MAKING HOME
Learn four fundamental concepts of interior design you can apply in your own home.
Learn four fundamental concepts of interior design that you can apply in your own home.
“Design should make people happy.”
How do you turn your house into a home? When asked what the purpose of design is, Melissa Penfold, author of the upcoming book Living Well by Design, has a simple response. “Design should make people happy,” she writes. It’s an uncomplicated and practical answer. Home should feel, well, like home. It should be someplace that speaks to you, that envelops your whole being with a sense of safety. “Everything that surrounds you affects you,” Penfold writes. “So surround yourself only with things you love.”
Living Well by Design has four main methods of achieving “a home that engages the senses and reflects your personality.”The four fundamentals of interior design include “sense of place, light and space, composition and balance, and pattern and texture.”
SENSE OF PLACE
Place is where it all begins. “When you are designing your house and garden, the aim is to create your own little world—a sanctuary—within your property’s boundaries,” Penfold writes, “a place that feels timeless and sits happily in its location.”The type of home doesn’t necessarily matter— whether you’re in an urban apartment, suburban single-family home or rural rambler. Your home should feel settled within itself, and you in it.
LIGHT AND SPACE
Space and light create the atmosphere of your home. “Our plugged-in culture has left us craving homes that welcome light and airiness—the sky, the sun, a breeze,” Penfold says. Open your house to as much natural light as you can, whether through designs that feature plenty of windows, or through light fixtures that brighten an otherwise dark space.
COMPOSITION AND BALANCE
Balance and composition are critical in creating a space where you can feel safe and comfortable. Penfold’s advice at first seems counterintuitive: Spend some time in your empty apartment or house before you furnish it. “Get a feel for each room’s proportions, register the quality and direction of light, and let the room’s function dictate its design,” she says. It’s also a good idea to live in your home for 6 to12 months before you embark on any major renovations. You may find that your priorities change after living in the space and seeing how it functions.
PATTERN AND TEXTURE
It’s all in the details. Pattern and texture are the finishing touches, and often they can have the greatest impact. “Decorating is like dressing: You can carry anything off if you have confidence,” Penfold writes. “A mix of textures, patterns, finishes and colors infuses interiors with richness and depth.” Choose a color palette you know and like, and vary the tones and textures within it.