7 design steps to success
Whether you’re tackling a room makeover or a complete home renovation, it can be daunting trying to make decisions to create a space that meets your needs for both style and functionality.
To ensure a flawless scheme, time after time, interior designers use a set of design rules that form the foundation of a successful interior that looks polished and feels perfectly balanced. The good news is that you can easily put these principles into practice to transform any room of the house, too.
For the best results, these top seven design rules should be considered at the planning stage, looking at focal points – creating or enhancing the visual anchor to draw the eye and set the tone for the room.
Mastering the 60-30-10 colour rule will help to ensure a cohesive palette, not forgetting to pay close attention to size and proportions for a comfortable space. The four-inch seating rule ensures practicality and comfort, while balance and flow will create a sense of calm and visual appeal. Finally, the rule of three will bring harmony, whether used in the kitchen, living room, bedroom or bathroom.
Together, all of these principles can be used to transform ordinary rooms into spaces that feel intentional, inviting and well-designed – proof that great interiors begin with great rules!
This room ticks all the boxes for great design. It features a striking focal point, the sofa and table lamps create symmetry, the proportions of each item have been carefully considered, and all of the seating maintains the ‘four-inch rule’. The result is a curated space that works in perfect harmony.
7 easy design steps to try
The colour theory
If you sometimes struggle with getting the colours right in a room, the 60-30-10 rule is a great guide for achieving the best balance.
‘The 60-30-10 rule refers to the proportion of colours used as a guideline to create a balanced palette in your home,’ explains interior stylist Emma Fishman. ‘Using the dominant colour for 60% of the room, then 30% of the room in a secondary colour, and 10% of the room for a third, accent colour.’
Try applying your main, 60% colour to walls or large pieces of storage, consider adding your secondary colour to sofas, window treatments or rugs, then the accent colour can be brought in to add personality and depth via cushions or lighting.
In the photo above, the rich navy provides the main, 60% colour to this room, while the yellow provides great contrast as the secondary, 30% shade. The bedside table, pillows and lamp in orange are the perfect 10% accents to complete the colour scheme.
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The rule of three
Interior designers use this rule to create a harmonious and balanced design. ‘By adding groups of three decorative objects together, you can create interest and balance, especially when you use different heights and patterns. This can also be applied to larger pieces, like furniture,’ says Emma.
Whether you’re thinking about hanging artwork, grouping candles or arranging bar stools, the principle can be applied to a variety of design elements, for a more cohesive space. The rule works as we naturally find odd numbers more aesthetically pleasing, particularly where items grouped in even numbers might seem too rigid or formal.
The three items don’t always have to be the same, either – consider adding three decorative items, such as a vase, candle and a book on a tray, or arranging a mirror, print and a woven wall hanging to create a focal point. Varying the sizes, textures or patterns can add visual interest for the eye to be drawn to.
These three prints vary in style and size, but share a sense of continuity through their matching frames and the use of red for a visually balanced display.
Find a focal point
When beginning your room makeover, a crucial part of the design process is deciding upon a focal point. You could highlight an architectural feature, such as a fireplace or bay window, or create your own using a large work of art, a statement piece of furniture or a light fitting. Giving your room a feature gives the design and space a focus, setting the tone for the rest of the decor.
‘Focal points, such as a fireplace, or a statement piece of furniture, are important as they lead your eye into the space, helping to anchor the room, while adding to the mood and ambience,’ explains Emma.
This dramatic wallpaper panel commands attention, making it the main focal point of this room. The vivid colours and exuberant blooms instantly draw and engage the eye, whisking you off into an exotic landscape.
This dramatic wallpaper panel commands attention, making it the main focal point of this room. The vivid colours and exuberant blooms instantly draw and engage the eye, whisking you off into an exotic landscape.
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All on a level
Usually applied to the living room, the four-inch seating rule is one that designers use to ensure that the room not only looks visually appealing, but is comfortable, too.
Emma explains: ‘This rule refers to the pieces of furniture chosen for a room that should not be more than four inches in height difference. Having the heights within a similar range will create a more relaxed and cohesive seating arrangement.’
Keeping seating within the four-inch range encourages natural conversation, as everyone is sitting at a similar level. You could also include the height of the coffee table in this set up to ensure you can comfortably sit and reach for your drink.
The armchairs, footstool and coffee table work harmoniously, despite being different designs, as they sit within the four-inch height rule. This ensures the space is comfortable, both visually and physically.
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Let it flow
‘The rhythm in a room refers to how the eye perceives it, and this can be determined by the choice of furniture, colours and patterns, to achieve a calming flow and unity,’ says Emma.
The layout of your room can directly affect the sense of movement throughout the space. Not only should the arrangement of furniture be a key consideration, how other elements work matters too.
Repetition is key to setting out a visual guide that takes you around the space, so consider how you can carry an accent colour or shape throughout the room – cushions, artwork and lampshades are great, affordable ways to do this.
This room flows beautifully – the curves in the light fitting are echoed in the coffee table, sofa, artwork and items on the windowsill, for an effortless and relaxing scheme.
Size matters
‘Striking the right balance with scale and proportion is essential when thinking about creating an appealing space. This includes carefully considering the size of furniture and how it relates to the proportion of the room, or the scale of the pattern in the soft furnishings,’ says Emma.
When designing, begin by planning larger elements, taking into consideration the size and shape of the space – a large piece of furniture could overwhelm and make it feel small, whereas a small mirror or print on a large expanse of wall could get lost.
To keep your room well balanced, choose pieces that are similar in size to complement each other, and resist overfilling the space, which can make it feel awkward and cluttered. This rule of scale and proportion can also be applied to mixing patterns in soft furnishings to ensure a calm and cohesive scheme.
In this bathroom, the sanitaryware and furniture are all well-proportioned in relation to each other. They are neat and compact, providing a sense of visual flow.
Keep it balanced
Balance is another rule that makes any space look attractive, creating stability through design. There are different types of balance that you can focus on during your room renovation: you could incorporate symmetry with candlesticks at each end of the mantelpiece, or choose to use different objects that are similar in size.
Decor can also provide balance – ensure you use your colour scheme in carefully chosen areas of the room, and in 60-30-10 proportions, giving weight to the right areas for a harmonious finish.
‘Having the correct balance of style and practicality in a room, using scale and symmetry, will help it feel calm,’ says Emma. ‘Getting the balance right will make the room more pleasing, as well as being functional.’
This colourful, multi-functional space works together beautifully due to the arrangement of colours – the refreshing sky blue on the ceiling is grounded by the rugs, storage and lamp in the same shade.
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