How to Develop an Interior Design Concept – 5 Basic Principles to Follow

What Is An Interior Design Concept?


An interior design concept is an idea that guides the design of any room, space, or building interior. It goes beyond selecting furniture, choosing styles, themes, and colors, or deciding what accessories go where. It is about creating a mood, a function, and a personality for residential and commercial interior spaces.

When an interior designer needs to develop a design concept, there are some simple and basic principles to follow. But, they must start with a preconceived idea. This idea is what lays the foundation for the visual components that make up part of the total design package. Without a concept, a designer cannot convey a vision.

Image source - viryabo@polyvore.com

How do Interior Designers Develop an Idea, Help Clients Visualize it, and Turn it Into a Reality?


To achieve success in any project, a design concept must consider three things:
1. Function
2. Versatility
3. Aesthetics (or attractiveness).

The design idea must be a well-thought-out solution that effectively brings these three together. While some clients know what they want or think they do, putting everything perfectly together is mostly beyond them. No matter how creative they may think they are, most still require interior design services to help them put every idea they have together.



Image used under license from 123rf.com


What Are The Five Basic Principles Required To Develop An Interior Design Concept?


Developing a great concept is not hard. There are no hard and fast rules about how things should be done (or not). However, these five basic principles are good to follow and utilize in most interior design situations for any design project ranging from designing a studio apartment to creating a restaurant interior or a 5-star hotel suite.

The fundamental principles needed to develop the design concept are:

1. Colour
2. Scale
3. Style
4. Space planning
5. Functionality

Although each value is crucial to a project, they are interrelated. Collectively, they all help create attractive, comfortable, functional, and inviting spaces. And because they need to be applied collectively, the result is a unified feel within the interior space.

1. Color

Colour is a vital element. It is the fundamental principle that will tie a design together. Designers must choose a colour scheme with thoughts about the effects they will create in the final look. Colours can affect moods, energies, and perception, so it is best to develop a colour scheme that suits the purpose of the space and reflects the client's personality.

There are usually about four colors to use. Maybe five if you wish to create an eclectic style. Otherwise, more than four can result in garish looks. And for a minimalist look, using fewer than four colours is acceptable. However, the basic color scheme must consist of the following:
  1. A primary colour, which is the main hue.
  2. A secondary colour.
  3. Supplementary (complementary) colours.
Combine this group of colors effectively to bring beauty and enrichment to the room. Essentially, they should come as a mix of:
  • Solid colours
  • Patterns
  • Textures 

A beautiful combination of colors with yellow being the primary color.
Image used under license from 123rf.com


2. Scale

Scale is the second important aspect that ensures a design concept works out beautifully. Depending on the size and volume of a room(s), all objects placed within it must be related scale-wise.

Many DIY enthusiasts may need to learn how important it is to work with the right scale. This is where the expertise of a professional designer comes into play. When the scale of anything is at odds with everything around it, it will result in an unattractive space.

For instance, if you arrange large or oversized pieces in small spaces, the room will appear cramped and stifled. Even if you have the best colour mix and stylish furniture, you end up with an unappealing look if the furniture and other interior accessories are at cross-purposes, scale-wise.

A floor plan that is drawn to scale. Image used under license from 123rf.com

3. Style

Style is a set of characteristics that defines the appearance and feel of interior spaces and can be influenced by historical periods, cultural trends, or personal preferences. Even though every interior designer has a unique style to recommend, there are occasions when a client specifies what they desire.

For homemakers with a feel for interior design, the simple and somewhat popular theme is eclectic styling. Eclectic styles are generally informal and elicit comfortable and relaxed feelings. It is also one of the least complex styles any designer can develop.

Some popular interior design styles include:
  • Contemporary
  • Urban-Modern
  • Traditional
  • Rustic
  • Eclectic
  • Minimalist
  • Bohemian

Style should be considered when designing spaces meant to express a client’s personality, mood, and aesthetic preferences. Such interior spaces include living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Ultimately, the best interior design concept is one that balances function and style harmoniously.

Minimalist and stylish. Image used under license from 123rf.com


4. Space Plan

There must be thoughtful planning of space and functional zone allocations within each room. It does not matter whether the style is the best or the colour scheme is pleasant. The design concept will fail if items and objects are not placed to the best advantage. The following questions will identify the purpose of the interior space and help define its goals and requirements

1. What is its purpose?
2. What is its function?
3. Who will use it
4. How will it be used?
5. What are the needs and preferences of its users?

A good rule of thumb is to choose and decide on a focal point in the room. Once that is determined, placing primary elements like sofas, tables, cabinets, beds, and stools is a breeze. And with these primary elements in position, adding other enhancing secondary features and accessories is easy.

Space planning and zone allocation. Image used under license from 123rf.com

5. Functionality

One of the common questions in interior design is whether function precedes style. However there is no conclusive answer to this question because clients may have different preferences and needs, and designers may have ideas of the best approach. But in all honesty, function should be a priority when designing spaces with specific purposes. Examples are kitchens, bathrooms, storage solutions, niches, and office spaces. For instance:
  • There must be solutions to storage issues because they are one of the most vital requirements in smaller homes and offices. With larger homes with closets, large wardrobe spaces, and built-in shelving, compartmentalizing is key. Also, structures must serve various functions. In such instances, aesthetics may take second place.
  • Components in a kitchen design necessitate an efficient arrangement so that its user can work and move effortlessly from one function to another.
  • Balconies should not be dumping spaces for broken down bicycles, discarded appliances, or other useless stuff. Make them functional and beautiful by converting them into indoor gardens. And if one is too small to bring the outdoors in, create vertical gardens instead.
  • Dead-end spaces are made functional in ways that are sometimes unthought of. Install decorative shelving, built-in cabinets, display stands, etc. Make them galleries of framed family photographs, plaques, trophies, and medals.

Turn a balcony into a garden. Image source - @viryabo creations

The Finishing Touches


Adding finishing touches is a more detailed topic but it is good to mention something about interior space detailing and accessorizing here.

Details and accessories are the finishing touches that complete the design process. They are what add interest, appeal, and charm to interiors. Lighting effects, area rugs, window treatments, wall art, pillows, aromatherapy essentials, indoor plants, and other decorative objects that enhance are examples of details and accessories. Choose the finishing touches that complement the style, color scheme, and purpose.

Finishing touches - Rugs, wall art, etc... Image used under license from 123rf.com

Conclusion


Every professional interior designer must consider these basic principles if they desire successfully implemented projects. Whether the task is simple or complex, low cost or high budget, each aspect deserves due acknowledgement so that the final design results in an interior that is not only aesthetically pleasing but calming, versatile, and functional.



Book recommendations:


Posts of interest:
Downloadable and Printable Worksheets for Interior Design Projects
How to Start a Freelance Interior Design Business (Online and Offline)
7 Ways to Upgrade Your Kitchen Without Spending a Fortune
Interior Design Workbooks, Planners, Site Surveys, and Sketch Books
Building Your First Home? Use This Simple Budget Plan 

7 Ways to Change Your Living Room from Drab to Uplifting

Are you fed up with your dreary and lacklustre living room?

Would you like to upgrade the space but have a tight, almost non-existent budget?

Are you looking all around the room, and its decor seems dated? Perhaps it looked great a decade ago, but not anymore.

If you feel this way about your living room, it is time to liven it up and turn it into an uplifting space. There are a few simple and budget-friendly ideas here you can do that will turn it into an attractive and spirit-lifting space.

 

Budget-Friendly Ways to Upgrade

There are various ways to upgrade an existing space without throwing some stuff away and replacing them with brand-new products. You can:
  1. Add new features.
  2. Refurbish old furniture.
  3. Change the colour of the walls.
  4. Remove things that add no aesthetic value to the room.
  5. Create a focal point in the room.
Enhance and transform your living room using any of the following affordable concepts as ideas and inspiration:

1 Indoor Water Features

Add an indoor water feature. Watching water flow is beautiful and enthralling. There are elaborate tabletop water features that look lovely on a coffee table. Wall waterfall features are dramatic and captivating and will make bold statements as a focal point in the living area. It will appear as a wall of cascading water.

A standalone floor waterfall feature is best placed as a zone divider, surrounded by furniture and furnishings. Make it a focal point for the living room.

2 Throw Pillows

Liven up your plain old sofa with brightly coloured throw pillows (or scatter cushions). Choose perky catchy colours like fuchsia, turquoise, orange, mustard, sunny yellow, lime, etc. You can use a mix of any of these colours as long as they complement the sofa’s upholstery fabric.

Use different sizes; a mix of small, medium and large. If your sofa fabric is plain (one colour), add boldly patterned pillows and some texture. For a patterned sofa, pillows with different and bright colours are best.

3 Create a Gallery Wall

Creating a gallery wall as a focal point is a great way to update a living room inexpensively. Turn a blank wall into a thing of beauty and give the room a much-needed personality.

Find and use a collection of anything from family photos to textile prints, vintage record jackets, geometric art, sepia, and black and white prints, pieces of wallpaper, etc. Make it a cluster of different shapes and sizes.

Frame them with black, white, or coloured frames, and arrange them on the wall symmetrically. Asymmetrical arrangements are a bit tricky (and look messy) to arrange.

A gallery of framed pictures and illustrations
(Image used under license from 123rf.com)

4 Wall Decals and Stickers

This is one of the cheapest ways to transform any room. Wall decals can significantly alter the look of drab spaces. There are thousands of themes to choose from. Huge quotes that span a wall. Picturesque scenes. Skyscapes. All-glass penthouses. Exotic beaches. Ski resorts. Villas. The countryside. Forests. Abstracts and geometrics. The choice is endless.

Wall decal stickers are just the right decorations to turn your living room into an exciting space.


Wall decals can transform your interior


5 Upgrade Old Furniture Finds

Visit estate, garden, or garage sales. You will find old but unusual pieces of furniture like antique tables and chairs, floor and table lamps, period cabinets, end tables, tapestry, corner units, etc. If you are a hands-on individual, repair and upgrade them. Spray paint or lacquer them to a high sheen. Add stylish twists to a few to make them complement other furniture and furnishings in the space.

Add them to your living room décor and create an eclectic theme. It will add a new, stylish dimension to your living room.

6 Renovate your Tall Bookcases

If you have a bookcase in your living room, you can jazz it up and turn it into an artsy piece of furniture. Line it inside and out with hand-painted wallpaper, chequered wall fabrics, mirror tiles, or even stick-on decals. You can turn it into a display unit by removing some middle shelves to create space to showcase tall glassware, glass bowls filled with seashells, a plant terrarium, ceramicware, sculpture, a collection of mementoes, and elaborate metal artwork.

Regularly switch around your displayed pieces.

7 Global Design

Global design is a trending look that features a collection of all your mementoes, collectables, art, pottery, etc, collected over the years.

Display pieces may include things you have collected from travels and tours, including items acquired through inheritance like book collections, vintage magazines, framed photographs, earthenware, and framed art.

Arrange them on a low but sizeable surface or coffee table, on a strategically placed bookshelf (without the books), or on a purpose-built display stand.

Finally, you can give your living room a new look within hours or a few days. Cheaply and affordably. If you can implement at least a couple of the living room upgrade ideas above, you will succeed in changing your living area from dreary to cheery.



Affordable Living Room Makeover - For a Young Family (Video)



Further reading:

How to Develop an Interior Design Concept - 5 Basic Principles
How to Style an Entrance Hallway
10 Ways to Add Charm to Your Bedroom

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)