Housing and Interior Decoration: Space Planning, Furnishings and Aesthetics
Expect labelled room layouts, the principles of design, colour schemes, and the reasoned selection of furniture and soft furnishings.
Space planning
Divide the home into zones: social, sleeping, work (kitchen, study) and service (bath, store). Check circulation, privacy, cross-ventilation, daylight, safety and flexibility. Leave at least 75-90 cm for main circulation paths. Furniture should not block windows or doors, and heavy items should sit against walls.
Principles of design
- Balance - symmetrical (formal) or asymmetrical (informal); visual weight equal on both sides.
- Rhythm - repetition, gradation, transition and line.
- Proportion and scale - furniture size relative to the room and to one another.
- Emphasis - one focal point, such as a wall or window.
- Harmony - unity of colour, texture and style.
Colour
Primary, secondary and tertiary colours form the colour wheel. Schemes: monochromatic (one hue), analogous (neighbouring hues), complementary (opposite hues). Warm colours (red, orange, yellow) appear to advance and make a room cosy; cool colours (blue, green, violet) recede and enlarge a small room. Light tints enlarge, dark shades contract.
Furnishings
Functional items (beds, storage, curtains for privacy and light control) and decorative items (cushions, rugs, wall art). Select for durability, easy maintenance, colour fastness, comfort, safety and harmony with the existing scheme.
Worked example
A 10 x 12 ft bedroom with one window and one door. Place the bed head against the long wall away from the door, keep the window completely free for ventilation, put the wardrobe on the short wall, use a light cool wall colour and a mirror to reflect light and give depth, and choose two small side tables instead of one heavy unit. Reasoning: circulation and daylight are protected, and cool tints make the small room feel larger.
Traps
Dark colours shrink a small room; curtains covering the whole window block air; a heavy wardrobe beside the door blocks circulation; more decoration is not better design.