Housing, Interior Decoration and Home Furnishings
Questions here cover the functions and selection of a house, the elements and principles of design, and their application to colour, furniture, lighting and furnishings.
Functions of housing
Protection from climate and hazards; space for family interaction, privacy and individual work; storage; facilities for hygiene and sanitation; expression of taste and status. Site selection considers soil, drainage, sun and wind direction, water supply, approach road, distance from work and school, cost and legal title.
Elements of design
Line, form and shape, space, texture and colour. Colour has hue, value and intensity; warm colours advance and visually shrink a room, cool colours recede; schemes may be monochromatic, analogous, complementary or triadic. The 60-30-10 proportion of dominant, secondary and accent colour is a practical guide.
Principles of design
- Balance: symmetrical (formal) or asymmetrical (informal), judged by visual weight.
- Rhythm: repetition, gradation, transition, radiation.
- Proportion and scale: parts related to each other and to the human body.
- Emphasis: one focal point.
- Harmony and unity: all parts relate.
Worked example
A 3 × 4 m room must serve as bedroom and study. Answer: set the bed along the longest wall, leaving a 90 cm traffic lane; place the study table at the window for daylight and task lighting; use light cool wall colour with one warm accent, such as cushions, for emphasis; hang curtains from ceiling to floor to add height; keep to three colours; cross-ventilate rather than rely on an air conditioner.
Furnishings and lighting
Curtains (length, fullness ratio, lining, easy-care fibre), floor coverings, slip covers and wall décor should repeat the colour scheme. Lighting layers are general, task and accent; daylight and cross-ventilation reduce energy use.
Traps
- Mixing elements with principles of design.
- Claiming symmetrical balance is always superior.
- Placing a mirror where it reflects clutter.
- Decorating while ignoring ventilation and storage.