The Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff incorporates the principle of emphasis in the Funicular Train Gallery. The architect deliberately designed a central timber-toned band that continued from floor to ceiling to act as a central welcoming statement. Photos: BEu Tan Architect
Welcome back to our series of articles on unearthing tips and tricks in interior design. Homeowners like you can be your own mastermind and designer of your abode. I am still keen to talk about the intangible elements in design.
Two weeks ago, we discussed using texture in decorating your home. Today, we unearth five principles of design that are important to grasp and apply in design.
These principles are universal in the creative world and are one of my favourite topics to teach in the classroom. You may hear these jargons used by architects, interior designers, graphic designers and even photographers.
In any creative process, principles of design are one of the most defining criteria of a successful design product. Without a strong understanding, it takes a lot of trial and error to accomplish an outcome that looks great and visually impactful.
I chose five of my favourite principles that I always remind my architecture students to adhere to. You can apply them in your adventure of DIY home design too!
Emphasis is akin to finding and creating a focal point in your composition of space. It is about creating dominance of a specific element in the complete design.
Emphasis can be easily accomplished by play of colour, size, shape, texture, position and style. Do remember that emphasis implies a singular focus. Our human eyes get confused when looking at two or three signboards on a shopfront. This explains the common sight of one large sculpture in the middle of a hotel lobby.
Hence, always ask this; which element of the house decor would be the emphasis of the room?
The interior spaces of a meeting room feature strategically selected furniture, wall and floor colours of high contrast to create simple interiors with depth and character.
Contrast, at least to me, is emphasis’ best friend. They exist almost side by side. When you bring in emphasis to your design statement, contrast always comes next. Why? Emphasis and contrast are simply two different principles, often misunderstood and used interchangeably as one. The principle of contrast is all about creating a distinct difference between two or more elements in design.
Contrast can be easily achieved by choosing a dominant colour against a muted colour background. By doing this, you will avoid an outcome that is monotonous and lacking in depth.
The word hierarchy reminds me of the pedestal that Olympic athletes stand on to receive their gold, silver and bronze medals. A gold medallist stands on the highest platform, followed subsequently by silver and bronze.
Similarly, the principle of hierarchy requires you to decide which element should be of first, second and third importance in terms of visual dominance. We perceive objects that have the highest contrasts in the room.
Hierarchy is the secret strategy of manipulating how your guest interacts and navigates your living room. Apply the rule of hierarchy when you need to compose several elements in one room or vista.
The rooftop viewing platform for visitors at the Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff showcases a strong sense of hierarchy by positioning bold lettering as the primary central focus against a backdrop of architectural railings and planters, with a panoramic view of George Town ahead.
The principle of unity celebrates the harmony of various elements in your room. Harmony is achieved when colours, tones and shades in a room complement well and look coherent. Interiors that look harmonious with a strong sense of unity often are intentional, never accidental.
When you’re aiming for a sense of unity, a strong control of unifying colours in the entire room is a must. Avoid singular objects that stand out drastically from the rest in terms of their shape, colour and size.
The interior of the Mansion at the Penang Harmony Centre showcases muted shades of colours and tones to exude a sense of calm, peace and unity in design.
The last principle that we’re discussing today is repetition. As self-explanatory as it sounds, repetition is achieved when we consciously duplicate selected elements to create an overarching pattern. The principle of repetition works in opposite ways of emphasis. Instead of a singular object as a central focal point, a set of repeated elements can be equally impactful and visually appealing.
Now that you’re empowered with this knowledge and understanding of core design principles, challenge yourself to access the interior design of public spaces that you visit next. If you’re planning to revamp your home interiors, start with a fresh mindfulness of the impact you wish to achieve. Design principles when applied carefully are a powerful recipe for creating interiors that are delightful, charming, and inspiring. Give it a try!
The newly built Community Hall at the Penang Harmony Centre intentionally used repeated sets of slanted windows and walls to form a solid-void backdrop of an otherwise boring wall of a large hall.
Tan Bee Eu is a professional architect registered with Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia. She has two decades of working experience involving diverse local and international projects in architecture and design. Tan also teaches at Universiti Sains Malaysia, advocating passive design strategies, design principles and professional architectural practice. She can be reached at www.betadesignz.com/contact.
The Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff incorporates the principle of emphasis in the Funicular Train Gallery. The architect deliberately designed a central timber-toned band that continued from floor to ceiling to act as a central welcoming statement. Photos: BEu Tan Architect
The interior spaces of a meeting room feature strategically selected furniture, wall and floor colours of high contrast to create simple interiors with depth and character.
The newly built Community Hall at the Penang Harmony Centre intentionally used repeated sets of slanted windows and walls to form a solid-void backdrop of an otherwise boring wall of a large hall.
The rooftop viewing platform for visitors at the Penang Hill Gallery @ Edgecliff showcases a strong sense of hierarchy by positioning bold lettering as the primary central focus against a backdrop of architectural railings and planters, with a panoramic view of George Town ahead.
The interior of the Mansion at the Penang Harmony Centre showcases muted shades of colours and tones to exude a sense of calm, peace and unity in design.
