Subtle and elegant: 10 signs that the designer worked on the interior

The reason to write this article was the story that recently happened to me. I was visiting friends when a neighbor visited them. When she learned that I was a designer, she invited to see (evaluate) her recent renovation.
Modern Hall by Martha O’Hara Interiors
Martha O’Hara Interiors
For some reason, from the conversation, I decided that the owners did the design themselves. And, to put it mildly, she was taken aback: nicely decorated house, simple, but competent techniques. I liked everything, I enjoyed looking at the rooms and nothing hurt my eyes. At some point I even thought: “If a non-professional is able to independently arrange a big house like this, then why are we, designers, needed?”.

And then it turned out that the designer worked, and my cognitive dissonance immediately dissipated. Everything fell into place.

After this incident, I thought: on what grounds do I almost unmistakably guess that the designer worked with the interior?
Modern Bedroom by the association
the association
I’m not talking about the spaces that are built as art objects – there the idea lies on the surface and the designer’s participation is obvious. Rather, I’m talking about those houses and apartments, where the interiors are assembled from the usual, it would seem, elements. But it is done so that the space is fascinating.

If two extremes are excluded – the work of talented non-professionals who intuitively do great things (there are such things, but this is rare) and creations of drop-in designers that cause bewilderment (come across more often) – in other cases, the professionally designed space is read almost immediately. How?

Designer interiors are always visible – and it does not depend on the budget invested. Just because the designer lays the foundation of the interior of the correct basic techniques, and already on them are dotted decorative solutions. This base is subconsciously captured by the brain.

I identified 10 key principles of working with space, which, in my opinion, recognize a professionally made interior. I will show them on interiors with Houzz, decorated by professional designers.

1. Spatial composition
The proportions, forms, volumes of structures, objects, details – it’s not all random for professionals, each element is associated with other laws of composition. Look at the photo: with the external simplicity of the elements, the planes are precisely aligned with respect to each other, both in size, and in color, and in textures. As a result, a clean interior appeared without unnecessary “visual noise”, complemented by only a few touches.

An additional bonus of such projects is beautiful perspectives and perspectives. When the interior is a solid semantic history, a harmoniously flowing space turns out. Unfortunately, this can rarely be understood from photographs: even if an object is published as a whole article, and the interior is shown from different points, it still appears in separate snapshots in the photographs. But in life, the effect of angles, harmoniously flowing into each other, it is difficult to overestimate.

2. Symmetry
A fairly common method of leveling space. Look at the photo: did you immediately notice the imperfections of the layout in the upper tier? Hardly! Fireplace portal – the axis and symmetrically set sofas “hold” this interior.

An elegant professional reception – to make a small asymmetry in a symmetrical composition, to make it non-specular. In the photo, a doorway and two chairs “balances” the sofa.

3. Rhythm
A very effective way to make space harmonious. Look at this photo: rhythmic beams made invisible complex geometry of the ceiling. A breakdown on the shutters and radiator support the rhythmic pattern of the interior.

4. Style as an idea
It seems that everyone already knows about the conformity of interior elements to one style.