One of the most important aspects of interior designs is the idea of a central statement. A home needs to speak to visitors who enter into it for the first time. When one invites someone over it should be an intimate experience. That first step through the doorway should convey some elements of its owners personality.

One of the ways in which we accomplish this personalization is through proper use of space. Many people fall into a habit of over consumption and clutter. One simply tends to collect mildly useful objects over time. It can feel wasteful to get rid of these objects. However, we ask that people consider the idea of a blank canvas.

Now imagine that over the years people randomly paint shapes within it. There’s no central design to their artistic endeavors. The person who owns the canvas just randomly adds things she’s seen over the course of her day. Anyone can see that the result would be something of a disorganized mess. The same principle applies to homes.

One’s home is essentially a blank canvas. There’s always a temptation to randomly add objects to any given room. However, in doing so people will quickly destroy any chance of a unified theme within both individual rooms and the dwelling as a whole. It’s important to consider every item within any given room. We also need to consider how the overall layout of every room impacts the whole.

For example, consider how the mood of various rooms might change by their intended use. A living room, kitchen and bathroom are all heavily targeted areas. A living room is primarily used for relaxation. Kitchens are used to prepare meals. And bathrooms are for more private moments. We know that people will feel differently on entering any of these rooms. By design, the mood should reflect the intended use of all of these areas. But at the same time there should be a natural flow which maintains the home’s overall thematic elements.

We can see this idea by looking over the presented examples. Interior design choices should speak to the people who enter any of these rooms. However, it should suggest feeling and mood rather than insist upon it. This is typically done by working within predefined and accepted styles.

For example, consider the current suggestions for a more sparse type of decorative style. This is usually considered to fall within the larger banner of modern. Modern design typically uses lean lines, an absence of distraction and subdued colors. Now imagine if one were to either add or subtract metallic elements from that base design. We’d accomplish a few things by adding more metallic pieces or decorations.

A metallic sheen will provide an advantage of abundant reflective surfaces. These reflections will subconsciously suggest wider spaces than is actually present. What’s more the color scheme offers subtle changes to the overall feel of a room. This simple change moves the modern layout to a more bohemian aesthetic.

Now imagine what would happen if we took these same examples and rounded out some of the edges. A more circular design tends to offer a calming experience. This is even more true when one accentuates it with reflective surfaces. This can include both metal or mirrors. This combination can evoke some of the feelings typically present when people see a beautiful natural landscape. However, it moves the feelings from nature and into a residential space.

We can consider how a circular lake makes us feel as we see the moon’s reflection upon its surface. This is the general idea behind adding more of a rounded style to a room’s design choices. It evokes a natural feeling similar to still ponds or moonlit nights within one’s residential area. This is usually referred to as a contemporary design. It’s also more forgiving of attempts to borrow minimal elements from other styles.

We’d like to stress that these aren’t hard rules. One of the joys of design comes from innovation and individualized choices. However, by considering some of these ideas and applying it to the examples it’s possible to form a solid foundation upon which to build.