Interior design summary

(Combined lectures notes from students)

Table of contents

What is Interior design? 2

Interior design styles: 2
1. Traditional style ______________________________________________________2
2. Bohemian style (Boho) _________________________________________________3
3. Contemporary style ___________________________________________________3
4. Modern style (a design school) ___________________________________________4
5. Minimalist ___________________________________________________________4
6. Scandinavian ________________________________________________________5
7. Rustic style __________________________________________________________5
8. Industrial design ______________________________________________________6
9. Moroccan style _______________________________________________________6
10. African Style ________________________________________________________7
11. Indian style _________________________________________________________8
12. Japanese style _______________________________________________________8
Flooring 11
A) Types of Flooring ____________________________________________________ 11
B) What to think about when choosing the type of flooring: ______________________ 14
C) How to match flooring to furniture even to existing furniture in renovations. ______ 15

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What is Interior design?
Interior design is how we experience spaces. It affects how we live, work, play
or even heal.
It’s creating comfortable, functional spaces, for work, rest, or else wise and
includes creating beautiful public spaces. It’s more than just aesthetics, its finding
creative design solutions for interior environments supporting 1. Health 2. Safety 3.
Wellbeing of occupants & 4. Enhancing the quality of life.
Interior design is systemic and coordinated.

Interior design:
- Designing spaces
- Uses knowledge
- Takes into account all aspects of planning and designing spaces.

Interior Architecture:
- Balancing art & science of designing an interior space taking into account all
aspects of planning and designing and other elements.

Interior decoration:
- Solely concerned with decoration to any of a space.
- Finishing and color schemes.

Interior design styles:

1. Traditional style
- Use of warm, rich, saturated colors
- Ornately detailed furniture
- Antiques, and classic art.
- Built ins, Crown moldings, white paneling, coffer ceilings
- Symmetry & mirroring
- Always contains a focal point
- Design elements are usually grouped in twos and not normally in odd
numbers
- Sometimes use of prints, Floral, striped or small prints.
- Classical and timeless
- Can range the traditional strict rules to a more young fresher take on the
style.

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2. Bohemian style (Boho)
- Very artistic and eclectic
- Uses a variety of bold and bright colors
- Use of low laying furniture
- Tribal designs and ethnic elements
- Heavy mix of colors and patterns and motifs (Motif is a single unit of a
certain pattern, can be intricate).
- Accessorized artistically
- Layering of textured and varied natural materials
- Opposite of minimalist/ Shy away from minimalism
- Vintage furniture and lighting fixtures.
- Globally textile rugs
- Sometimes we see the display of collectables from travels, or things that were
obtained and collected from flee markets
- Suited those who live a carefree life with little rules
- Botanicals (Plants)
- Warm and earthy tones
- Metallics are sometimes used as well as mirrors
- Distressed finds, as if the furniture or objects in the room have lived a life
before this one
- Floor pillows and comfortable seating spaces.
- Sometimes the style comes as a simple white base with some of the elements
mentioned above added in the space.

3. Contemporary style
(anything mu3aser mawjood b the time we’re living in) (Design based on the
here and now)
- Show exposed legs and clean lines
- Bright colors
- Neutral colors
- Light colors, clean look
- Thick accent walls
- Furniture style are simple and clean with smooth surfaces lift a little from the
ground to give an airy atmosphere
- As for fabrics a lot of natural and neutral color fabrics and texture plays an
important role
- Very light or dark wood tones

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 - Metal accent used as well
- Fluid style and can represent a sense of currency with less adherence to one
particular style.
- May include curving lines

4. Modern style (a design school)

- Furniture has clean lines with smooth sleek surfaces, any curve or shape but
clean line (Some state modern design doesn’t contain curving lines)
- Metal, chrome or glass are their favorite colors
- Uses bold colorful accents in art and furniture
- Modern is a broad design term refers to a home with clean crisp lines and a
simple color palette and the use of materials that include metal, glass and steel
- Employs a sense of simplicity in every element
- Not a lot of clutter or accessories involved
- A strict interpretation of design that started in the 20th century (De Stijl)

5. Minimalist
- Less is more
- Functional furniture is the most essential design element
- Carries modernity to the extreme
- Dont see anything that is unnecessary
- Simple architecture
- Clean lines
- Spaces are open and light filled
- Everything used is quite strategic and functional
- Use essentials only
- Colors are very muted
- Often monochrome color palate
- Reflects into some peoples life, how we live and use our art
- Influenced by Japanese design (Notet: Japanese architects very influenced by
their culture) - Takes notions of modern design and simplifies them further
- Color palette are neutral and airy
- Furnishing are simple and streamlined
- Nothing is excessive in accessories and decor
- Ultra clear lines

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6. Scandinavian
- Simple and understated
- All white color palette
- With natural elements from pressed wood
- Plastics
- Enameled aluminum
- Steel
- Wide plank flooring
- Pops of color come from art, fibers and furs

7. Rustic style
- Incorporates natural materials, industrial touches
- Farmhouse charm
- Fabric don’t have loud patterns
- Texture is everything
- Using raw and unfinished elements, Natural inspiration, including wood and
stone
- May incorporate accessories from the outdoors with warm emulating from
the design
- Architectural details may include features like vaulted ceilings adorned with
wood beams or reclaimed floors
- Great way to connect or reconnect with natures elements and benefit from
earths soothing powers
- Reminds us of the outdoor farm simplicity
- Invite the outside in
- Color, natural color palette, brown beige cream shades of green blue and red
as long as the colors tie with other elements and lead to a warm and earthy
aesthetics
- Large surfaces typically left raw and unpainted
- Natural materials: wood, stone, metals
- Fabrics, more inviting, cozy blankets, checked fabrics and chunky knits, add
faux for a luxury feel, patterned color woven rug for a pop of color or texture.
- Textile, design is meant to look effortless, Organic textures
- Patterns to arouse interest
- Mismatched furniture
- Avoid straight lines, organic and abstract imperfections used for a unique
and rustic interior

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 - Natural flaws are highlighted
- Furniture, made of recycled and reclaimed materials

8. Industrial design
- Exposed pipes and beams (sometimes colored black to give a feeling of
infinity
- Uses materials like brick and concrete to give the space a lot of character
- Raw or unfinished furniture often paired with antiques
- Draws inspiration from a warehouse or an urban loft
- Sense of unfinished rawness in many materials and elements see brick
ductwork and wood - See steel
- Renovated loft from a formal industrial building
- High ceilings, old timber, dangling metal light fixtures with sparse functional
furniture
- One or two pieces of abstract art or photography to add a dash of colors to
an otherwise neutral color scheme derived from the primary materials of wood
and metals

9. Moroccan style
- Stone in floors and walls, left bare or painted directly onto the stone, rough
finish and adds texture to the room
- Tiles, used to create intricate patterns on floors usually but also on walls and
ceilings
- Terracotta; for pots in home and garden, used to create many tiles and
accessories
- Wrought iron, in internal fittings, used on windows and doors
- Fittings is antique gold style coated metals in chandeliers too, copper is also
use.
- Wall lamps and chandelier style lighting are common in this style
- Textiles adds color, points of interest warmth, comfort and pattern to
Moroccon style. Used in the form of rugs, wall hangings, throws curtains and
bedding
- Leather, bedding either for furniture of accessories
- Architectural features are used, you’ll see horseshoe arch, arched windows
and doorways, stained glass, arched cloves

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 - Color, although white and neutral colors are often used for the wall, almost
everything else has bright and bold colors. Blues and greens represent the ocean,
as well as earth tones. Jewel colors featured strongly
- Walls usually bare stone walls are rendered and then painted either stark
white or neutral color or they are painted in bold colors
- Patterns commonly geometric and repetitive colors used in various colors,
feature of floors, accessories textile and furniture use of different patterns
together, part of the style, heavily ornamented
- Rare use of carpets, plenty of use of patterned tiling limits it. However if
carpets are present they are usually of bold colors and intricate patterns.
- Furniture. Consider the flow of the room, the actual design of the furniture
is less important the style allows quirks and unconventionality.
- Wooden furniture including hand carved pieces are typical for this look, not
all pieces have to match as the style is associated with unconventionality
sometimes we find built in furniture
- The accessories of the room make the feel more homy, wood bowls, terra-
cotta pots, ornate mirrors, wrought iron ornaments, hand painted ceramics,
stained glass vases
- Seen commonly in living rooms, kitchens using units with darker woods and
painted units, dining rooms, bold colors opt for deep reds oranges blues greens
wooden chairs with carving, wooden table and carved legs, candelabras large
mirror with antique gold surround, pattered fabric seats complement the area
- Bedrooms, lights and relations look, add splashes of jewel colors using throws
cushion and wall hangings. Or dramatic look with bold colors painting the walls
with vivid red or a deep terra-cotta. Colorful bedding with Moroccan patterns,
wooden four poster bed.
- Bathrooms in a Moroccan style, free standing bath, tiles and colorful. Tiles
are laid to form patterns on the floor in a perfect way. You can also use tiles on
the walls and create features or focal points, use of cornice.

- Gardens, greenery, fountains

- Moroccan arches, arabesque shades
- Desert and sea reflected in color scheme

10. African Style

Darker colors, images, and patterns - -Face images as decor
- Use animal prints and skins
- Natural wood is used

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- Parquet floors
- Color spectrum

11. Indian style

- Color, rich dark vibrant colors, deep shades against lighter colors, used in
walls, floors and curtains.
- Pattern, patterns and motifs set a deep connection between culture and
religion.
- Mosaic flooring, patchwork on quilts and elegant tapestries reflecting the
Indian culture
- Decor mix of many, idols, statues, wall hangings embroidered rugs.
- Furniture, use wood plenty rosewood, teak and ebony, give out a rustic
appearance and heavy wooden tables, bench style sofas and carved wooden
chairs. (dark woods)
- Indian artists are known for beautifying the imperfections of wood to give a
rustic appearance.
- Floor, marble, granite or tile.
- Artworks by Rajasthani and Madhubani
- Handwoven fabrics
- Statement brass lamps
- Patchwork

12. Japanese style

1. Use Open Spaces
A Japanese home always has ample space, even if the house is small . interior
designers in Japan create a natural flow of all the items and furniture in the room.
Everything has a purpose and a perfect placement. The furniture lines one or two
sides of the room, while the rest of the living space is open and uncluttered.

2. Consider Wallpapers With Japanese Nuances

The living room with floor mats or a huge area rug that complements the
pattern of the rice paper. Add some modern wooden furniture of darker colors and
a large coffee table in the center of the room. And Voila! You have a beautiful
Japanese style living room with a modern touch.

3. Use of natural materials

The ‘mono no aware’, which can be translated as “awareness of the transient
beauty of nature Japanese interior design often consists of furniture made from
natural materials, especially wood used in a modern way. They believe that

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materials have a soul, and they ‘amaze and delight’ if you know how to study them,
question them, and listen to them throughout a Japanese home, from framing
architectural features like windows and openings (see below), to room divides,
staircases and the actual building construction.

4. Lightweight
‘Weightlessness’ as a result of construction with minimum materials, and its
figurative aspect connotes emotional lightheartedness in the perception of the
product.
The lightness was a response to the frequently occurring earthquakes and it
aligns with Buddhist teachings about the transient nature of all things.

5.Furniture
• Japanese style implies a minimum of furniture.
• Low sofa upholstered with high-quality natural materials (leather, cotton,
linen);
• Built-in wardrobes (fitted wardrobes mostly);
• Low table made of dark brown or black wood
• Bare essential furnishings keep this living space from feeling cramped or
cluttered letting the beauty of its wood and white elements reflect and bounce the
natural light.

6. Natural Elements
Wood is the preferred element material in Japan. Traditional houses are made
of wood, mud and straw.
Light or dark shades of wood are used
Use of Tatami matts that are made of rice straw.
Sometime metal is combined with wood in furniture that is traditional, this
type is usually used to store precious belongings.
“Use sky-lights, large windows, and glass doors to contribute plenty of natural
light to your design ideas. Now add some natural wallpapers, or straw carpets and
furniture made of natural wood with a minimalist design”

7. Use of Rocks with Natural elements

Every Japanese home includes a serious respect for nature, as part of its aesthetic
of balancing what is man-made and natural. Other than wood, another common
natural feature of Japanese interiors include simple internal rock gardens. Rock
gardens typically consist of rocks, water features and some greenery atop of sand
or gravel. They were intended to imitate the essence of nature and served to
encourage meditation about the meaning of existence.

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 8. Void
Negative space is valued highly in creating a sense of clarity and freedom
within the Japanese Zen inspired home.

9. Windows and Doors

Shoji walls can be pushed aside creating a strong connection with the outdoor.
Allow the exterior and interior of this Japanese city loft to organically meld
one into the other.

10. Illumination
The visual drama conveyed by daylight causes spaces to evolve into living
organisms that impact our emotions. Designed around the motion of natural light
and its relationship with natural materials used in the interiors.

11. Details
A good craftsman is one who pays attention to the details and makes them
invisible. It is easy to make something seen, but great skill is required to make one
unseen. An example would be the intricacy of Japanese wood joinery; the lengths
taken to make two entities seem like one. The Japanese perceive true simplicity as a
form of luxury. Modern wood furniture can appear simple in construction, yet the
engineering inside is deeply considered.

12. Design Genkan-style entryways,

Genkan-style are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment,
or building, a combination of a porch and
a doormat. It is usually located inside the building directly in front of the door. The
primary function of genkan is for the removal of shoes before entering the main
part of the house or building
You can design it on a raised platform to create an isolated space at the
entrance. The traditional Japanese house does not allow outside-footwear into the
house. Hence, you can also install shoe-racks in the Genkan. Use some area rugs
and mats with natural hues near the doorway to create a Japanese style. Decorate
the area with traditional Japanese plants or line it with Tatami mats

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Flooring

A) Types of Flooring

1. Hardwood
- Oak, cherry, lemon, maple wood etc.
- Variety of options that can be easily used in open spaces to make the space
look larger
- Can be refinished several times, recolored, restrained, painted etc.
- Water, heat and humidity can affect the wood
- Need to insulate the area you’re putting the wood in.
- Need to think about the type you want, the size, and the method of
installation.
- High pay for installation
- Wood is expensive and installation is costly too.

2. Engineered wood
- Top veneer is real wood bottom layers are of plywood
- Makes the flooring less susceptible to humidity and other conditions
- Topmost layers can also be engineered from wood dust or other.
- Can be used when in need or when you have underfloor heating.
- You can not nail it, and you can install it yourself
- Durable, stable, changes in climate won’t affect it
- Expensive like hardwood.

3. Bamboo
- Horizontal and vertical wooden
- Generates itself, grows fast in the environment which makes it environment
friendly

4. Laminate
- Popular
- Easy to install
- Low maintenance
- Artificial look
- Made of different wood based material combined together

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 - Can have a woodgrain image printed on top of it
- The top layer is not real wood its a plastic image
- Can be installed over existing floors
- It warps when water comes on it
- Not the best if you have pets or plants

5. Linolum
- Ecofriendly
- Made from recyclable materials, seeds, oils and minerals
- Doesn’t produce harmful gases
- It does have a protective coating so its needes to be refinished every 2 years
- Durable, stands heavy foot traffic
- Comes in sheets
- Can be mopped easily
- Comes in a variety of styles and patterns
- Often used in hospitals and offices
- Made from all natural materials which can be ruined by harsh cleaning
materials/ chemicals
- If you are using it as tiles not sheets Rukkss beed ti be sealed well
- If maintenance is skipped it can curve at the edges
- Water resistant but not water proof

6. Cork
- Comes from the bark of the tree
- The bark constantly falls every 10 years, instead of cutting the tree we take
the bark and make cork
- Warm natural appearance with grainy look
- Sustainable
- Non-slip
- Needs to be resealed every now and then
- Absorps sound
- Installed by gluing it down

7. Ceramic tiles
- Popular for kitchens and bathrooms
- Cost effective
- Non porous, don't have to seal them
- Water proof

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 - Weather proof
- Can be from Clay and shell
- Bad thing is that it can chip and crack if something heavy falls on it.
Types:
1. Glazed ceramic: Polished coating, maintenance free, unlimited variety of
colors and textures.
2. Quarry tile: Unglazed, colors come from pigments applied to clay, rough
texture, better slip resistance than glazed tile.
3. Porcelain: Fired at extremely high temperatures, hard, durable, resistant to
staining, great for outdoor applications.
4. Terracotta: Unglazed tile with early colors and rustic appearance, not as
durable as others, Must be sealed periodically to avoid or prevent staining.

8. Natural Stone
- Marble, granite, turpentine, limestone.
- Marble comes from pressure under earth surface
- Granite comes from pressure and heat under earth surface, comes in dark
color because of its exposure to heat.
- Sandstone and limestone need to be refinished every few years
- Marble and granite need to be refinished every 4-5 years
- Since they are porous, they can stain
- Can be slippery

9. Vinyl
- Soft, tough and durable
- Cheap but fewer style options
- Backed by a layer of felt and foam
- Can have a textured surface that looks like wood
- Easily punctured by sharp objects
- Easy to clean, great for kitchens, basements and bathrooms
- Absorbs sounds
- Emits VLCs, gases, not green.
- Nightmare to remove if you’re renovating.

10. Concrete

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 - Wide range of sealers
- Can be polished and stained
- Long lasting and durable
- Perfect floor for radiant heat
- Seamless, no grout lines
- Easy to clean
- Could feel cold
- Can put inlays
- Can add pigments to variety
- If you dropped something super heavy on it it can crack and the only way to
fix it is to pour the concrete again.
- Cement concrete tile: durable and more expensive.

B) What to think about when choosing the type of flooring:

1. The function of the room
2. Who will be using the room
3. The vibe of the room
4. How much maintenance are you prepared to do
5. How much am I prepared to pay (Budget)
6. If I have an open concept home, I’d choose a form I love
7. Mind transitions between rooms
8. You might use natural stone in kitchens and bathrooms for durability and
aesthetic reasons.
9. Ceramic tiles if you’re opting for a cheap aesthetic option
10. If you want to skimp on something don’t skimp on the installation process,
you can buy cheap flooring but bring a true professional to install it making it
look like a million dollar flooring.

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C) How to match flooring to furniture even to existing furniture in
renovations.
1. Define my interior design style
appearance, aesthetic, diff color palettes, furniture and design for each
aesthetics, know your colors and textures and see whats available according to
your budget.
2. Define your color palette, don’t forget the context of your room whats
already in it and what the room serves. Have a color palette in place and put it with
the textures.
3. Look at all the elements that define your space and how the space looks all
together.
4. If you have dark furniture, you’d choose flooring that would brighten up the
space.
5. Color, Contrast. Colors should complement the colors of the furniture and
decorations, contrast but not overwhelm the decor and furniture.
6. Lighting, ask for samples and compare them to the color of the furniture on
the walls in different times of the day. If your home lacks natural lighting, opt for
lighter floors, if your home is filled with light opt for darker floors.
7. Size of the room. Lighter color finishes - makes the room appear larger
8. Functionality, what’s the use of the space.
9. Aesthetics, direction of putting the flooring

Best of luck!

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