Illustrated Interiors - Murals, Trompe L'Oeil, Faux Finishes

What works, What doesn't, and Why

Interior designing encompasses all aspects of design. A good design is extremely flexible and personal. Adapting to what already exists is a challenge for many interior decorators.

A good interior design is the total creative solution for a space. It requires planning, aesthetic and knowledge of technical solutions to achieve the desired result. The design plan should address more than just the visual enhancement of an interior space. It should optimize and harmonize the space in which it is used.

Many factors come into play in formulating the design solution.

Phsyical Space: room dimensions and construction - with its potential and its limitations.
Room Use: How the space will be used -work, leisure, entertainment, utility, education, etc.
Audience: Who uses the space - children, family, retail, etc.
Practical: arrangement, lighting, furniture style & size, storage, etc.

If you have some experience with design and design concepts, this guide should help enhance your room plan. If not, you may need the advice of a professional who has the skills and experience to create a great design solution and finishing a decor. At Illustrated Interiors we have the experience and expertise to create a space that is truly outstanding.

Getting Started

Back to top

The elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art or decorating scheme. The elements of design range from the visual (color, lighting, form) to the tactile (surface, shape, texture). The principles of design range from balance unity balance to color and contrast. The design should have an aesthetic, practical and technical appreciation for these elements. A good understanding of these concepts are essential to a good design.

Elements of Design	The Elements of design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design, or decorating scheme. Good or bad - all design will contain most or all elements of design.
Line	Line can be considered in two ways. The linear marks made with a pen or brush or the edge created when two shapes meet, including furniture and pictures. It determines where your view is pulled.
Direction	The element of direction can have a powerful influence on the mood of a design. It is something often overlooked, but making a conscience decision about the dominant direction in a design can have a noticeable effect on the atmosphere of the finished space. All lines have direction - Horizontal, Vertical or Diagonal. Horizontal lines suggest calmness, stability and tranquillity, and creates a fairly static atmosphere. Vertical lines add a feeling of balance, formality and alertness to a design. Diagonal lines suggest movement and action A diagonal dominance reinforces the dynamic nature of a design.
Shape	A shape is a self contained defined area of geometric or organic form. A positive (filled in) shape in a design automatically creates a negative (empty) shape around it, or in it if there is a spot not filled in. Hard-edged geometric shapes tend to be formal, while soft edged organic shapes are more comforting. Tip: Negative space need not be 'empty'. Utilize it as a backdrop for your decorating. It can be filled with any number of colors, patterns or textures, like faux finishes.
Scale	Scale is simply the relationship of the area occupied by one shape to that of another. Attention to size will help keep a design balanced.
Color	Color is also known as hue. The *color wheel* can be used to create an infinite amount of colors. All colors on the color wheel are called *saturated* colors. This refers to the degree of purity, or intensity of a color. Saturated colors contain no black, no white and none of their complimentary or opposite color. Full intensity saturated colors are so strong and stimulating they are usually used only for emphasis in decorating. *Primary:* The color wheel is based on the three primary colors - red, yellow and blue - placed evenly around a circle. From this all other colors are derived. Primary colors are powerful, usually too much to use alone at full strength on large expanses like walls. *Secondary:* Between the three primaries are secondary colors - green, orange and violet - which are an equal mixture of the two primaries they sit between. These colors have less strength than primaries. *Tertiary:* The tertiary colors fall between each primary and secondary. Between yellow and orange, for example, is yellow orange, between blue and violet is blue violet and so on. Continuing this pattern of mixing adjoining colors creates an infinite palette. *Nuetral:* Neutral colors contain a mixture of the three primaries. All the browns, khakis, shades of white, gray or beige and earth colors are neutral colors. Most neutrals are tinted slightly with a warm or cool color. Neutral walls provide will not compete with furnishings and accessories. *Complementary:* Complementary colors are any color and it's exact opposite on the color wheel. Red, for example, is the complement of green. Complementary colors enhance each other in decorating schemes. *Tints and Shades:* Tints are created by adding white to a color. The more white, the lighter the color's value. Shades are created by adding black to a color. The more black, the darker the shade. A Color with gray added is called a tone. Tip: Adding white, black or gray to colors is called extending the colors.
Value	Value is also called Tone. It refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. This can be used to create contrast. Contrast is the difference between the light and dark areas in a design. The greater the contrast the more attention the area attracts.
Texture Back to top	Texture is the surface quality of a shape - rough, smooth, soft, hard glossy etc. This can be used two ways: Physical Texture is the texture you can actually feel with your hand. Visual Texture is the illusion of physical texture, created with the materials you use in your room scheme. Paint can be manipulated to give the impression of texture, while the surface remains smooth and flat.

Design Principles	The principles of design dictate how to use the elements of design. How they are applied determines how successful the artwork or room scheme is.
Balance	Balance in design is similar to balance in physics. It refers to keeping a design from being too heavy or too light in an area. Imagine the visual elements on a seesaw - a good design will prevent the view from tipping in one direction or the other.
Gradation	This adds interest and movement to a design by keeping your eye moving. Gradation of size and direction produce linear perspective. Taking colors from warm to cool, or tones from dark to light also move the view along a path.
Rhythm	Rhythm means repeating a design element - color, tone, texture, line, shape, size or direction - within a design. Tip: While giving a space unity, rhythm without variety can become monotonous. Always try to include some variation when elements are repeated.
Contrast	The use of contrast in a design scheme means using opposing elements - opposite colors on the color wheel, light and dark values, changes of direction, or opposing shapes and textures. Tip: Too much contrast scattered throughout a space can destroy unity and make the space difficult to look at. Carefully consider where to place your areas of maximum contrast.
Emphasis	Emphasis gives a room interest, and adds a focal point to the design. Emphasis can be applied to one or more of the elements to create a central feature.
Harmony	Harmony in interior design is the visual effect of combining related or similar elements - adjacent colors on the color wheel, similar shapes etc.
Unity	Unity in a well-planned interior design refers to the visual linking of various elements within the space. This is what 'makes a room come together'. Creating relationships between the design elements reinforces the principal of unity. For instance, a very masculine design would work better with a dominant dynamic direction, rough texture, strong complimentary colors, angular lines etc.; but a very feminine design would benefit from horizontal lines, soft texture and muted colors and less tonal contrast.

Color Schemes	Understanding the color wheel and how color combinations are formed allows the creation of a palette for decorating a space. Colors do not have to be used in their full intensities - they can be neutralized by adding small amounts of the color's compliment, extended (add white for tints, black for shades, gray for tones). These techniques change the character of a color and create more sophisticated combinations and can set the mood for a decor. Tip: When building your palette, keep in mind that colors have visual temperature: Warm Colors yellow, orange and red are warm and lively, and are sometimes known as advancing colors because they appear closer than they actually are. Cool Colors blue, green and violet are cool and tranquil, known as receding colors because they appear further away than they are.
Achromatic	An achromatic color scheme is actually devoid of color so only black, white and grays are used. Though rarely used, it can actually be quite dramatic.
Monochromatic	Monochromatic schemes are color combinations that use a single color in a variety of intensities and values. These combinations are easy to live with because they are restful, nothing competes for the eye's attention. Since the palette in a monochromatic scheme is derived from a single color, the space will appear unified and harmonious. Contrasting values will add interest but too much variation will appear uneven.
Adjacent	Two or three neighboring hues on the color wheel.
Complementary	Complementary schemes are based on two colors opposite each other on the color wheel. They are more dynamic and richer than monochromatic schemes because they balance warm and cool colors. Depending on the colors chosen, the combinations can be startling or subdued. Tip: Think beyond the visually jarring complements like violet and intense yellow. Tinting each of these to amethyst and cream will work just as well, but have a softer effect. A triad combination consists of any three colors equidistant on the color wheel. A split complement also contains three colors - one primary or intermediate color plus the colors located on each side of it's opposite. An analogous complementary scheme utilizes related hues lying adjacent on the color wheel with a hue directly opposite to these. A double split complement comes from splitting both sides of the color wheel, resulting in a four-color scheme. Paired complementary is also a four-color scheme, created from two hues that have one color between them on the color wheel, and their opposites .
Analogous Back to top	Analogous, or related color schemes composed of two or more colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel. They are varied yet harmonious. The most agreeable analogous combinations are limited to colors falling between two primaries and including one of those primaries - like yellow-green, green, blue-green, and blue for example. Note that every color contains a touch of the primary blue.

How Light Effects Color	Designers often tell their clients to have fun with color or there are no rules when it comes to color. This is only partially true. Certain variables - particularly light - have a dramatic effect on the perception of color. The quality of light will change at different times of day, with the amount of natural light in the space, with which fixture is on, or if light is coming from another room. Understanding how light effects color allows for the criterion of a palette appropriate for the space.
Natural Light	Besides the amount and size of windows, a room's exposure determines the quality of its natural light, which can influence your color choices. North-facing rooms receive less direct sunlight, and that light tends to be cool, while south-facing rooms get stronger, warmer light. Often a room design will balance this by controlling the temperature of the room - using warm colors in north-facing rooms and cool colors in south-facing ones. However it is possible to enhance the natural temperature of a room with colors of a similar temperature.
Reflected Light	Reflected light can have an impact as well, whether the source is within the room or from outside the room. Light bouncing off a cool green surface will have a different effect than light reflected off a warm red surface. The reflected light is 'tinted' with the color of the surface it is reflected from, and it will raise the intensity of similar colors or dull opposing colors. Tip: The way in which materials and surfaces reflect light also affects color. A color with a shiny high gloss surface will reflect light and appear brighter, while the same color in matte finish or textured fabric will be appear duller.
Artificial Light Back to top	Much of indoor lighting is artificial, and the quality of that light varies. Warm light from incandescent fixtures intensify warmer reds and yellows but dulls the cooler colors. Halogens are also incandescent but produce a whiter, brighter light. The cooler bluish light of fluorescents amplify cool blues and greens but muddies warm colors. Newer "soft white" fluorescents come closer to the warmth of incandescents. Light fixtures themselves contribute color to a room. Pendant lights can have tinted or colored glass. A warm colored lampshade will cast a warm glow. When combined with the right colors it can create a feeling of intimacy. However, a strongly colored lamp shades will tend to soak up the light. White or cream shades are often a good choice because they yield maximum light.

How Color Effects Space

Back to top

Color can be a useful tool when you want to alter the apparent proportions of a room. It can be used to define or alter a space. Light, cool colors enhance the sense of openness because they appear further away visually, while dark and warm colors make a room seem smaller. Low intensity colors can make a room seem more spacious, while more intense colors seem to contract space.
This can be applied to portions of a room to control the space visually. Painting an end wall in a long, narrow room a warmer, darker color, or using a mural will create the illusion of a better-proportioned room. In a square room, painting one wall a more intense color and the remaining three walls a less intense color can diminish the boxy look. Trompe l’oeil can also be very effective in opening up a space.
Should adjoining rooms the same color or different colors? It all depends on the design objective: If it is to create a smooth visual flow from room to room, consider carrying the same paint color throughout. A faux finish can make it seem like it is monotonous. If creating a layered color and the sense of separation between rooms, use different colors in adjoining rooms. You can combine both approaches by choosing related but different colors for adjoining rooms, such as a light, warm taupe in the living room and a darker, cooler taupe in the dining room.
Tip: Many variables can minimize these visual effects, such as the quantity and quality of the light a room receives. Painting the walls a light color will not transform a naturally dark room into an open, airy space. Cool colors will not necessarily expand a tiny room. Sometimes it's best to evaluate what you have - and then work with it rather than against it. If a room is small, it is possible to enhance its coziness with warm color on the walls.