathrooms it would run straight to the ERV exhaust potentially limiting their effectiveness in conditioning that space? If the ERV is running full time and the Conditioned supply is running as needed based on the thermostat location does this lead to less than ideal conditions in the bathrooms. I would love to see a article on the science of supply grille locations for an entire house. Last question, on an older not so well sealed home why would you not recommend an ERV (just the cost), it seems the less you need to pull air from cracks and crevices via negative pressure the better? Thanks!!!!
With all respect i disagree with everything and not all architects are good. reason why we have bad new construction home today. 1. Thermal bringing is real but if you correctly moisture barrier your exterior walls this is not an issue. Reason why we have weep holes. 2. Bathroom vents should never be above shower. Should be near the center 1ft in front of toilet. You don’t want poo poo air particles to go through your shower curtains. 3. Shower and baths should always be adjacent to exterior walls in the event of water leak to minimize moisture damage to the house. Better to leak out than in.