Interior design | designing for home | design interior style
Interior design Houston has many meanings and numerous effects on new construction and renovation projects. Designing for houses is an important part of planning for home design plans and construction. The sources that provide interior design are as diverse and varied as the projects they impact.
Houston interior design is offered by architects, decorators, registered interior designers, AutoCAD draftsmen and other design pros. This can be a point of some confusion for consumers and professionals seeking services.
Interior design Houston has been around as long as people needed assistance in selecting colors, material textures, furniture and other interior decorative appointments, but it is considered formally introduced in the early 1900’s.
The largest of the professional organizations is the AID (American Institute of Interior Decorators). The AID has formed ASID & NSID groups over the years to cement their place as the most recognized professional organization.
These and some other associations offer a like union registration of accreditation to it members.
The vast majority of opinions is that a well planned and executed designing for house enriches new construction through interior design and renovation architecture like acrylic paints on an artist canvas.
Interior design is more than just the strategic selection of color and patterns. Using an interior designer for designing for houses influences the function and form of architecture. It can take the simplest space and create an ease of utility and beauty.
The artistic essence of great interior home design uses all the elements of architectural design from the complementing lighting to the development of the actual structure. This is accomplished by the use of textiles, materials, color and furniture planning.
Effective use of interior home design in designing for house will result in the marriage of decorative materials with thoughtful space planning providing the owner a personalized area that is both functional and an ecstatically appealing form.
We will explore the basic interior design principles and the generally recognized design interior style and its impact on new construction and renovation of residential and commercial construction.
Learn about interior design principles and interior design styles for your home.
Interior Design Principles
The science behind Houston interior design is similar to the best principles of architectural design. The basic principles of interior design Houston are the need for an emphasis, subject balance and harmony between the colors, texture, materials and space.
Once achieved the space no longer is about the science of design but rather the artistic affect it has on the viewer and users. This is where function and esthetics blend and collaborate.
Emphasis
When a space is properly designed the viewers, perspective is naturally focused on a specific feature. This feature creates a visual anchor for the room.
This is often accomplished in new construction by the architectural features while designing for houses. Houston interior design illuminates the emphasis of the feature with color and materials.
Color – creates this visual focus point in a room is purely simplest method of drawing the viewers’ attention.
Materials – fabrics, metals, ceramics, woods and stone provide the space with texture and variety.
Harmony
Harmony in interior design Houston is the result of consistency and collective unity of the new construction. This allows the newly designed space a comfortable and uniform feeling.
Harmony is critically affected by 2 factors; the consistency of the design repetition and how the different spaces blend together during transition.
Repetition – speaks to the consistency of both the architectural design and the interior home design of the property. For instance, it is an unwritten rule that design interior styles are not mixed in adjoining rooms.
Transition – refers to how one room connects to the next room. This is also referred to as the flow of the space. This becomes even more important of a factor as the current trend is open usable space that eliminates walls. We see this in both commercial and residential new construction in Houston.
Scale and Proportion – is the relationship of one thing to another. The room size to the contents or one room size to another. It can also compare a piece of furniture to another piece of furniture. Oversized or undersized and too little and too many items have a consequential impact on the balance of the room.
Balance
The design of a space is required to be balanced. That is to say that there should be an equal amount of content properly distributed throughout the room with a uniform size and spacing.
Balance is defined by the equilibrium of the space and greatly impacted by 4 factors; the symmetrical form of the space and content, the asymmetrical form of space to content, the radial balance attributed from transition areas and points of interest during designing for houses.
The remaining factor of balance is the scale and proportion of the contents to the space and vice versa.
Symmetrical – balance is defined by an even amount of design or architectural features on both sides of a room.
In architecture this might be explained by placing a fireplace in the center of the room, providing balance to each side.
Symmetrical balance can be explained by placing two equal sized sofas on each side of the centered fireplace.
Asymmetrical – balance is the symmetrical balance of centered. It might be best described as a lopsided balance of a room. Where the point of interest is not in the center of the space, but slightly off center.
The same principle applies to furniture space planning as it does in architectural features. A single chair may be placed to the side instead of the center of a room.
Radial – balance in architecture would be the fireplace again in the center of the room. This time it has equal size and spaced windows adjoining it flanks.
In interior design Houston, radial balance can best be defined by a dining table being the point of interest and the radial balance coming from the chairs uniformly placed around it.
Scale and Proportion – is the relationship of one thing to another. The room size to the contents or one room size to another. It can also compare a piece of furniture to another piece of furniture. Oversized or undersized and too little and too many items have a consequential impact on the balance of the room.
Many of the principles that apply to architecture of new construction in Houston and renovation apply consistently to designing for houses. The best of both worlds is when fine architecture is created in collaboration with interior design. Both enriching the excellence of each other’s craft.
As discussed, interior designing a house for renovation and new construction in Houston is part science and part art. It is the creative mixture of sound design principles with well-defined architecture with design interior style that creates the magic.
When good design discipline is complemented by good fundamental architectural design of designing for house, it has the ability to make a common area memorable.
The 3 basic principles factors of good interior design in Houston are;
- The first factor is the room requires emphasis. Emphasis can be a point of interest or color/material that draws the site line attention of a viewer.
- The second factor is harmony which blends color, materials and form through repetition and the transition of one room to the next.
- The third factor is design balance. Balance is the placement of furnishing pieces in a symmetrical, asymmetrical or radial spacious relationship.
Interior home design also requires a specific style aligned with these basic principles. These styles are vast and numerous in nature. Understanding what type of design interior style, you want is essential before starting the architectural design of Houston construction or a renovation project.
Design Interior Styles
There are countless numbers of design interior styles. We will discuss 17 of the most popular design interior styles and provide a brief description of each.
- Modern although modern and contemporary are often used inaccurately interchangeably, they represent different styles. Modern style represents an official time period of the mid-century architecture.Although modern design interior style has taken on its own identity in the 21st century. Like its name’s sake, modern interior design is characterized by very clean lines of structural design and furniture of similar geometric shapes and colors.The design is defined by numeral color palettes and natural materials like wood, stone and glass.
- Contemporary is not strictly a clearly defined style, but rather is more of a what is hot now type of presence. In a larger sense of contemporary style, it is reflective of nontraditional geometric shapes like curved walls, glass exterior walls and high-volume rectangular space as rooms in home renovation in Houston.This is a fluid design interior style that continues to evolve over time. As it evolves the design style uses aspects of other design interior styles to define a new form of contemporary.
- Minimalist is similar to modern interior design in that it creates simple color palettes and very clean lines. Minimalist design like its name’s sake dramatically reduces the amount of furnishes and accessories. At its very nature minimalist means less, which places a higher premium on the importance of emphasis, harmony and balance.
- Industrial is characterized as an unfinished warehouse appearance with exposed mechanical piping, unfinished steel and concrete structure as part of the decor. This design style is widely used to design urban lofts and condominiums in mid-rise & high-rise structures in Houston Construction.
- Mid – Century Modern represents a 1950’s to 1960’s design style common to single family ranch homes. These homes had vaulted ceilings and large windows allowing the outside to be part of the Houston interior design of the space. The earth-based color schemes are popular with the high levels of natural sunlight.
- Traditional design is considered by many to be one of the most popular of classic designs. This design typically has dark rich color schemes featured on finished products like doors, windows and stairways in best home renovations projects. Traditional homes are commonly 2 story in nature and have box like architectural features with very defined room spaces. Pastel colors are common with traditional decorating.
- Transitional is a hybrid design between traditional design and modern design. These are commonly traditional architectural designs that impose a modern interior design use of materials such as steel and glass. The color schemes are much more calming than the common traditional color palettes. Yet they remain inviting and a warm welcome feeling.
- Hollywood Regency design interior style has its origins traced back to the 1940’s to 1960’s. The general style has the glamour of the art deco period and the sophistication of luxury furnishings and details. Normally casted in bold yet stately color schemes with an influence of French furnishings is present.
- Shabby Chic has a foundation of vintage French antique furnishings with a tasteful but lived in look décor in several projects of home renovation in Houston. Normally soft base pastel colors with distressed trimmings of accessories. These appointments do well with an overstuffed sofa set for ease and casual comfort associated with this design.
- French Country design has an old-world farm house feeling and appearance. Commonly with heavy wood furniture and soft warm colors. The use of natural field stone and brick interior features is also a trademark of this design. Also known for the use of European chairs and an absence of sofas.
- Bohemian symbolizes a design interior style of chic furnishing pieces with vintage or flea market items. It represents a casual carefree lifestyle with ornate personalized furniture and accessories.
- Rustic design style is also a very casual decor with pieces that have a worn appearance in interior design Houston. The use of recycled woods and stone contribute to the charm of a former era. This casual look has become a cornerstone for second home decor.
- Scandinavian design comes from the Nordic region of Europe and is famous for its furniture. The furniture has sculptured lines and is simple in its presentation. The design scheme is commonly white base color with interesting fabrics and patterns. The feeling of the rooms has an artistic flair to its appeal.
- Hamptons design look represents a seaward casual coastal lifestyle with exposed natural materials that weather to a natural beauty. This is a relaxed beach or ocean existence designed for warm days and cool balmy nights. Coastal colors are often whites, light blues and greens reflective of the watery environment.
- Art Deco design style originated in the 1920’s and is considered ornate in its selection of furnishings and general architectural appointments. This style is often associated with an affluent elegance of the times. The furnishing pieces are often glamorous and sleek in their appearance and still popular in new construction in Houston.
- Eclectic design style is similar to the bohemian style but commonly defined differently due to bold color chooses, consistent patterns and textures. The furnishes and accessories can be uncommon pieces and shapes and become focal points themselves. It has more of an ad-hoc appearance.
- Asian style can reflect either a Feng Shui influence or a Zen approach of decor and interior design Houston. These styles are minimal in their basic appearance but have modern style influence concerning bringing the outside to the inside and the high levels of natural light. These design styles have a clear focus on harmony.
Conclusion
Regardless of your taste for interior design styles it is important to have a very defined design style in mind before you embark on a new construction or renovation project. Your design style inspirations for designing for a house need to be consistent and true to the best of practices in interior designing a house. More importantly, they need to make you happy and excited living with your home design style.