Ideal Organizing + Design: Interior Design Rules


Interior Design Rules

By: Lubbi Saed, Interior Designer – IOD

3/3 Vertical Rule

Dark, Medium, Light – The darkest tone should be your floors, your furniture and accessories will be in medium tone and the lightest should be your ceiling.  You should always go from dark to light not the opposite in interiors.

60 -30-10 Rule

60% will be your main color

30% will be your secondary color

10% will be your accent color

60% will be your walls (paint or wallpaper), Rugs and your sofa, and it’s better to be natural.

30% will be your window treatments, accent chair, accent wall, bedding and textile.

You can use different shades of the same color to give your room dimension.

Lastly, 10% will be your decor items, such as throw pillows, artwork and accessories.

The “Odd” Rule

For some reason arranging and grouping items in an odd number feels balanced and more appealing to the eye. When decorating your coffee table or shelves, group your items in 3.  If you have a larger shelf consider groups of 5 or 7. Remember to use different sizes and heights to create a visual interest.

Height Variation Rule

Never put two objects in the same height together, you don’t want your items to compete with each other, instead mix different heights and shapes and have each item complement the other one. If you have some items that you like to put together but they’re the same height, you can use height risers like some books and that will make your design look cohesive.

Focal Point Rule

Every room needs a focal point, something that catches your eyes when you first walk into the room.  This can be an oversized piece of artwork, an accent wall that has matching built in shelves or a beautiful wall paper, or even a nice fireplace with a beautiful mirror.

Contrast Rule

You can create contrast in your room through colors, textures, materials and lights.  Always remember opposites attract. You can achieve that by pairing small with big elements, textured surface with non textured, contrast in textile and colors of your pillows and sofa.  i.e. a shag rug with a wicker basket

Scale and Proportion Rule

Pick the right size furniture for your space while leaving enough room for circulation. If you have a small space it might be better to pick one big piece, such as a sectional, than multiple small pieces, or one huge artwork instead of a few small paintings.  Choosing one big piece will make your space look larger while small pieces will look cluttered.

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Ideal Organizing + Design also offers Interior Design Packages!