7 Principles of Interior Design That Every Designer Must Know
Interior design projects are a dime a dozen in today’s time. There are no rules to what can be designed and accomplished but every interior design company, whether it is a veteran firm or a newcomer to the industry must know these key design principles which are integral to making any interior construction project stand out for its aesthetics, the efficiency of space utilized and cohesion of design elements.
1. Balance– The principle of balance refers to the ordered distribution of elements of equal visual weight to achieve visual equilibrium in a corporate office. All the best office interior design firms use this principle to achieve the perfect ratio between open, public spaces and private, closed areas such as meeting rooms, phone booths, etc.
Balance can be achieved by three popular ways namely Symmetrical, Asymmetrical and Radial.
In Symmetrical, space is divided into two equal halves centered on a central axis and both the halves are equally compensated to give out a calm feel to the office’s interiors.
In Asymmetrical, any odd number of elements can be used by keeping an imaginary central axis as the focal point.
Radial balance involves a central piece (like a massive designer light or an open breakout area) from which all other elements seem to radiate to arrange themselves in circular symmetry.
2. Rhythm – Rhythm is defined as continuity, recurrence or organized movement of design elements in a modern office. To achieve these themes in an office interior design, you need to think about repetition, progression, transition, and alternation.
Repetition is the use of the same element more than once throughout a corporate office space. You can repeat a pattern, color, texture, line, or any other element, or even more than one element.
Progression is taking an element and increasing or decreasing one or more of its qualities.
Transition tends to be a smoother flow and the connection between different areas in an office’s interiors, where the eye naturally glides from one area to another.
3. Harmony – This principle is used by office fit out companies to put the user at ease within their office surroundings and create unity, thereby eliminating any feelings of disquiet. Harmony, in a sense, provides the ‘full stop’ to any interior design – when harmony is in effect, space should feel complete because all its parts relate to, and complement, each other. Harmony is the measure by which we judge whether a corporate office space works or not.
4. Scale & Proportion – Proportion is the ratio between the size of one part to another, and scale is how the size of one object relates to another or to the space in which it is placed. Design and build companies take this into consideration when preparing the initial layouts for prospective clients.
5. Emphasis & Focus – A modern office where everything gets equal importance will seem either scattered or boring. It simply means that every room or space has a focal point, whether it is architectural or an object. Office interior design elements like color, texture, and form are used to add emphasis to a focal point.
Corporate office spaces often have points of interest such as a central breakout area or a window with a beautiful view or an attention-grabbing wall graphic. You can choose to enhance the built-in focal point by arranging furniture around it to emphasize it.
6. Details – Be it the company’s logo on a frosted film pattern or the color of the glass screens on the workstations, every detail adds a little bit of life to the overall office interior design, adding their own distinctive feature to the overall composition.
7. Contrast – Contrast refers to the difference in the luminance or color of objects that differentiates them from one another. In an office fit-out, contrast can be achieved by three elements namely color, form and space. Contrast can also be achieved by combining two or more forms; for example, one can combine a circular table and rectangular seated chairs to balance and distribute the attention between both the items.