Whilst beauty is in the eye of the beholder, there are various design elements that create certain feelings, give off a vibe, and create a mood. There is a plethora of visual combinations that are pleasing to the eye- but this is a very personal and subjective experience. Make sure the visual style you choose for your space serves the purpose of the room & the function of the room as well as the people who are going to be using it. Do not be afraid to mix things up to create visual interest- but do not overdo it as it could become overwhelming.
Colour
Colour can greatly influence the mood of space- yet is highly personal- carefully consider the mood of the room- calm & soothing or bright and energetic. Whilst paint is the cheapest most effective way to introduce some overall colour, wallpapers and scatter cushions can bring in complimentary colours that can add a pop and visual interest to a space.
Line & shape
Consider whether you want formal, structural lines or shapes that are soothing curving lines. Geometric shapes create formal sophistication whilst sinuous shape create a casualness and calmness- mixing the two can lead to a very smart yet comfortable space. Diagonal shapes and lines create movement and tend to lean towards an energetic atmosphere. The juxtaposition of different shapes and forms in a simple way creates visual interest and leads your eye around the room.
Completed in 2013 in Prishtina, Serbia. Images by Atdhe Mulla. Don Café House is the first concept introduced by the Don Coffee company in Kosovo.
Lighting
Lighting enhances shape, textures, changes colours, mood and ambiance of a space- it is a good idea to outline what you’d like to highlight and what mood you’d like to create through lighting is your space- sunny and bright, romantic and sultry? Asking these important questions will lead to a creative lighting solution.
Symmetrical/asymmetrical balance:
Symmetrical balance lends itself to that which is formal, asymmetry lends itself to casualness- the key to all interiors is to create visual balance through scale, colour intensity & texture. Overly asymmetric spaces create visual discomfort- they look unbalanced.
CASACOR São Paulo 2018 - Nildo José - photo: Marco Antonio
Contrast
To create visual tension on must use contrast of colours, lines, shapes and textures the visual richness of combining seemly opposites can create interesting combinations for an exciting space- the contrast enhances the difference between rough and smooth textures, light and dark colours, natural and industrial materials. By juxtaposition things that contrast each other it essentially enhances their individual qualities- much like adding a pinch of salt to a sweet recipe to enhance the sweetness.
The Modernist Botique Hotel- Architect Alexander Tzonis
DESIGNER TIP:
A good starting point when trying to create a visual theme for your space is to start with one visual theme and a few pictures that represent that visual theme. Things will start to become confused if you start adding more than one visual theme. The strongest interiors visually are those that stay within one theme and take the theme to the extreme- if you use the visual cue’s from above in a contextualized thematic manner- your interior will be a success.
