Principles of Design

The principles of design are much the same for all design projects:  Space, Scale, and Balance.  They are the basic rules governing any space and what will fill it.  The objective is always the same--to combine the often-disparate parts naturally and logically--creating a visually appealing result.  If these principles are utilized correctly, you'll create a cohesive design and sense of unity.  The rules aren't rigid, but it takes courage and confidence to make anything but the norm work well.

Space

This is about the configuration of furniture in a room.  Once you know your space, practical room layout is next.  The placement of windows, fireplaces, large appliances and televisions usually determine the rest of the room.  But varying arrangements of furniture can make a huge difference in usage and efficiency (i.e., a sofa and chairs versus a sectional).  A scaled floor plan can be a great help to accurately envision rooms.

Scale

Scale refers not only to the size of items, but also the proportions between them.  Room dimensions and ceiling height will generally dictate what scale the furniture should be--more space, larger furniture.  And items within a room should be in scale with each other (i.e., petite refined chairs probably won't work with a heavy rustic table).

Balance

Balance is evident as you enter a room and view it as a whole.  The effect will either be restful and pleasing or create a vague sense of unease.  It has to do with the visual weight of objects.  This refers to the bulk--or lack of--of furnishings.  If one side of a room is heavy with solid furniture (i.e., sofa, side tables) and the other side is visually lighter (i.e., glass and brass coffee table), the room won't feel balanced.  

Another way to think of it is positive space and negative space.  Positive space (the foreground) refers to the areas of interest where objects are positioned.  Negative space (the background) is the empty area surrounding the objects.  For balance there should be equivalent positive and negative space on both sides of a room.   

One strategy that automatically helps balance a room is the use of symmetry--both sides of a room have identical or similarly weighted items (i.e., two loveseats and end tables, with a coffee table between).  Symmetry can seem boring, but it's orderly and satisfying to the eye.  Asymmetry can also be applied--the sides of a room aren't identical, but are proportional (i.e., two substantial chairs opposite a sofa, with a coffee table between).