The 7 principles of interior design

Crafting a stylish yet functional space, from the living room to your bathroom or bedroom, can be complex.

Figuring out where to put a piece of furniture, how to work with the layout, or even how to work with bedroom themes are huge tasks before you even decorate. To make it easier, certain interior design principles and elements can help you put together a masterpiece without compromising on personal touch.

The principles of interior design are simply rules and guidelines designers follow to create functional yet well-designed rooms in your home.

While the background of these principles of interior design is unknown, they are derived from the practices and theories of various designers, architects, artists, and psychologists. They work together to create a masterpiece.

The seven principles of interior design are:

1. Balance
2. Unity
3. Rhythm
4. Emphasis
5. Contrast
6. Scale and proportion
7. Details

We’ll discuss these principles in detail and help you understand how to use them to design your bedroom (or any room in the house!). You also don’t have to embrace each one fully; you can take minor aspects instead.

Create a mirrored, abstract or central-based layout in your bedroom to design a well-balanced room.

The first principle of interior design, balance, refers to the visual aspect and concerns how furniture and décor are placed. When deciding the layout of your room, it’s important to analyse the line, shape, colour, and texture of different objects. You’ll need to ensure items are placed evenly so that the visual weight around the room is similar.

There are three types of balance:

• Symmetrical (formal)
• Asymmetrical (informal)
• Radial

Creating a formal, balanced room is simple. It involves mirroring or matching each side of the room to be symmetrical. For example, you could have two bedside tables on each side of your bed, which sits in the middle of your room.

Credit: @athomewitholivia

Informal balance is more complex, but it’s worth reading about! The unique look it can give to a space is just beautiful. It’s all about the visual weight of lines, colours, forms, and textures. Instead of mirroring one side with the other, you are complementing it. Think of it as breaking up larger pieces of furniture with smaller ones, such as a sofa balanced by two chairs or a dresser with a bedside table.

Credit: @renovating_192

Radial balance involves featuring a statement piece at the centre of a room, enhanced by its surrounding elements. Whether contrasting or repeating, there’s a pattern in form, texture, and colour. Think of the dining room table as a focal point to which you want people to draw their eyes. The table is usually in the centre, with small elements or storage around it.

For radial balance, it’s common to place your bed in the middle of the room instead of in a corner or against the wall. If you’re constrained by layout, decorate with bold or bright colours to draw the eye to the centre of the room.

Credit: @livingwithdj

Style tip: Balance is all about where you place furniture. Try to space pieces out evenly; this gives each piece breathing space, making it look less cluttered and cancels out any negative space.

Design your bedroom with a theme or style in mind, using colour palettes and textures.

Also known as harmony, the second principle of interior design is all about patterns, hues, textures, and colours. Each piece of furniture, accessory, and style should work together to create a cohesive look that flows smoothly through the room.

The key to unity is matching your theme through similar colour schemes and textures, grouping furniture, and creating a focal point. A consistent colour palette across walls, upholstery, and decorative items makes the space harmonious. Incorporating similar textures, whether soft and plush or sleek and glossy, adds depth while maintaining a unified look. Grouping furniture to facilitate conversation and interaction and defining functional zones helps create a balanced and organised layout. Also, establishing a focal point, such as a feature wall, statement piece of furniture, or architectural element, draws attention and serves as the unifying anchor of the space.

Credit: @number1_thecountryside

Style tip: To make it easier to decide on a theme, style, or palette for your bedroom, start with something you love. Whether it’s a beloved piece of furniture, a pattern such as florals or animal prints, or your favourite colour – use it to guide your space.

Lay out your furniture or décor in a pattern by mirroring or contrasting them to create balance.

Taken from music, this interior design principle is all about rhythmic patterns through the repetition of form. Working with balance, rhythm is all about arranging elements around repetition, progression, transition or contrast.

You can do this by placing two bedside tables or dressers next to or across the room from each other. You can also do this with colours too! Make an area a focal point with a splash of colour or dot the same colour in various spaces to help guide the eye around the room.

Style tip: When creating rhythm with colours, keep in mind the ‘Rule of Three’ and evenly space out the colours. The easiest way, however, to practice rhythm is through smaller accessories such as artwork, cushions, etc. For example, infusing yellow through cushion covers, yellow accents, and artwork or trinkets dotted between greys or patterns.

Make a statement with colour and texture, drawing attention to your bedroom’s unique or central aspect.

Emphasis is all about drawing attention to an aspect of your bedroom. Use décor or components of your bedroom to make the space pop, which the rest of the room can complement. As we mentioned earlier, this is perfect for radial-balanced rooms, but it can be applied to any layout. The focal point can be any feature you wish to highlight.

Explore drawing attention to a fireplace, furniture or storage, a feature wall, an art piece, or maybe your bedroom. While this principle can be used in any sized room, in small spaces you want to make the area feel more unified in style, and in larger spaces, you have more freedom to play with different aesthetics and create more than one emphasis point.

To practice emphasis, you could also use bold or brighter colours to create a strong statement for a particular area of your bedroom, such as painting a feature wall or using bright décor or bedding. You can also experiment with various textures, such as rugs or wall pieces; rough textures will stand out more than smooth ones like brick or stone. Interior designer and art director @tykapryde gives some helpful advice when it comes to the emphasis principle in her TikTok:

@tykapryde Interior design school part 2. Let me know if you have any questions! #interiordesign #homedecor #fypシ #blackgirlluxury #interiordesigner♬ original sound – TykaPryde

Style tip: An easy way to create emphasis in a room is through accent lighting – from spotlight lights, wall lights, corner lamps, overhead chandeliers, and statement light pieces. This can accentuate the room itself or bring focus to a corner or specific object in mind.

Be bold and contrast hues and themes.

Contrast in design is all about creating visual interest within your space. It helps to balance your interior and can make your room look more exciting. The best way to do this is through colour.

Credit: @through_the_lane

For example, pair opposite colours like light and dark or warm and cool hues. Think black and white, navy blue and cream or even pink with a cool blue. You can also experiment with textures, patterns, scale, or even accent pieces of furniture. Have fun with it! It’s your sanctuary, after all.

This interior design principle comes from the Ancient Greeks and The Golden Ratio. It’s all about the relationship between balance, symmetry, and proportions.

Used by artists and architects alike, it is about using the surrounding area to create a sense of belonging within the objects in the room through size, shape, form and colour.

Scale is all about how one object relates to another and the size of the space, whereas proportion is the relationship between two items. For example, when setting up furniture in a bedroom, it’s best to avoid crowding large pieces into a small space. Instead, try spreading them around the room or using them to create focal points. Use different shapes, sizes, or items such as art or greenery to balance with ordinary items.

Credit: @final_family_home

Style tip: A general rule of thumb for the size of the accent is half or two-thirds of the width with respect to the piece of furniture it is on or surrounded by. This can create contrast in different sizes and scales to complement each other and balance the space out.

Show off your unique style and personalise the space by putting together the finishing touches.

While all the other principles of design involve layout, placement, and colours or textures, the final one is all about the small details and finishing touches to make it yours. There is no set rule with this, as it’s all about adding the bits that make you, you! Show off your unique style, add pieces to personalise your space, and make it attractive to you. Adding these touches makes your room truly unique and creates a sanctuary you’ll love to unwind in.

Style tip: It’s easier said than done, but try not to worry and rush about where to place personal décor or trinkets. Instead, focus on each section of the space, pick out the large items first, and complement them with smaller accents.

Using the seven design principles makes designing your bedroom simple.

Whether moving house or wanting to redecorate, moving aspects around or incorporating contrasting colours and textures can define your design. Play around with the seven design principles and have fun. Don’t forget to add your own personal flare to make your room your own.