The theme for the month of June on Wit & Delight is focused on the art of mixing in interior design. I wanted to share more information on this topic and write about how you can apply the art of mixing in your own home.
When I sat down to write this article, I thought about the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat (whom I highly recommend!). No, this is not an interior design book, but East a book that helps people understand how to mix and balance different elements in cooking. I decided to take a similar approach and write about how one can mix different elements in interior design.
Today I’m sharing the five key interior design elements that all of my favorite rooms have in common: color, pattern, texture, something old, and something that grounds the space. Here’s why each of these elements is important.
5 Interior Design Elements Every Room Needs
1. Color
If you’ve ever taken a painting class, you know that painters usually start with a large field of one color on their canvas, which they then add to as they go. Consider the room in which you are designing a canvas. First choose your base color (which can be the existing color of the room) Or a color you’re considering), then think about what complementary colors you’d like to add to the mix. This article on color theory will help you start to get a feel for how different colors play together. This article from Home and garden It’s also an interesting take on color rules to follow, according to interior designers.
2. Model
The pattern adds interest, depth and emotion to any room. Without it, a space can appear somewhat flat. Patterns can be bold or subtle, colorful or neutral, and applied broadly or selectively. From wallpaper and upholstery to rugs and decorative items, there’s no shortage of ways to introduce pattern into a home.
3. Textures
I LOVE adding texture to any room. Similar to rooms without a pattern, rooms without a variety of textures seem somewhat boring to me. I particularly like to bring texture through fabrics (e.g. velvet, linen, wool) and materials (e.g. rattan, marble, rustic wood, metal).
4. Something old
There is always room for something ancient in any room, especially in spaces that are mostly filled with newer pieces. Whether it is furniture, works of art, lighting or small decorative objects, old pieces bring character and charm to a house.
5. Something that anchors the space
A grounding element is something that serves as the foundation of a room; it’s what brings the whole design together. I most often use a carpet to anchor a space. It helps define the seating area in a living room, bedroom or dining room. It also provides another opportunity to bring color and texture to a space. Wallpaper can also be used as a grounding element, especially if you apply it to an accent wall and use a bold pattern.
If you keep these five elements in mind throughout the design process, the art of mixing will become much simpler. All of these are things you can continue to push and pull as your design preferences evolve. After all, every room in our home is meant to be seasoned and refined, little by little, rather than updated and finished all at once.
If you want to learn more about mixing elements in interior design, here are some resources I recommend:
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Kate is the founder of Wit & Delight. She is currently learning to play tennis and it’s forever test the limits of your creative muscle. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.