There is no better tool than your home to be utilized as an outward expression of who you are or what you hope to convey to others. Whether your home is used for casual entertainment, or your personal slice of heaven, there are some key factors that must be adhered to when crafting your homes décor into a work of art.
To begin sculpting your home environment, first start with the end in mind. You need to conceptualize your ideal space, and identify your style. This first step can be completed by simply composing a scrapbook of things you like. These items can consist of personal photos, images from magazines (furnishings, fabric, fashion & lifestyle images), and color samples. Gathering these images and samples will aid in painting a broader picture of what appeals to you most.
After you have identified your style the next area to focus on is organization. Organization of your space encompasses several other components. Layout (the plan) and function (the purpose), are the primary focuses with consideration to organization.
The proper plan should include the placement of objects in a room. Rooms should be laid out in a manner that best highlights that particular space. There is nothing better to highlight a space than a focal point. Some focal points are inherit and obvious in a homes architecture (a fireplace is the most obvious in any room) ,and others will have to be identified and created by the home owner (when no obvious focal point is present, simply choose a wall that has some interest or choose one that you can make interesting).
To assist with the rooms organization, the plan should also be barrier free. The space should be laid out in a manner that circulation within that space is uninterrupted and natural. Try to avoid furniture placement that either physically or visually restricts an entry or traffic path. Navigating through your space shouldn't feel like walking through a labyrinth.
With consideration to function, identify the purpose of your room. Is the room for work, leisure, or entertaining? Furthermore, identify the purpose of objects in your room. Are they functional, aesthetic, or both? Your strictly utilitarian pieces should still accent the overall look and feel of the room. Having aesthetic pieces in a room provides something to capture the occupants attention. Your functional items in the room (if consistent with the style of the room), will provide attractive storage options to keep the space organized and clutter free.
Balance is the final element for converting your home into a living work of art. A well balanced home is one that promotes a feeling of harmony. Balance in a room is achieved through scale, symmetry, and color.
Take heed to the size of the space you are designing . The furnishings placed in that room should be proportionate to the size of the room. Over-sized items in a small room will make it feel even smaller. In a large room, furniture that is too small will become dwarfed and seem out of place.
When considering symmetry, a room can be balanced symmetrically or asymmetrically. When deciding which method of symmetry should be applied to the space you're in, you should first consider the rooms styling.
Begin by asking yourself is your room formal or casual? Then follow-up by asking whether your room is traditional or contemporary? If the styling of your home is more formal and traditional, you will definitely want to stick to keeping elements in the room symmetrically balanced. If your styling leans in the direction of casual and / or contemporary, you may explore some methods of asymmetrical balance.
Symmetrical balance is achieved through defining a midpoint in a room or along a wall, and making sure elements that are represented on one side of the the wall or room, are represented on the other. Asymmetrical balance involves an exploration of visual weight or depth. Using asymmetry, a room or wall will rarely, if ever, have a defining midpoint. The objects across a room or along a wall will have the appearance of being equally distributed throughout the space.
Color is that element that frightens most. You shouldn't fear the use of color as you are completing your composition, but you should respect it. The lack of color or the overzealous use of color can have equally disastrous affects on your homes interior. Color is essential to setting the mood of a room. Color is the one element that has the solitary power to be welcoming to the rooms inhabitants, or usher them right out the door.
Understanding the basic psychology of color will aid you in the proper use of color. You have to know that certain colors invoke specific moods or emotions. Warm colors tend to be more inviting; cool colors tend to invoke a feeling of relaxation and serenity; while vibrant colors can tend to increase ones heart rate, as they promote excitement, and a need for urgency; and earth tones, typically warm in nature, make you feel more grounded. When experimenting with color, and color combinations, it is important to know which colors are complementary and which are contrasting. Complementary colors create an even and consistent feel throughout the space, while contrasting colors create drama and interest in a room.
These three balancing elements alone will not create a harmonious environment, but coupled with the previously discussed elements, should have you well on your way to that artsy home of your dreams.
Derico D. Dabney
Editor-in-Chief, Spoken Magazine, LLC http://www.spokenmagazine.net
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