Interior design is all about the art and craft of embellishing the interiors of residential and commercial buildings. It is something that includes the use of a broad set of skills and technical knowledge to achieve the unthinkable. Interior designers are the ones who help accomplish an aesthetically pleasing and healthy living environment.
But interior design is not just designing the interiors. It's a lot more than you think. Research, Programming, Space Planning, Communicating with the Stakeholders of a Project, Site Inspections, Conceptual Development, Construction Management, and Execution of the Design are all part of interior designing.
There's a lot more to do with interior design. It is an integral part of our daily lives as it affects our lives and work. Comfortable, beautiful, and functional spaces perfectly define interior design work.
So, if you want to learn more about it, you should consider reading this article. We've got everything you need to know about interior design, including all the necessary elements, some essential designing tips & ideas, the most popular design styles in India, and most importantly, the difference between interior design, decoration, and architecture.
Difference Between Interior Design, Decoration, and Architecture
Interior design, decoration, and architecture are the terms that many people mistakenly think are the same. But that's not true at all. Interior designing is about learning to work out the elements like electricity lines, systems, vertical and horizontal surfaces, etc. Interior designers are the ones who need to complete their professional training, and they should be able to think about the visual aspect and structural workings of the building.
Interior decoration involves properly using paints, decorative elements, artistic pieces, and other accessories in your home. Interior decorators focus on the aesthetics of the space.
On the other hand, architecture is focused more on the aesthetics of a building's exterior. Architects guide you with the designs for elevation and other exterior parts of your home.
7 Necessary Elements of Interior Design
When designers work on home interior decor, they are not just playing with the elements and colours; there's a lot more behind that. Interior designers must remember the essential aspects of interior design to help them create a beautiful interior. So, below you'll find these elements and principles of interior design.
1. Space
Space is one of the essential elements of interior design. It includes a room's length, height, and width to create a beautiful and functional space.
2. Lines
Lines are considered to be the outline of your space. They are categorised as horizontal, vertical, and dynamic. You can often find horizontal lines on tables, chairs, and other furnishings. Vertical lines are created by your home's doors, windows, and tall structures. Dynamic lines are considered diagonal zig-zags, curved, and found on stairs.
3. Form
The form is simply the shape of the entire space. It expresses the shape of any furniture, artwork, decorative elements, light fittings, and other 3D objects.
4. Light
To make a room look brighter, lighting is one of the essential elements of interior design. Whether natural or artificial, both sources of light are necessary for your space. Light becomes even more critical for the area that does not have enough sunlight. However, interior designers design your space so that your room receives most of the light from a natural source, i.e., the Sun.
5. Colour
Colours are another essential element of interior design. They bring any space to life and influence a space's entire feeling and mood. Dark colours are preferred for the big rooms as they make the room look smaller. Lighter shades are ideal for smaller rooms as they make them look bigger.
6. Texture
Textures make an object visually pleasing. The surface is simply the way an object feels to the touch. It plays a vital role in furniture, flooring, and others to create a sense of interest and depth.
7. Pattern
The pattern is the repetition of lines, forms, and other elements. These can be used on wallpapers, fabrics, and other places to add life and motion to your area. They add continuity and help boost the overall design of the space. Abstract, geometrical, mosaic, hexagonal and floral patterns are the most popular choices.
If you want to know all these elements in detail, consider reading this article - 7 Basic Elements of Interior Design.
6 Interior Designing Secrets to Spruce Up Your Home
When designing the interiors of your home, it becomes crucial to understand the importance of having beautiful environments. Beautiful surroundings don't mean filling up your house with expensive things. It's the secret that nobody tells.
So, have a look at all the interior designing secrets and learn to create a beautiful home of yours.
1. Don't hesitate to Reflect on Your Style
The first and most important thing to consider for your modern home decor is to never hesitate to reflect your style into your space. Remember that it's your home, and you have the right to design it independently. There are no rights or wrongs. Just go with the design that matches your style and taste. Going with the latest interior design trends is essential, but it's even more critical to spice up your space with your personal touch.
2. Gather Inspiration
When considering luxury home decor for your space, gathering inspiration becomes even more essential to improve the aesthetics. Gathering interior design inspiration from the best magazines, Instagram, and Pinterest pages is necessary. Once you have a unique collection of interior designs, see if they can fit in perfectly with your home's ambiance.
3. Determine Your Likes and Dislikes
It will make interior designing a lot easier if you figure out what you don't like. For example, you don't want to install ceramic tiles on your floor but want the luxuriousness of granite flooring. So, this will narrow down your choices to granite. You only have to choose between the different granite finishes and colours. Determining your dislikes will narrow down your options, and you'll be able to bring your personal touch to your interiors.
4. Keep in Mind Your Space
Many homeowners often mistake purchasing too large furniture for their small space or too small furniture for their large room. So, you need to keep in mind the area of your room. If your room is large, consider purchasing furniture or other elements accordingly. Don't go for too small things. Just go for the correct size.
5. Paint Selection is Important
Selecting paint for your walls is one of the most important decisions you have to make. Paint on your walls reflects the overall style of your home. So, you should make proper decisions when selecting colours. You might have seen some colours at your friend's or relatives' home that attracted you. But that doesn't mean the same colour will also look good in your rooms. So, you need to understand what works best for your home. You can use mobile apps to help you determine the best colour for your space by virtually applying paint on your walls using your phone's camera.
However, there is no compulsion to paint your ceilings white and skirting boards a different colour. Gone are the days when you used to paint different colours for each room. Painting your walls with a single colour can make a bold statement. If you have installed black marble on your flooring, consider choosing the wall colour that blends perfectly well with your flooring.
6. Don't Forget to Fill Your Room With Fragrance
You spend most of your time in your home, and there's no place like home. You don't want the bad smell to ruin the look of your interiors. So, it's essential to fill your room with fragrance. You can invest in automatic fragrance dispensers to make you feel like you are in a luxury hotel. So, it should be kept with utmost care.
5 Most Popular Interior Design Styles in India
When designing the interiors of your home, it becomes important to know about the various interior design styles. Learning about the different styles can help you create your perfect space. That's why many people hire interior designers who are aware of all these styles and know how to use them in a room effectively. So, below we've compiled a list of India's most popular interior design styles.
1. Scandinavian Style
The Scandinavian home interior decor style is all about minimalism and simplicity. This interior design style is one of the most popular styles encompassing simplistic yet functional interior spaces. This style began in the 20th century and is a mixture of old and new styles from Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, and Finland.
Scandinavian interior design style emphasises necessity as well as affordability. It's all about bringing nature inside. You can incorporate natural elements like nature-inspired sculptural pieces, wood, plants, and natural textiles like linen, wool, jute, etc. In this style of interior design, materials used in homes are eco-friendly. When it comes to colours, choose a nature-inspired palette. Think of earthy, stone, and wood-like hues for your interiors. Also, don't forget that nature is all about simplicity yet sophistication. So, choose brighter colours that are simple yet classy.
2. Bohemian Style
The bohemian interior design style is all about bringing life, cultural and interesting items to the interiors. This style focuses on carefree, creative, and quirky home interior decor.
You can think of your interior wall decoration by filling up your home with finds from different parts of India, including block prints and leheriya from Rajasthan, Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh, Patola from Gujarat, etc.
Bohemian style is perfect for Indians as we are more towards preservation rather than just use and throw. So, you can incorporate unique and antique pieces inherited from your grandparents and parents in your interiors.
We Indians are always inclined towards a baithak-khana, which means a low-seating arrangement. So, go for a more traditional touch, like a low-seating arrangement in your interiors.
3. Mediterranean Style
The Mediterranean interior design style is one of the most popular styles used around the world. This style focuses on giving the interiors a stylish and unique look while keeping all the elements simple and minimalistic. As the name suggests, this interior design style refers to Southern European countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, namely Morocco, Spain, Italy, Greece, etc.
In this luxury home decor style, interior designers maximise natural light and outdoor views, giving a calm and relaxed atmosphere. This style uses natural materials like stone, wood, terracotta, etc. Walls are made of natural stones, and floors are from tiles and hardwood. You can even decorate your walls with natural stone wall coverings to bring mother nature inside.
4. Japandi Style
This interior design style is a combination of Japanese rustic minimalism and Scandinavian functionality to create a simple yet classy interior. Japandi interior design styles also use materials like natural stone, wood, and paper. This style focuses on bright spaces, light colours, clean lines, and minimalism, yet bringing out the classy interior environment. Japandi style emphasises sustainability and focuses on quality & handmade pieces rather than cheaper ones.
5. Industrial Style
Industrial style has been around for years and is still a trendy interior design style. Interior designers make sure to create a stylish and natural-looking interior space focusing on functionality and utility. Steel structures, pipes, and brick walls are exposed in the industrial interior design style. This style is one of the easiest to implement as it uses a neutral colour palette, materials, and industrial elements. Patinated wood, rough concrete, exposed brick walls, weathered leather, etc., all create a stunning industrial environment.
4 Reasons Why You Need an Interior Designer
Hiring an interior designer in India is considered a luxury investment. Due to this reason, you might find that many homeowners don't get ready to hire an interior designer. But now, the time has changed, and hiring an interior designer has become a necessity to create a dream home of yours.
Besides the aesthetically pleasing space, interior designers bring much more to the table. We've listed why they are worth getting on board for your upcoming project. So, if you want to know the worth of investing in an interior designer, consider reading this section.
Reason #1 - They Are Professionally Trained
Interior designers have spent years educating themselves to creatively execute projects and create dream homes. They are the ones who are aware of all the designs and trends for every space, allowing you to access the latest and exclusive collections and create interiors that are unique to you.
Reason #2 - Increases the Value of Your Home
Yes, location plays an important role, but if your home is beautifully designed, the value of your property increases. When you buy a new flat or house, you might see that furnished and semi-furnished ones are the most expensive properties. So, consider hiring an interior designer if you are building a house. This is one of the strongest reasons you should consider investing in interior designers.
Reason #3 - They Save Your Time and Money
Interior designers can save a lot of your time and money. Do you know what's the logic behind this? The logic is pretty simple. An interior designer can save you from investing in the wrong materials and paints. For example, you might buy an expensive table or chair that you will find appealing in the shop. But it won't look that good once you introduce it in your home. So, this is when the role of the interior designer becomes essential. They will guide you to invest in the materials suitable for your home's environment so you won't commit such expensive mistakes.
Reason #4 - Access to Better Resources and Their Insider Network
Finding good resources and contact might become difficult when you plan to renovate or build a new space. But with interior designers by your side, you don't have to worry about anything. They have the knowledge and access to the best artisans, professional contractors, and subcontractors. They all work together to create a functional as well as stylish space of yours.
Interior Design Ideas for Living Room
The living room is the place where you spend most of your time. So, it has to be designed perfectly. Here are some creative and unique interior design ideas for your living room.
1. Matching Brings Elegance
If you want to bring a minimalist feel to your living room, you can match the colour of your walls to the furniture. Matching your walls to furniture will bring out the best of your living rooms. Apart from walls and furniture, you should also need to learn how to select tiles for living room floors, as the living room is the place where you expect foot traffic the most.
2. Bring Nature Inside
Invest in some indoor plants to bring mother nature to your living room. You can even buy artificial plants to enhance the look of your home.
3. Think of Your Interior Wall Decoration
Wall decoration is crucial in embellishing the interiors of your home. To decorate your wall, you can invest in living room wall murals, hangings, photo frames, etc. You can also go for unique wall decoration ideas, i.e., natural stone wall cladding. Installing wall cladding will spruce up your walls and act as a protective layer.
4. Create a Bold Statement with a Fireplace
When designing your interiors, make sure to leave a space for a fireplace, as it is the focal point of your home. You can opt for either natural stone or brick to build a fireplace. You can keep your wall colours light to match perfectly with your fireplace. But don’t forget to use the best materials for your fireplace hearth as they protect your floors from fire.
Interior Design Ideas for Bedroom
If your bedroom stands out, consider incorporating any of the interior design ideas below.
1. Add an Office Desk
Nowadays, working from home has become a trend, and keeping this trend in mind, you should create an office desk in your bedroom. You can either go for an in-built desk or create a space so you can squeeze one.
2. Floating Furniture Brings Elegance
If you want to bring elegance to your bedroom, this contemporary home decor idea might be the one for you. Opt for the in-built furniture and nightstands that create a floating effect.
3. Don't Forget the Windows
If you have a lovely view outside your bedroom, consider choosing strategic window treatments. You can create a large-sized window that allows you to enjoy a beautiful view outside your bedroom. If you have enough space, you can go for balconies as well.
4. Wall Art for a Creative Touch
If you want to spruce up your space, but at the same time, you want a simple and minimalist look, consider placing wall art and murals. Different types of wall mural art can embellish your space with just a small addition.
Interior Design Ideas for Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of your home, and you want it to be the best place for your home. So, these interior design ideas for the kitchen will help you do that.
1. Focus on Your Ceilings
Gone are the days when ceilings were often considered an underrated area for decor. But now the time has changed, and people are getting more into ceiling decoration. So, you can create interesting shapes using different materials on your kitchen ceiling to achieve a creative look.
2. High-Hanging Storage
When creating extra storage in your kitchen, consider making ceiling-mounted storage. It will significantly affect your kitchen and creatively bring out the elements into the home.
3. Wooden Shelving for a Natural Look
If you love the natural wood look, you should consider creating wooden shelving for your kitchen. These open shelves will let you show off your expensive crockery and look great in your kitchen.
4. Flooring Can Do the Wonders
You might have seen many people lay checkerboard flooring in their kitchens to bring a classic and traditional look. You can also do so but with a twist. You can apply checkerboard granite flooring designs in your kitchen, using white and black granite to bring a traditional yet contemporary home decor pattern.
Conclusion
This was a complete informative guide on interior design. We've discussed the major difference between interior decoration, design, and architecture. Apart from this, you are now aware of all the essential elements of interior design, so you can use your creativity and implement different ideas in your interiors.
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