Deciphering interior design jargon

Interior design often seems so abstract to homeowners. When people want to decorate a space, they’ll often hire an interior decorator because the principles of interior design seem so foreign to them. There’s a lot of jargon used in the industry that just doesn’t make sense so here we’ll tackle some of the most confusing aspects of interior design to make them seem a little more familiar.

Design as psychology

The key to any good interior design is that it complements the homeowner’s personality. The person decorating really needs to understand what it is they want out of their living space before they can set about decorating it. It’s a good idea to think about how you want to live without thinking about the constraints of the space and it may lead to some ideas that you would have ruled out. Also think about why you’re drawn to a certain thing. Is it because it’s trendy and you’ve been seeing it done a lot lately in other homes or do you genuinely like it because it evokes a certain feeling.

Create a visual language

A person can say they dislike the "modern look" or that they love the "country style décor" but these are just terms that will conjure up different mental pictures for different people. Homeowners need to look at plenty of images to get a feel for what they like and don’t like. This visual process is better that trying to come up with a list of likes and dislikes just using terminology.

Curiosity is key

Homeowners need to approach interior decorating with some curiosity. Everyone has things that they like and don’t like but there are plenty of things out there that a homeowner has never seen and doesn’t know if he/she likes. It’s a good idea to be willing to experiment with new things and be willing to discover new things about themselves.

Materials as mood-setters

The "mood" of a room is something that’s hard to explain to people but different materials, textures, colors, and layouts do come together to create a certain mood in each room. Materials are the tactile and concrete aspects of interior design that can really help to set that mood so homeowners need to think carefully about what materials to use in a space.

Lighting sets the tone

Tone works hand in hand with the mood of a room and great lighting can be used to underscore the mood that’s being set in a room. Some spaces require hidden, linear light sources to really reinforce the architecture in a space. This is called accent lighting. Other times a room will need lamps and decorative light fixtures to fill the room with a warm glow. This is called ambient lighting. The right lighting always depends on the mood you’re trying to set with that room.

Furnishings bring personality

There are so many styles and every style reflects a different kind of personality. You can tell a lot about a person just by how they’ve furnished their home. Homeowners need to think carefully about how various furniture pieces represent them and their personal style when buying furniture. Collecting a good mix of furniture of different styles is crucial if you want to avoid having a home that looks like it’s featured in a catalog.

Source: Curbed

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