When you walk into a room that you absolutely love, you might say to yourself, “This room is so well decorated!” It seems that if we just took the colors, patterns, pillows, and accessories for that space and put them in ours, we would have a well-decorated room, too. What many of us don’t realize, however, is that the room is more than just decorated. It creates a Sense of Space.
Creating a Sense of Space is the most basic idea of interior decor. It is so basic, in fact, that almost no one talks about it—including decorators! So what is it?
This episode discusses the traditional lighting rules (general, task and accent lighting), why they are misleading, and how to use lighting to create a comfortable sense of space.
Most decorating shows will tell you to include
(1) general lighting
(2) accent lighting and
(3) task lighting.
But these recommendations are propagated by light manufacturers.
General guidelines for lighting if you want to create a comfortable sense of space:
Table and floor lamps can provide general lighting and task lighting for most spaces.
Have at least three table or floor lamps. This eliminates most stark shadows.
Arrange your furniture and tables to pull your lamps toward the center of the room. Try to have them at your conversation circle.
More lights with lower lumen bulbs are better than fewer lights with higher lumen bulbs. Check the lighting in almost any swanky restaurant or bar to see this.
This episode discusses the terms “proportion” and “scale” and how they will be used in this series.
Scale and proportion are often confused in the interior design world. On Roominess, we’ll talk of things being “out of scale” if ALL of the dimensions of a piece (say a couch) are too small or too large for the space.
We’ll talk of things being “out of proportion” if just ONE or TWO of the relative dimensions are too large or too small.
If you run into a scale or proportion issue in your house, try these tips:
1. Add emphasis to the end wall of a narrow space. This will visually balance the space to seem wider and not as long. You can do this with an accent color, art, or a bookshelf.
2. If your art is out of scale (too small) for the wall, group several pieces of art together. The overall grouping will appear to be an appropriate scale for the wall.
3. Art that is out of proportion with a wall (a tall thin piece of art, for instance) can still be used effectively if it is paired with other art that creates a better proportioned grouping.
4. A square or round dining table feels out of proportion in a more oblong dining room. You can (a) put in extra table leaves or (b) create a secondary furniture grouping at one end of the room.
5. If your living room is longer in one direction, align your couch with the short direction of the room if you can.
This episode discusses the basics of living room furniture arrangement with tips and ideas.
Living room furniture does not need to be placed against the walls. Use these tips instead:
Arrange furniture using a conversation circle or oval as a guide. The size of the circle depends on the amount of furniture you’re trying to include and the scale of that furniture, not the size of the room. For one conversation grouping, the circle should be no more than 18 to 20 feet max. (Not an issue in most living rooms.)
Direct your attention to the focal points of the room.
Leave an opening toward the entrance of the room.
Matched furniture can be used to create a relationship or balance.
A sense of space is the single most important concept in interior design, but almost no one talks about it.
Regardless of the size of a room, what everyone wants is not actual space, but rather a sense of space. This is a sense of welcoming and arrival, as sense of privacy and protection, as well as a sense of freedom, relaxation, and being uninhibited.
All of interior design is trying to create this sense of space in your rooms—a balance between protection and freedom.
The key is to not to define your sense of space by the walls. Examples of how to do this are pulling furniture away from the walls, properly arranging table and floor lamps so more light is in the center of the space, and creating a focal point.
The same principles apply whether you want a cozy and warm space that feels more protected, or a light and airy space that feels more free.
The Roominess series will refer often to the concept of a sense of space.
