Interior Planning

By Author: Mike OShaughnessy
Total Articles: 7
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In order to establish a harmonious, convenient interior in one's own apartment, foremost, it is essential "to plan" a living space on paper. As experience shows, drawing up of a design-project is better to divide into a number of stages, taking into account some general rules at that.

Organization of space are both the most complex, and the most gripping stage where an inventor and a designer should awake within you. And the less the metric area of an apartment is, the more actively the inventor's idea should work.
It is necessary to take this question just as serious. Skilfully applying a colour scale in decoration of the dwelling, it is possible to achieve a good psychological effect, positively influencing on a condition and mood of visitors and members of the household. Paints bear certain energy - colour can comfort, stimulate, inspire and even heal. Before making a final decision as to the colour, pay attention, what cardinal point the windows are oriented at:: if to the north it is recommended to use a colour scale in warm colour tones, if to the south - then cold ones.

The next stage - determination ...
... of style, texture and light.

Generally, in design of interiors elements of a rather a large number of "historical" styles are used. It can be the baroque, rococo, classics, pseudo-Gothic, the Victorian style, the modernist style, art deco, constructivism, minimalism, hi-tech and, finally, eclecticism.

It is clear, that the baroque, rococo, pseudo-Gothic are appropriate for country houses or spacious apartments with high ceilings.

The baroque and rococo are characterized by wide and volumetric floristic stucco mouldings, painted ceilings, gilt details of decor, fabric wall-papers, a marble mosaic of floors, armchairs and sofas fitted with silk, a refined colour scale which is characterized not by "basic" colours rather than their complex tones.

Creating a "Gothic" interior, it will be correct to upholster walls with oak panels with carved slats and decorate one of the walls with a Goblin tapestry displaying a stage from hunting or, say, a performance of troubadours.

A table in the "Gothic style" should be rough and primitive, a bed - in the same vein, with a baldachin and carved columns. But the most important thing here is a free, through and dashing space, elevating force of emptiness which is spiritualized by stained-glass windows.

For those keen on the English classical style, The Victorian interior - a mix of classicism, Roman motives, gothic styles, rococo, the empire style, Oriental arabesques and Asian exotic will be very interesting.

The English feeling of measure has allowed consolidating all this variety which is shown in subtleties of semitones and colour scores. In such a house a spacious hall looks as a "high-grade" room with a monumental carved table, a mirror in a carved frame, a large chest of drawers - pier-glass table, a striking long-case clock, a sprawling hat tree with iron hooks, "a cell" for umbrellas and newspapers. Walls are planked with panels from either mahogany or oak, and the ceiling is decorated with a floristic stucco moulding. A visiting card of a Victorian house is a drawing room with its sofas and armchairs and a dominant rococo. Onto the fireplace porcelain vases and decorative dishes are usually placed, walls are decorated with pictures, family photos, diplomas and letters. The most poetical and fairytale interior style is the modernist style.

It is characterized by a coldish colour scale (elements of water and air, here-from transparency and fluidity of lines and forms), floral (flower or vegetative) and geometrical directions, neo-plasticism (this is characterised by the use of horizontal and vertical lines and planes and by black, white, grey, and primary colours.). Unlike other styles, the modernist style has developed from technological household things and was expressed in the most different forms. For example, sofas and chairs which "are twisted" and asymmetrically creep away to the corners are also typical of the modernist style, as well as sofas of a strict geometrical style with harmonious, extended backs. By the way, well-known "Viennese" chairs, which are now on their way out almost in each summer cottage, appeared during this period.

For the art deco style straight lines or zigzag-bent lines are typical, as well as clearness and graphics of forms. It is distinguished from the rest by application of decorative elements in the form of zigzags, circles, triangles, suns, as well as rounded corners and strict vertical lines which recede from the form. The materials used in interiors of this style, - fabric, glass, bronze, ceramics, carpets covered with cubic patterns. Besides, as an ornament fans are often used, wrought-iron lattices, light wood, leather, marble and chrome plated details. It is the last "smart" style of the European capitals, the style of stars ".

The modern interior in the style of minimalism can be characterized by the use of only necessary objects. The most important thing to remember while creating such interiors is a competently planned space, which contains a lot of diffused, quiet light and air.

To produce a sense of breadth and open space, premises are freed from internal partitions whenever possible. The colour palette used is light, based on a play of semitones; there is a lot of white colour in an interior, graphically underlined by black or grey.

Here simple natural finishing materials are used, often raw, with rough texture: bricks, concrete, wood or plaster. A sense of space is achieved both by means of colour of the floor, a translucent fabric, sliding partitions made of glass, by means of local lighting in walls, a floor or a ceiling.

The forms of furniture are simple, too: sharp corners, no plastic lines. Sofas with rectangular pillows, rigid armrests, as well as armchairs and chairs of a rectangular, almost cubic form.

The upholstery is light, self-coloured with rare contrast "spots" - for example, pillows.

Use of metal in an interior gives it sharp modernity: metal table-tops in the kitchen, legs of chairs, rack posts. Modern interiors of the hi-tech style are created on the basis of combination of space and light, propagandizing aesthetics of the applied material and structure.

Of the hi-tech style dashing, direct lines are characteristic, as well as abundance of glass and metal details. Here the designs typical of industrial buildings (metal frames and technical communications are deliberately displayed) are applied.

Sophisticated, by itself, uses the most modern materials. They are glass, metal (these materials are the basic ones in finishing of premises), sometimes concrete, stone and natural wood are added. Complete absence of ornaments of interiors in the hi-tech style is compensated by "work" of a material when high quality of plastics is shown, easy alloys, new composite materials, colour glossy and transparent surfaces (acryl stretched ceilings, crosspieces).

By the way, the hi-tech style is appropriate for small apartments. All the elements of an interior create a sense of economy of space here.

The final thing to comment on is that very few people produce an interior in one style nowadays. "Celebration of eclecticism ", a courageous combination of different styles, especially in different "zones" of one and the same apartment - in such a way it is possible to characterize a mainstream in modern design.
Mike O'Shaughnessy is the creator of , the website were you can get great ideas and products for your home. http://www.interiorsforhomes.co.uk ship our products worldwide to your door.

Email Mike on - mikeoshaughnessy@interiorsforhomes.co.uk