PRINCIPLES

AND COLOUR
THEORY IN
INTERIOR
DESIGN

LANISHA MIRANDA
RHEA MARINA
 ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
– SPACE - Different design styles will give different uses of space

– LINE - Horizontal, vertical, dynamic lines shape a room and guide the eye.

– FORM - Relates to the physical form of anything that is three dimensional.

– LIGHT - Natural or man-made light is a critical aspect of any space.

– COLOUR - Has ability to create mood, define perception of any space.

– TEXTURE - Tactile surface of an object, unique dimension to the space.

– PATTERN - Created by repetitive design elements, adds appeal to space.

 PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

– The 5 principles of interior design can be accomplished by applying

design elements creating an overall look.

– Principles are the ways designers use elements to create good

compositions, arrangements.

– Principles evaluate each element in a design.

– Arrangements can transform the entire mood of the space. It makes all
the elements cohesive and put together.
BALANCE
– Balance creates equilibrium achieved by distributing visual weight of objects within a
space. Size, shape, color and texture have a major impact on the visual weight of a
particular item.

– Balance also refers to how and where you place the elements.

SYMMETRICAL OR FORMAL BALANCE -

– Traditional or formal spaces call for symmetrical balance where the space is evenly split
into two sides that mirror each other.

– For example, two chairs on either side of a coffee table can be said to be symmetrically
balanced. This kind of balance is easy to achieve as design elements are repeated on each
side. Care must be taken as balance can become monotonous and boring.
ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE -

– The visual weights are balanced without exact duplication. It is not as

ordered as symmetrical balance and can be more complex and interesting.

– Use of different elements with similar weights. Interiors tend to feel less
rigid and dynamic because spaces such as these have various objects that
work together creating balance. It requires a truly good eye for design.

– Though this type of balance is not as easy to achieve in comparison to

symmetrical, the output is more energetic and natural.
RADIAL BALANCE -

– There is a central focal point with other elements radiating from it or

around it.

– An example would be a round dining table, with chairs arranged around it.

– There is a lot of repetition of form, texture, and color.

EMPHASIS AND
CONTRAST
– A central piece of furniture or art needs to play roles of grabbing
attention.
– Elements need to be utilized such that there is dominance of the
focal point.
– The rest of the items of decor needs to be dominated by this point.
– Something which instantly catches your eye, which commands
attention.
– Creates point of interest in space.
– A fireplace, artwork or a window treatment must be sufficiently
emphasized so that everything else leads to the area presented.
EMPHASIS AND
CONTRAST
• Contrast is one of the most commonly used design tricks
to draw attention to certain elements or create interest
in the space.
• Contrast can be achieved easily by different colors, or by
adding a splash of color in a monochromatic space.
• It can also be done by mixing styles or textures, but one
as to be careful while doing this.
• Can be done with a change in style or materials used.
PROPORTION AND
SCALE
SCALE
– Scale refers to one object’s size concerning another.
Specifically, the concept of scale is used when one object’s
size is known for certain.

Few examples are:

– the standard wall heights
– height of a table and chair
– how many meters a bathroom or shower should be so as not
feeling too cramped.
PROPORTION AND
SCALE

PROPORTION

– Proportion refers to the general size relationship between two

different objects. When designers refer to proportion, they are
trying to describe the way objects relate to each other in a room.

– Example - sizes of sofas with relation to the size of the room

USE IN DESIGN

Size , Furnishings, Height , Patterns

UNITY AND HARMONY
UNITY
Unity is when similar elements are combined together to create a soothing
composition to the eye. Nothing is confusing or chaotic.

HARMONY
Harmony is when things seem to belong together. It has to do with sameness.
Design repetition such as form, shape, texture, color is the best method of
achieving harmony to create compositions. Harmonious space seems to contain
everything that works together perfectly.

Cohesion is important due to the fact that it makes a room easy to take in, visually.
RHYTHM

– Rhythm supplies the discipline thatcontrols the eye as it moves around a

room. Rhythm helps the eye to move easily from one object to another
and creates a harmony.

– Rhythm is created using repeating elements such as colour, shape or

texture can help to unify a space and create a consistent visual experience.

– Can create patterns to make the space look 3 dimensional.

– It works best in larger spaces where eye can travel.

 COLOUR
THEORY
– Color, fundamentally, is the
result of the way in which
an object absorbs or
reflects the visible light in
the color spectrum.
– An object that the eye
perceives as red absorbs
every color except red,
which it reflects.
– White is often described as
the reflection of all colors,
while black is described as
the absorption of all colors.
 ADDITIVE AND SUBTRACTIVE
COLOR MIXING
ADDITIVE COLOR
– Light that is emitted to create color is often referred to as
additive. Combinations of red, green, and blue primary colors
produce other colors; all three combined produces white.
– Subtractive color mixing exists in two forms: combinations of cyan,
SUBTRACTIVE magenta, and yellow and combinations of red, yellow, and blue.
COLOR
– In these systems, the base colors are added to each other on an
opaque medium such as paper, and their mixing changes the way
colors are absorbed and reflected.
THE MUNSELL MODEL
A system of color analysis based around hue, value, and chroma.
These elements form a three-dimensional model: Starting with a circular relationship of hues.
Munsell’s Color Sphere, In Munsell’s system, Hue, Saturation, and Brightness In most software applications, color can be
hue is arranged around the perimeter of a chosen using (HSB) model. Hue - 0 to 360; saturation determines the vibrancy as
sphere, value as it moves from the top pole the color moves toward white; and brightness changes the darkness of a color.
(light) to the bottom (dark), and chroma as it
moves toward the center.
COLOR APPLYING RULES OF
TEMPERATURE CONTRAST TO INTERIOR
Color, inherently, has
SPACE
temperature. Color In the seven variations on
can be described as color contrast that Itten
being warm (reds, identified, contrast was
oranges, yellows) or considered as a range of
cold (blues, greens). differences between the
Neutrals (whites, compared effects of color
grays) also have ranges interaction.
of temperatures

COLOR SCHEMES
Color schemes are the result of turning color combinations into a
set of rules for an interior palette. Grounded in color theory, the
designer can creatively select and organize color in harmonious
combinations. There are six “classic” combinations of color.
 CONTRAST
For the interior of the SRK Legal Assistance, the Dutch firm
OF HUE
eijkingdelouwere use contrast of hue to great effect. Colors playfully
interact through the space; lime yellows, blues, and reds in the felt
Solutions that
poppy figures lift the environment from staid office to a lively series
use contrast of
of colored spaces.
hue have a
visual
vibrancy and
playful
intensity.
This contrast
always requires
three colors, and
it is important
to note that the
effect lessens as
the colors move
away from
Itten’s three
primaries.
A showroom for the textile manufacturer Kvadrat in Stockholm LIGHT-DARK
eschews the typical neutral background for display in favor of an
CONTRAST
innovative tile system developed by the designers Ronan and Erwan
Bouroullec. The move from light to dark symbolizes a shift in
function—from open showrooms to more intimate meeting spaces Light-dark
and offices contrast exists in
the relationship
between black
and white—as
well as in the
range of grays
that exist
between them.
Itten saw gray as
an essentially
achromatic color,
shifting in
relationship
depending on the
colors that
surround it.
 COLD-WARM
For a lounge in the André Balazs Hotel QT, Lindy Roy uses a cold- CONTRAST
warm contrast to distinguish the different zones of the space. The
bar is surfaced in a cool blue that acts as a functional highlight Particular colors
against the warm, intimate spaces that surround it. can affect the
relative comfort
of a room at a
specific
temperature. In
fact, a perceptual
change in physical
temperature
occurs in spaces
when they are
painted in cold
versus warm
colors. For Itten,
cold-warm
contrasts were
highly versatile
in their expressive
powers.
 COMPLEMENTARY
For a hotel in Milan, designer Patricia Urquiola uses CONTRAST
complimentary contrast with a vibrant pallet of material and
light to draw attention to specific moments within the room. Complements occur
when two hues are
mixed and the result
is a neutral gray-
black. (In additive
color systems, the
result will be white.)

Every color within a

color system has its
complement; finding
a complementary
color is a simple
matter of selecting
opposite colors on
Itten’s wheel. In
complementary
contrasts, colors
balance each other
 SIMULTANEOUS
Simultaneous contrasts are difficult to capture photographically. In CONTRAST
the Montréal Convention Centre, Saia Barbarese Topouzanov
playfully uses light against painted color to suggest additional colors. The complementary
As the sun changes position and color over the course of a day, new color of an applied
combinations appear. color is not itself
objectively present,
but appears to be
visible.
Simultaneous
contrast requires an
adjacent neutral
color or any other
color that is not
complementary. The
longer a background
is viewed, especially
with more
luminous colors,
the greater the
intensity of the
simultaneous
effects.
 CONTRAST OF
A library at the Rhode Island School of Design by Office dA uses a SATURATION
natural palette that lends itself to a contrast of saturation. Various
shades of browns and yellows allow this intervention to fit nicely Color can be diluted
within the classical architecture it occupies. Accents of cooler colors via four methods to
in the existing architecture also contribute to the scheme’s success. obtain different
results:
Adding white
makes a color
cooler; adding
black reduces the
overall vitality of
a color and
renders it more
subdued and, in
the absence of light,
quite dark; adding
gray reduces the
intensity of a color
and tends to
neutralize it.
 CONTRAST OF
Balance is the fundamental principle behind the contrast of EXTENSION
extension. In this maisonette apartment, Ippolito Fleitz Group uses
color balance effectively—mixing strong contrasting colors, intense The relative force
graphic elements, and textiles in a complex sequence that achieves
that a color exerts
a sense of equilibrium.
in relation to the
other colors in a
system.
Depending on the
hue and value of
a color, careful
consideration
must be taken to
balance the
addition of
another color.
The result is a
ratio that
harmonizes the
colors in play.
COLOR TERMINOLOGY
– Color Space: Refers to the final output of a color. RGB is typically used for illuminated
color, while CMYK is used for absorptive colors.
– Color Temperature: Temperature of a light source, measured in Kelvins. Lower
temperatures are considered warmer (adding a yellow cast to objects), while higher
temperatures are considered cooler (adding a blue cast to objects).
– Hue: Gradation of color within a visible spectrum.
– Pantone: A color management system that is used to specify consistent color for prints,
textiles, and paints.
– Primary Colors: Group of colors that, when mixed, can produce all other colors. Primary
colors cannot be made by other colors.
– Secondary Colors: Colors that result from a 50 percent mixing of any two primary
colors.
– Saturation: Intensity of a color, expressed as the degree to which it differs from white.
– Schemes: Method of organizing color in harmonious combinations.
– Shades: Result of adding more black to an existing color.
– Tints: Result of adding more white to an existing color.
– Tones: Result of mixing a color with its complement. An equal mix will result in a gray.
COLOR AND SPACE
– The process by which color is chosen and
utilized in a design has a profound effect on
interior space.
– The designer’s decisions can drastically
change the spatial understanding of a
project and also influence how it is
navigated.
– When used with knowledge and intent,
color can add perceived weight to surfaces,
alter the basic proportions of a room, and
variously be a calming or exciting factor.
 VOLUMETRIC
APPROACHES
TO COLOR
Painting all aspects of a
room the same color has
the effect of volumizing
the space.

This method of using color

can be particularly
effective in making small
spaces appear larger or
more intimate depending
THE CHAIRS, MATCHED WITH THE RED WALLS, DRAW ATTENTION TO THE
ROOM’S DIMENSIONS. on the color choices.
 Painting a PLANAR APPROACHES
continuous TO COLOR
length of a space
with a single color Color can be used to emphasize
emphasizes the the planes in a given sequence of
rooms or the vertical connection
planar elements
of spaces, as in a double-height
within an room or loft.
environment.
Painting regardless of
interruption can lead the eye
Adding color to though the spaces of a design
a sequence of and highlight elements at the end
parallel walls of the wall—be it a light fixture,
also reinforces art, or furniture piece.
the planar Planar color can also make
elements in a surfaces that are perpendicular
space. to the occupant appear closer or
further away.
 Color can be employed
to make certain aspects EMPHASIZING DESIGN
of a design stand out. ELEMENTS
For instance, elements
such as trim, moldings, Emphasizing the elements of a
and structure take on design—door and window trim,
reveals at the ceiling, or the
more significance connection of materials—can
when they are colored draw the viewer’s attention to
in stark contrast with aspects of the design.
their surroundings.
Painting elements such as reveals
in the ceiling a darker color than
Connections adjacent objects can make the
emphasized objects appear to float.
between spaces
Emphasizing the color of a door
can use very bold, in a wall can cue the viewer to its
bright hues or be importance.
made to recede
when matched to A red door in a white wall will
seem more present in the room
the color of an than a door within a wall of the
adjacent surface. same color.
 CHANGING THE
Adding color to
lower parts of a
PROPORTIONS OF A
space can ROOM
provide a Adding color to a certain
demarcation datum, altering paint sheen, or
line for elements darkening a room’s upper
such as furniture portions are some of the
and art. strategies by which the
designer might play with
spatial perception.
Through the careful
Adding color to application of color, spaces can
the upper regions be made to appear smaller or
of a space can larger, or an eccentric volume
reduce the
can be proportionally
controlled.
perceived height
of a room. Using color in geometric and
abstract patterns can further
enhance a space.
 COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY
Have you ever considered why you feel more relaxed after spending
time in a neutral, light space? Or energized after being in a colourful,
vibrant room? It’s probably largely down to colour psychology (the
connection between our emotions and colour), making a huge impact
within interior design schemes.

Color psychology is a powerful interior design tool that impacts the

mood of a room more so than any other factor. Different shades evoke
certain emotions so, when choosing your colours, it’s important to
consider the kind of atmosphere you wish to create and which colours
will help you achieve this.
RED – The most intense colour, red raises a room’s energy level and pumps the
adrenaline.
Ambition, action and willpower are all qualities attributed to this colour, which is why red is a
great option for home offices and creative spaces. In the living or dining room, red draws
people together and stimulates conversation. In an entrance hall, it creates a strong first
impression.
YELLOW - Yellow captures the warmth of sunlight and evokes positivity. It’s a great
choice for kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms, where it is energizing and
welcoming. Stick with golden shades and use it to brighten darkened corners of your
home to create a feeling of light and space.
BLUE - One of the strongest hues of the colour psychology spectrum, blue is believed to
bring down blood pressure and slow respiration and heart rate. Deep, bold hues are
effective at creating a sense of confidence and are linked to traits such as loyalty, trust,
peace and success. Considered calming and serene, this colour is often recommended for
bedrooms and bathrooms where you want to create a relaxing environment.
GREEN - Combining the invigorating quality of blue and the optimism of yellow, green is
suitable for almost any room in the house. It stimulates thoughts of balance, growth and
restoration in colour psychology. It immediately brings the natural world to mind, and
encourages unwinding but has enough warmth to promote comfort and togetherness.
PURPLE - Purple is associated with a range of positive emotions from depth and creativity
to fantasy and nobility. It carries a regal charm and suggests luxury, which delivers real
presence. Consider using it in a dressing room for maximum effect, or use it in your hallway
to impress guests at the first opportunity.
NEUTRALS - Shades such as black, grey, white and brown are vital to the interior
designer’s palette. Their virtue lies in their flexibility – add colour to liven things up and
remove it for a subtler aesthetic. Grey is one of those versatile colours that can be warm or
cool, and can evoke feelings of calm and security. Black’s neutrality gives it a fail-safe quality
and creates an elegance that results in power, drama and mystery