Objectives

An Introduction to Interior Design and
Decor
An Architects/ interitor designers dream often becomes a
housekeepers nightmare
Interior design is the orderly arrangement of lines, forms, patterns, colours etc
to create interiors. An interior designer is someone who conducts such
projects.
Interior Design Interior Decoration

 Interior design is the art and  Decoration is the furnishing or
science of understanding adorning of a space with
people's behaviour to create fashionable or beautiful things.
functional spaces within a
building.
 Interior designers may decorate  Interior decorators don’t design
 Interior designers need formal  Interior decorators don’t need
training and license to practice any formal training and
licensing.
 Works with an architect to  Starts working after the interior
design an interior designer has finished working
Objective
The objective of interior design and decoration is to achieve beauty,
expressiveness and functionalism.
 Beauty: It is the combination of qualities that is pleasing to the eye or

ear. Even when people hear a good piece of music they say it is beautiful
hence beauty is more than what we see, it can be felt by any of our
senses. "One man's beauty is another man's ugliness” “Beauty lies in the
eyes of the beholder”. The philosophy of beauty is known as aesthetics.
 Expressiveness: One way to approach the subject of selecting,
decorating, and furnishing a house or apartment is to seek to express
some definite idea/ theme in it. The most interesting homes, large or
small, are those which are consistent throughout. For this reason, the
expressiveness of houses and their furnishings deserves careful study.
There are similar terms more commonly used than expressiveness, such
as the character of a home, or the personality of a home. The word
expressiveness is preferable, however, because it implies the power to
excite emotional response that is lacking in the word character, and it
avoids the suggestion of human attributes which is contained in the
word personality. Talbot F. Hamlin uses the word expressiveness in
regard to exteriors and interiors of houses in his book "The Enjoyment of
Architecture." He says, "All good architecture should have this gift of
expressiveness. Every building, every well-designed room, should carry
in itself at least one message of cheer or rest or power.... In the buildings
which seem alive with some message the architect has succeeded; they
are true works of art."
The following are some of the ideas that are
expressed in homes, consciously or unconsciously: repose, animation,
naturalness, sophistication, intimacy, formality, warmth, coolness,
delicacy, strength, freshness, antiquity.
Formality: A home that expresses formality usually also expresses
dignity, strength, reserve, and impressiveness. A house which expresses
dignity is not a mere lifeless representation of that quality but an active
thing influencing the emotions and behaviour of all who enter it.
Features which contribute to this effect in a house are the use of
 Conservative colours of subtle or austere quality.

 Traditional furniture.
 Unbroken lines.
 Large unadorned spaces.
 Symmetrical facade i.e. a house front view which can be
divided into two identical vertical halves.
 The family that creates a home of this type usually lives a
conventional, dignified, ordered life made possible by
efficient service.
Informality: The informal home usually expresses friendly hospitality, intimate

charm, and cosiness. The family that selects a home of this type is usually
unpretentious, somewhat unconventional, and often dependent on self-
service. Features that contribute are:-
 Asymmetrical balance
 Broken lines
 Bright and warm colours used
 Simple and comfortable furniture are used
Modernism: The modern home expresses the spirit
of this machine age. Le Corbusier famous definition of a house as "the
machine in which we live" indicates the importance of functionalism in a
modern house. Modernism expresses the directness and speed of the
youth of today. This effect is achieved by stripping off all non-essentials
in designs for furnishings and houses. The families that choose modern
furnishings are usually young, courageous, experimental, impersonal,
and logical. They are interested in a style which is expressive of their
own day.
Naturalness (Primitiveness): A natural or primitive
type of home may express the following things: simplicity, handmade
quality, sincerity, thrift, naiveté, playfulness, rugged force,
unpretentiousness, originality, or protest against artificiality. Among the
things which contribute to the attainment of the natural effect are the
use of native materials and native styles, handwork showing natural
irregularities in structure, direct treatment, inexpensive materials, and
peasant or primitive colours. Laboured effects, fine finish, and imitations
are avoided.
EXPRESSING THE OWNER'S PERSONALITY: It is the
personality of the owner and his family that determines the idea to be
expressed in a home. Qualities sincerely characteristic of the family that
is to live with it should be the basis for the home furnishing. An interest
which has permanent significance, and not merely a passing fad, should
provide the inspiration for a plan of decorating and furnishing. It is true,
of course that the income, as well as the taste of the family, must help to
determine the type of home to be created.
 Functionalism: Any object that does not function is a failure. The home
that does not permit its occupants to find peace, comfort, and relaxation
is not functioning. The needs of the family form the basis for the
selection of a home and its furnishings.
A living room so fine that the men of the house do not feel free to
lounge in it does not serve its purpose. A room so cluttered with bric-a-
brac that one has to be on guard against upsetting things does not
function. Curtains that shut out the view in daytime, lamps that throw
light in the reader's eyes, vases that are tippy, and pitchers with spouts
that do not pour well are examples of failure in function. Some of these
illustrations show the close relation between form and function.
The wrong kind of material, colour, or
decoration may be a handicap to functional quality. Carvings in wood so
deep that they are impossible to dust, light rugs and upholstery that
have to be cleaned often, and perishable silk curtains are not functional
in the home of a family of modest means. Modern designers have
especial respect for functionalism. They have concluded that beauty and
utility are partners, not enemies. Some of their new ideas are so logical
that we wonder why they were not used long ago.
Basic Types of Design
There are two kinds of designs – Structural and Decoration
1. Structural Design: It denotes the structure and construction of
objects. This is comprised of an object, be it the object itself or the
drawing of the object worked out on papers. It should be simple,
well proportionate, and beautiful, suited for purpose and should
also suit the material from which it is made.
2. Decorative Design: It is the surface enrichment of structural
design. Any lines, colour and material applied to structural design
for the purpose of adding a richer quality to it is decorative design.
It should be used in moderation. It should be placed at structural
points and it should strengthen the shape of the object. There
should be enough background space to give it an effect of
simplicity. The background should be suited to the patterns that
are placed against it.

Objectives

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Objectives

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

An Introduction to Interior Design and

Interior Design Interior Decoration

 Beauty: It is the combination of qualities that is pleasing to the eye or

 Conservative colours of subtle or austere quality.

Informality: The informal home usually expresses friendly hospitality, intimate

You might also like