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Design Thesis !Sometimes little changes makes a huge difference. By showing you how to make some small changes throughout your home I am giving you a chance to revamp your entire house overtime without having to call a designer or break the bank! There are some small rules that you can apply in your own design of your home to help your space look new without having to buy all new furniture. There are some small ways you can revamp your rooms without having to pay anything or only spending a little
bit of money. Some of these ways include rearranging furniture, painting, and adding accessories amongst many other things. You can take these tips that I give you and use them when you want, if you want to change your entire house around in a week you can or you can apply what ideas you like over time and build your dream space step by step. My goal is to send you a magazine every other month with new ideas and ways to decorate your home and update your old furniture. 2 Â
Living a green lifestyle is also something I believe is very important in our world today. By reusing your older things in new ways is also a great way to practice green living. Being “green” in the home is very important because it saves you a lot of money and helps out the environment. 3
On the Cover
The picture on the cover was taken downtown Asheville, NC, my home town. My inspira@on comes from Asheville because I love how artsy it is and how the environment is important to everyone who lives there.
Contents October/November 2012
Design Thesis.......................2 Le/er to the Editor……..……6 Elements
• Line…………………………...…..8 -‐Straight Horizontal -‐Straight Ver@cal -‐Curved Flowing -‐Curved Tightly
• Texture…………………….…..14 -‐Tac@le Textured -‐Implied Texture -‐Non-‐Reflec@ve -‐Reflec@ve
• Light…………………………….20
-‐Task -‐Track -‐Natural -‐Floor Lamps -‐Color…………………………….26 -‐Monochroma@c -‐Analogous -‐Split Complementary -‐Neutral Pale/e
• Space…………………………….32 -‐Posi@ve Space -‐Nega@ve Space -‐Crowding Territoriality
• Shape………....38 -‐Abstract -‐Geometric -‐Organic -‐Dynamic
• Form……………44 -‐Geometric -‐Neutral -‐Abstract -‐Non-‐Objec@ve
Principles
• Propor@on….51
-‐Objects not in propor@on with Space
• Emphasis….…..54
-‐Focal Point (Visual) -‐Focal Point (Structural)
• Balance…….…..58 -‐Visual Symmetry
-‐Structural Symmetry -‐Visual Asymmetry -‐Visual Radial Symmetry
• Harmony……...64
-‐Object in Propor@on with
Space
-‐Unity through line
-‐Unity through Shape -‐Unity through Color
-‐Unity through Repe@@on
• Massing…………70 -‐Actual Density
-‐Op@cal Density
• Rhythm………….74 -‐Repe@@ve
-‐Clima@c -‐Contrast -‐Transi@onal
• Scale………………80 -‐Human Scale -‐Symbolic Scale
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Letter to the editor My name is Meredith Payne, I am from Asheville, North Carolina and I grew up loving the arts in school. I have been a dancer since I was two years old and art and music classes were always my favorite though out grade school. Interior design has always been in my life and it had always been a passion of mine. My mother was a home economics major in college and my aunt is an interior designer. We have added on to my house many @mes and it inspired me to build my own homes when I was a young girl. I remember I had a notebook of graph paper where I always drew floor plans of my “dream house.” I would design every part of a home, from the garage and kitchen, to using my imagina@on and having a pool under a glass roof and an extra room for all the animals I would own. I knew all along that I wanted to go to school to learn more about Interior Design. Acer studying at East Carolina University, I love designing even more. My goal is not only to design beau@ful homes for my clients, but it is also to help you learn. It makes designing more fun for both of us and also you can walk away knowing why I did what I did and what you can do in the future if you want to change anything or have an addi@onal room to makeover.
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Elements of Design The elements of design are the basics of how a design comes together. Elements of design are the first things that you see when you look at something, maybe even without no@cing it. Look at the room that your sieng in now and see how many lines you see, how many colors, what texture or lights, how much space is there and finally what shapes and forms do you see? These are all of the elements that a designer thinks of when they are designing a room. These elements work very well together to make a beau@ful space, but they can also work against each other if they do not match. Learning a li/le more about how to use them can help you when you are redoing your own home. 7
Line
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 LINE is defined as the connection between two points as seen in planes and outlines of shapes. Lines may be horizontal, vertical, angular, or curved. Lines can be used to create visual effects, such as making a room look taller or longer. Lines also create a since of movement. 9 Â
Line
Straight Horizontal
By using line horizontally you create movement by guiding your eye to a certain point or around a room. It can also make a room look wider or longer like in the picture to the right. By using stripes down the hallway it guides you to the end of the hallway and it also make it look longer than it actually is. The client I had for this project thought that a hallway filled with stripes would be too much or too confusing to look at, especially because she wanted to hang pictures also. This hallway is also very narrow so I agreed with her in that overall stripes would be overbearing but she loved stripes and s@ll wanted them in the hall. So I added a chair rail around the room to create a false wainscot around the room with paint. In your own home you can be crea@ve and think of new ways to use basic or old ideas.
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Line
Straight Vertical
The easiest way to dress up your room or an old piece of furniture is by using paint. In this interior we painted this old chest of drawers to make it look new. The chest also was not very tall, so we decided to use ver@cal stripes to make it look taller. Using stripes draws your eye along the line making the piece of furniture look taller. We finished the look by adding a long mirror. The ver@cal line of the mirror also draws your eye up making the space look longer. The addi@on of a mirror also makes the space look bigger. Where we placed the mirror you can see out the windows from various points in the room such as sieng on the couch. Seeing out of a window makes the space feel more open and reflects a lot more natural light into the space.
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Line
Curved Flowing These stairs were designed by Atmos Studio. The curved lines guide you up the stairs at the base and con@nue up the staircase. These flowing lines create movement on and around the stairs making it more interes@ng to look at. You can create these lines in your own home by using paint or wooden panels on your exis@ng stairs. It can make your stairs look new and exci@ng as apposed to the normal stair case. By changing your original railing on your stairs you can make the details more interes@ng and con@nue the lines of your railing onto the
walls. To make this project less expensive try to create your own design. You can just direct your curving lines up the walls instead of connec@ng them to the stairs like in the stairs by Atmos Studio. Making it your own is the key to this project. Crea@ng a design that you love is very important because you are living in the space. Think about finding a pa/ern or design online if your are not that crea@ve, or if you want to do it yourself think about drawing it out first so you can get it exactly how you want it.
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Line
Curved Tightly
Lines that are curved @ghtly are busier than flowing lines. They are ocen found in tex@les and wall and floor coverings as complicated pa/erns that are lively. Tightly curved line within designs can add a fun feel to interiors and can make up a pa/ern that visually closes in space. If you have a room that doesn’t have much going on in it you can easily create some interest using a fun pa/erned fabric to recover a couch or chair or you can use it on some decora@ve pillows to add some small pops of color. Tex@les can also be used on your walls, either in a textured wall paper or as a tapestry hanging from the wall. You can also make some curtains that create a focal point of your window. Some brightly colored and elaborately designed curtains or drapes can create a nice frame for a window, drawing you eye to it. I have also used pa/erns in the back of cabinets or shelves that are made of wood. This can bring your piece into the more cracy style and can draw your eye to the piece making it look new.
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Texture
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 TEXTURE is the surface characteristic and appearance of every component in interior design. It is the relative smoothness or roughness of a surface noted either by hand or eye. Texture is not only what you can feel on a surface, it can be created visually with surface patterns and decorations.
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Texture
Tactile Texture
Texture is easy to create in your home. By adding some texture you are adding interest in to your home. You can make your space look totally different just by crea@ng texture on your ceiling or walls. On this ceiling there are metal @les, you can take this idea and apply paint to them if you do not want to have a metallic surface, or if you want it to be more subtle. You can add these @les to a single wall in your house to create texture and add to a focal point or you can even use them as a backsplash in your kitchen for more texture in a room that usually doesn’t have much texture since there is not much furniture and mostly cabinetry.
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Texture
Implied Texture
Texture can also be created with printed pa/ers o paint. By using different techniques while pain@ng you can make it look like you have texture on your walls. One way you can create this texture is with a sponge. A good way to approach this technique is by first pain@ng your room in your color of choice, then selec@ng the same color in a darker hue and sponging it onto the wall acer your first paint layer has dried. You can sponge all over your walls, or in selected spots to make it your own. This can also be applied to the ceiling, furniture, and more. You can design the texture how you want it to be and use crea@vity to make it different and your own. In this home we did this very thing and con@nued it through the living room and kitchen to connect the two spaces in the open floor plan.
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Texture
Non-Reflective
Non reflec@ve texture is texture that does not have a surface that reflects light. On a non reflec@ve surface or texture you cannot see a reflec@on in it. An example would be most fabrics. Though some do have a sheen and can reflect light. This stone wall with wooden detail is a great example of non-‐reflec@ve texture. There some@mes can be a li/le shimmer in rocks but over all they are non reflec@ve. You cannot see your reflec@on in them and they don’t reflect the light like a mirror does. If you don’t like very sparkly things then non-‐ reflec@ve textures and surfaces are great for you. They are more muted and not shiny at all. Non-‐ reflec@ve also represents the out doors and can bring a calm, serene feeling to the space. Rocks like these make a great fireplace and can create a wonderful focal point. Using these kind of stones for a fireplace are great because they are non-‐reflec@ve. If they were reflec@ve it would be a li/le too much to have all the way up a wall while being shiny and reflec@ng all of the lights. 18
Texture
Reflective
A reflec@ve surface is one that the light can reflect off of and you can usually see your reflec@on in it. Having a reflec@ve surface in a kitchen can make the space look bigger. The reflec@ve surface acts as a mirror and reflects light making it brighter and since you can see the reflec@ons in the surface it makes it look bigger, like in the picture on the center island it looks like the windows are longer because you can see their reflec@on. The reflec@ons throughout the kitchen can also make the space look more luxurious and fancy. Geeng new countertops in your home is not a hard job for you, all you have to do is go to a place that has granite, quartz, or marble and pick out your favorite. They will then come to your home to get the dimensions of your counter space and acer they make them they come back and install them for you. It is a great, simple way to make your kitchen look 19 brand new.
Light
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LIGHT is broken into two different types, natural and artificial. Natural is light that comes from the sun and artificial is all other sources of light. Natural light should be your key source of light, it has a full spectrum of colors which makes colors in your home appear rich and vibrant. It is a healthful and cheerful light that is necessary in every interior. Artificial light can create moods, add sparkle, and add emphasis. Light can change how the interior looks, it can change the textures and it can change the colors depending on what kind of light you are using and how cool or warm it is. When lighting your home you want to have warmer lights that have a smaller Kelvin temperature. 21 Â
Light
Task
When performing certain tasks, such as reading, cooking, or working you need to have light right above your work area, along with your general room ligh@ng so you do not strain your eyes. But instead of just having a boring desk lamp why not spruce it up and make your work area appealing to the eye while you are not using the space, and you can make it more personal so that you can enjoy the space that you are having to work in. Adding some color can always do the trick if you don’t want to spend money on a new lamp, or maybe just a new and fun lamp shade. But if you do have some money to spend and want a new lamp try finding something with some personality, like the blue lamp. Just because you are looking for a desk lamp it doesn’t mean you have to get something boring. Task ligh@ng can also be hung from the ceiling like these lights in the kitchen. 22
Light
Track
Track ligh@ng is an easy thing to install in your home for more overhead lights. You will need someone to come do it for you, but it is not too big of a project. With track ligh@ng you can put as many or as li/le lights as you want on it and you can face them to whatever wall or direc@on you want them to be in. There are many generic looking tracks, but you can also find ones that have some style to them. Like the picture on the right where the track itself is curved and the lights are a li/le more stylish than the ones that are in the lec picture. Track lights can be fun and they come in so many shapes, sizes and colors. Finding one that matches your room can give it that extra edge and bring some life to your space. 23
Light
Natural
Natural ligh@ng is very important in your home. Not only does it look nice, but it makes you feel be/er weather you realize it or not. If you do not have very many windows, or if you have a small window then you can use mirrors or different types of blinds or curtains to bring in more light. As you can see in the picture on the top right there is a lot of natural light coming in which makes the space bright and invi@ng which makes you feel good and happy. Mirrors are also great because they reflect light, so having them across from a window is always a good idea. For this bathroom I added a mirror that looks like a window so that it feels more open since there is not a window in the small space. Finding a mirror that resembles a window is not that hard, but can some @mes be costly. To make it more affordable you can use mirrors and add frames to them to make them look like an actual window and also add curtains around them to make it more believable.
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Light
Floor Lamps
A floor lamp is a great, easy and cheap way to add light into your home. It doesn’t take up any table space and you can put it just about anywhere. By a chair for reading, a small ea@ng table, or a bedroom. There are many kinds of floor lamps, plain simple ones, some that have mul@ple lamps within where you can point them in different direc@ons, or some designer ones. Since there are so many different kinds of floor lamps it is fun to go shopping and find one that matches your space. You can get one that fades into the background, or you can find one that will make a bold statement.
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Color
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COLOR is the most personal element because everyone has their own preferences in what colors they like or don’t like. But even though you may have your opinions some colors are not a good choice in certain situations because of how they make you feel or because of the size of the room. The psychology of color is based on the reaction of people in regard to the color hue, value, and intensity. A color hue is a standard color that you will find on the color wheel, the color value is a lighter or darker version of the hue. The intensity of the color hue is its brightness or dullness, which can be changed by adding other colors to it. Choosing a color that makes you feel goo is very important, because you don’t want to feel anxious or uncomfortable in your own home.
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Color
Monochromatic
Monochroma@c is a color scheme using one color in any of its varie@es, plus some white and black. When you use a monochroma@c color scheme you have to make sure you s@ck to it. Even if you were to bring in small things that have different or brighter colors it can take away from your scheme if there is too much or too many different colors. In this interior, designed by Anne Coyle, she chose to use a green color throughout the room. She picked a busy wall paper that she liked and pulled the same color to add furniture and pillows. You can see she con@nued the same pa/ern from the walls onto some pillows and the bed skirt. She did not stray away from her color, she didn’t even use different @nts or shades of green. She did add some pink flowers, and there is a li/le pink detail on two of the pillows. This small pop of color adds a small amount of difference to the room without taking away from the overall monochroma@c color scheme.
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Color
Analogous
An analogous color scheme is created with colors that are next to each other on the standard color wheel as seen below. They are very closely related but they s@ll have a dis@nct difference between them. In this interior the analogous colors are violet and red/violet, or pink. By using certain color schemes you can set the mood of the room. This room looks calming. Even though there are some bright colors and pa/erns this room is s@ll considered calming because there is not too much going on and they didn't use the brighter, more exci@ng colors also known as hues, they used @nts which are when you add white to the original hue so it is lighter. These lighter colors is the key to how this rooms mood was created, it would have been a lot more exci@ng and bold with the true hues.
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Color
Neutral Palate
Neutralized colors are any hue that is dulled or grayed or lessened in brightness or intensity. The neutral palate uses black, white and gray. Brown is a hue, derived from orange, but it is ocen referred to as neutral, as are beige, tan, and the colored spectrum of off-‐whites. People usually refer a neutral palate to natural, earth tones. If you look at the picture you can see how the colors used are muted and not so bright, they look very natural, like colors found in nature. A neutral palate is also a calming palate because the colors are so muted. They are not too bright or busy. They make you feel like you are in nature, which is naturally calming. If you want to create a place where you can read and relax, using a neutral palate is the best choice when it comes to color. Another nice place to use neutral colors is in the bathroom. This helps you to relax while taking a bath or geeng ready in the mornings. Bright colors can make you more excited or anxious, especially if there are a lot of them. So neutral is the way to go when you want to feel calm. 30
Color
Split Complementary
Split complementary color scheme uses a color and the two colors on either side of its complement. For example the split complement of violet is green and orange. This split complementary color scheme is shown in this interior to the lec. no@ce that in this interior they fully commit to the color scheme. The only other colors that they add to the room are neutrals because you can really add any colors with neutral colors. Also the neutral colors in this room actually go with the scheme because brown is just a tone that comes from orange. Another good thing to no@ce is that they matched all of these bright colored accessories and furniture pieces with white walls. When you want to use such bright colors you don’t want to compete with the furniture with bright walls. Also you don’t want to over do it if you have so many bright pieces, especially if they are wall hangings. But pain@ng the walls in your color scheme can work if you do not overload it with what you have in the space. Having a nice balance between the two is a key aspect of making your space pleasing to the eye and comfortable to live in. 31
Space
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SPACE is a continuous expanse of distance without forms. It is divided by walls, partitions, and furnishings. If a space is filled it’s called positive space and if it’s empty then it is negative space. Though out your space you have to make sure the positive and negative spaces are balanced so that it is not uneven.
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Space
Positive
Posi@ve space is space filled with color, texture, form, or mass. This could mean anything in your room, from a picture on the wall to a king sized bed. The wall in this picture is filled with lots of posi@ve space. There are many pictures grouped together to create a larger look and brings your eye up to the ceiling. Filling this wall in with all of these pictures makes the wall more interes@ng and maybe even a focal point, depending on what else is in the room. Adding posi@ve space to a large blank wall is a great way to make it less boring. Pueng a small picture on a large wall can make your wall look even more empty than if you do not add anything because a large wall can swallow a small picture and it brings more a/en@on to the wall not being filled and it can look awkward because the propor@on of the wall and picture do not match. If you do want to just have one picture or a couple of pictures on a larger wall look for one large picture or some medium sized pictures.
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Space
Negative
Nega@ve space is the empty space surrounding the posi@ve space. Such as the wall space around your picture and the space underneath the bed. Different from the wall before, this one has less wall hangings and more nega@ve space. This wall is located in the same room as the picture on the opposite page. Having too many walls that are filled with posi@ve space can be overbearing or can make your room be off balance. But if you con@nue the whole theme through out your room as apposed to only a couple walls you can make it work. These black and white sayings that are hung on the wall shown here were just a small touch to add to the room. The wall is more narrow so I wanted to leave some nega@ve space so that it doesn’t close in the space so much. Having too much posi@ve space over your walls can make your room look smaller. The client that I had loved the picture of the flowers that is placed above the door, she said she had to have it in the space though she wanted to have mainly a black and white room. I put it above the door to bring your eye up to make the room look taller and also it makes the colors not as no@ceable than if it were at eye level.
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Space
Crowding Territoriality
If you have a small space in your home, it is hard to fill it properly without having too much stuff and not enough room for you to move around. For example in this room to the right, there is very li/le room for a kitchen table, while s@ll having room to move around the space naturally. One rule in design is that you need to have 36 inches between the table and wall, or other objects so that a person can easily move their chair back when geeng up and sieng down at the table. Many people like to have a table that can fit four or more people just incase they have guests over. But in a space that is small you have to consider how ocen you will have many guests and is it really a necessity to have a
larger table. In this home there is a family of two, who rarely have guests come over. Though they did want a bigger table they decided that having a table for two is more realis@c and fits the space be/er. Finding a table that would fit this
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space was very difficult so the family decided that they wanted to be “green” and build their own custom table out of wood they had from a previous project. Here is a final picture of the space acer we got the table in the space that they built themselves. As you can see, there is enough space behind the chairs for them to move around and there is also a clear walkway in front of the table so they can enter the kitchen easily. Another thing they could have done if they needed is to use ballroom sized chairs instead of dining chairs. Ballroom chairs have smaller deten@ons, taking up less space.
The space is not too crowded, there is a nice balance between posi@ve and nega@ve space. Which was the goal of the project. Though it is a crowded space because it is small, it s@ll works because of the size of the furniture.
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Shape
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SHAPE is a two-‐ dimensional outline, ocen seen as a geometric figure such as a triangle or a square. The shapes around the room are not the three-‐ dimensional forms, but just the overall outline of the external surface of something or a space.
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Shape
Abstract
It is easy to add abstract shapes in your home by simply using abstract works of art to the walls. But with with all of the modern furniture and accessories out there today, if you have some money to spend, adding a fun area rug like this one that has a different shape to it than normal, and also has shapes within. This rug can be part of a focal point like used in this interior or it can simply be used in your home to enhance your room or create a visual difference within a room filled with more tradi@onal furniture. I have also seen this same kind of shape created on a wall with old painted picture frames. Adding an abstract shape to the walls is a good way to make a focal point, if you had a lot of large, brightly colored picture frames collaged on the wall in front of you there is no way you will be able to ignore it. Using abstract shapes is also a good
way to bring your house into the modern style. Modern is becoming more and more popular and if you really want to make your space look brand new transforming it into a modern room is a great way to do it. But you have to be careful and make sure you are s@ll matching the rest of your home so that you have a nice flow within your en@re house. 40
Shape
Geometric
Geometric shapes are found throughout interiors, in the overall shapes of mirrors, couches, windows, doors and more. But in order to add some details to your room and make it more interes@ng you can add some shadow box molding around the walls. You could also use this idea in your own way and create your own pa/ern that you can apply to one wall and create a focal point at the same @me. By adding detail to your walls you make your room look more high-‐end, like you spent a lot of money on a designer to transform your space. Using contras@ng colors makes it more bold and no@ceable, but for a more subtle look you can use the same color over it all or colors that are very closely related. You can also con@nue the theme of geometric shapes through out the room by adding a large area rug, like the one shown in this interior to the lec.
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Shape
Organic
Organic shape is good to have in your home because it brings the outside in to your home. If you like the out doors and natural materials, using organic can make you feel like you are outside and they can add to having a calming space. Adding some small details using organic shapes is also a fun way to incorporate them. Such as this sink, it is shaped as a shell which creates li/le conversa@on starters around the home and some interest within the normal things that are in your house. You can create a constant theme through the house with what kind of shapes you are using, like the ones shown here you can create a beach theme without over doing it.
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Shape
Dynamic
Dynamic shapes can add drama to your space. They are very interes@ng to look at and can also create a great focal point. You can hang pictures like this one on your walls and you and even paint your own pictures to make it more personal and less expensive than buying a famous pain@ng. You can paint many pictures and hang them on a wall, but a more drama@c way to use your dynamic shapes is to use the whole wall as your canvas. Making a huge wall of dynamic shapes and colors can really bring your room to life. You can do this in a kids bedroom to make it for fun for them. It is also a good idea for a tv or game room to liven it up a li/le and make it more fun and interes@ng. If you want to add it to a living room a good way to frame it is with less furniture. If you have less furniture then your eye can focus on the wall and not the furniture. If there is too much going on in the room with a largely pa/erned and colored wall it can be too busy and look crazy. So be sure to have a balance between your design and all of your other furniture and accessories you add to the space. 43
Form
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FORM is a three-‐ dimensional configura@on of the objects within the interior. Ocen an interior is successful because the forms that fill it are pleasing shapes and well propor@oned to one another. In order to make your room more interes@ng you can add different forms together instead of just having all rectangular or all circular forms. Forms that are different can create a focal point or conversa@on starters in your home. Or you can have very clean line and elegant forms to make your space look more luxurious.
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Form
Geometric
Using geometric forms is a good way to create some interest in your home. You can bring in a large statue like the one here or you can place smaller ones around your home to create smaller pieces of interest and carry them throughout the home. Geometric forms can also be found in modern furniture. They are becoming more and more popular but you don’t have to have a modern space to use them. You can put them in a eclec@c space or if you get one that matches the other materials used in the room it will most likely match the room and work with everything else. There are all kinds of geometric shaped furniture and they are all different so it shouldn’t be hard to find one that matches your own home.
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Form
Natural
Natural form is a great thing to add to your home. It can make you feel more calm since the outdoors is a calming place. They can also add to a room where you have a neutral color palate, in that they can @e the theme together. If you have big windows it is also a cool idea to have natural forms because it brings what you see outside through the windows indoor. But when you do that you should match what you see outside, so if there are woods outside you don’t want to have beach things. You should bring in a wooden table like this one or a cool chandelier that looks like tree branches.
You can also be crea@ve and make your own coffee table out of some tree trunks that you find in the woods or even make it a real table. Use tree base for the bo/om of the table and put a glass top to make it into a breakfast table. Get crea@ve and make something out of things you can find outdoors.
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Form
Abstract
Abstract form can be found in all kinds of furniture. These designs mix “form equals func@on” with crea@veness to come up with these different, new designs. Having abstract furniture pieces in your home like this shelf/ storage unit and wooden chair not only stand as a conversa@onal piece but also they create some interest in your space and make it look new because not many people have abstract furniture in their homes. Many people think of modern design when they hear abstract furniture, but it can also be brought into more tradi@onal homes. These pieces of furniture could work in a modern
space but to me they have a warmer, less stark feel as modern tends to put off. Both of these could easily be worked into a tradi@onal, contemporary, or eclec@c homes. When using abstract forms you can go all out or just have a few works within your house. You can make them a focal point, or just another detail of your room.
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Form
Non-objective
Non-‐objec@ve means that the object is un-‐relatable to any natural forms. They are not represented realis@cally. Like this sink for an example. The sink is not what a normal sink looks like, they are not naturally shaped that way. In shaping the sink in a new way you can make your bathroom look updated and different, since most people have never seen a sink like this before. It brings some interest and something different to the space to make it look more interes@ng and fun, you can add more forms like this in the same room though you don’t want to over do it. You can create unity thorough out your home though if you use the same or similar looking forms around the home to create a reoccurring theme. Even just adding some accessories that have a non-‐objec@ve form can work and be less expensive than large pieces of furniture. 49
Principles of Design The principles of design are abstract concepts that have been important to great architecture, art, furnishings and tex@les for centuries. The principles form the theory of design, which implies that truly fine interior design incorporates appropriate scale and good propor@on, as well as harmony of all of the elements, achieved through sensi@ve balance of variety and unity. These principles are the universally accepted as the rules that should govern the use of the elements of design.
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PROPORTION is closely related to scale. It is usually expressed in terms of size rela@onship or ra@o of parts to whole. Propor@on also deals with shapes and forms and their dimensions. For an example think about the size of a chair in rela@on to the size of its arms.
Proportion
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Proportion
Object in Proportion with Space
Geeng things in propor@on can some@mes be a hard task. But when you have some rules to follow it can help and make it a lot easier if your doing it on your own. When your hanging or buying a new chandelier there is a mathema@cal way to put it up and to determine the size. Add the length and width of the room in feet and that number in inches is the diameter of your chandelier that you need to fill the space. For example if you have a 20’ by 15’ room then your chandelier needs to be 35 inches in diameter. If you cannot afford to have a propor@onal chandelier in your home then think of filling the space with two smaller ones. Even if they are not propor@onal to the space you have when you put two they make it look bigger and more space is filled. Another idea is to use smaller pendant lights that you see in kitchens, like over a bar. If you clump a lot of them together, with different sizes and lengths you can create your own chandelier and make it with the colors and shapes that you prefer.
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Proportion
Object Not in Proportion with Space
Having things in your home that are not in propor@on with each other can make your space look awkward, as if something looks wrong, but you just cant quite put your finger on it. But you can also make it work if you know that your doing it. Exaggera@ng something that is out of propor@on can make it look like it is meant to be that way. In the picture here you can see that the chandelier is very large for the table that it is at and for the intended space. But it is used as a focal point in the room and it works. Instead of trying to hide that you have something un-‐propor@onal, making your space look a li/le off, try to focus on it and make it work in your home. If you try to make it look good but just cant then try to move some things around from room to room to make your pieces work in the right rooms with the right furniture. Remember that you can always move your furniture around to different spaces if it is just a li/le off. So instead of paying for new things first try to rearrange what you already have in the home and you can s@ll create a space that looks brand new. 53
Emphasis
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EMPHASIS is the creation of a focal point, which is an area that is visually important enough to attract and hold your attention in a room. Some interiors may have multiple focal points, each having a different level of emphasis. If you have a smaller room though you don’t want to overwhelm it with too many focal points. If you don’t have a dominant focal point such as a fireplace you can create one in your space with the elements of design. You can use line to direct your eye to an object and you can arrange your furniture shapes and forms so they are facing your desired focal point. Using a more dramatic color and grouping or massing more objects together can also bring your eye to the created focal point. If you frame something with other objects, such as a window behind or a doorway directly in front you can emphasize it even more.
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Emphasis
Visual Focal Point
Crea@ng a visual focal point is crea@ng a point in a room where your eye automa@cally goes. By using different elements of design, such as line, light, color, texture etc. you can help draw your eye to what you want to focus on. Most people think that focal points have to be in the center of the room or directly when you walk in, but you can put it where ever you would like it to be. Having the focal point in the center some@mes can emphasize it even more, but you can s@ll have a strong focal point if you put it off center or on a wall you don’t see before entering. If you are renova@ng a space you can use structure to create a focal point like I have done in this drawing for a client. This room was a plain rectangle shaped room with no added interior walls, other than the main structural walls. I added a false doorway in the space to frame the pedestal in the center of the room that was created to feature a statue. I also added a window behind where the statue will be standing to silhoue/e and emphasize the statue. Making your own focal point is always fun because you can design it how you want it to be and make it perfect for you. This project is more expensive but if you are willing to pay for it you 56 will love the results!
Emphasis
Structural Focal Point
A structural focal point is one that is within the structure of the interior. These are usually made by the architect but you can also make them yourself if you would like. Decora@ng around an exis@ng structural detail and making it a focal point when naturally it is not is also another way. In crea@ng your own you can add molding to the walls like discussed earlier in the magazine (p 42). When you use emphasis to create a structural focal point in a room some different ways to do so is pain@ng, staining if it is wood, focusing on having less accessories or decora@ng around the detail. You can be crea@ve and emphasize anything in your own way. An easy way to create a structural focal point is to build a book shelf, or in this case a knick-‐knack shelf. Nailing together pieces of wood to make a shelf is not very hard. Just make sure to do a li/le research so you know exactly how to do it. But this way you can create any sized shelf that you want and insert all kinds of shapes and sizes within. Also this is a good why to be able to custom fit a vase or large to small accessory into your shelf and maybe even make a focal point within the over all focal point of the shelf with bigger shelves having larger objects on them. 57
Balance
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BALANCE is equilibrium achieved by arranging components symmetrically, asymmetrically, or radially. Balance is necessary in our homes because of our need for balance in our lives. Physical confidence in our ac@ons and movements is important and a guide for achieving sa@sfac@on and fulfillment in life.
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Balance
Visual Symmetry
Visual symmetry is when you create symmetry with furniture and accessories in a room. In perfect symmetry everything from the center point and over to the right or lec is perfectly iden@cal on the opposite side. Symmetry can also be made if there are small differences but essen@ally symmetry is the same on either side. You can see in this picture that there is perfect symmetry. Everything on either side of the armoire is places opposite of each other and is perfectly balanced. There is a li/le bit of variety in the stuffed animals on the bo/om shelf of the armoire, but it is not enough to make the overall space look off balance or asymmetrical. There is a lot going on against this wall to emphasize the symmetry, but when you bring it into your home you do not have to go all out like some designers do; just some simple chairs on either side of the armoire would have done the trick. You don’t even have to have a big piece of furniture in the center of your design. You can start with a chair in the center, a table, or even just a picture on the wall. Gather up what you want in the space and play around with it un@l you like it. And you can always rearrange what you have if you change your mind, or even acquire new pieces of furniture, art work, or accessories for the space. 60
Balance
Structural Symmetry
Structural symmetry is created within the structure of the interior also. This symmetry can simply be a plain wall, but a more interes@ng symmetry can be created with windows, vaulted ceilings, mirrors, fireplace and more. In this drawing you can see that not only is there visual symmetry with the décor, but also structural symmetry with the fireplace and windows on either side. When decora@ng your home you can choose to go along with the symmetry that is already there and play it up like what was done in the picture below. When you do that you emphasize the symmetry and make it look more structured. You can also try something different and not put your furniture in a symmetrical arrangement, if you frame the symmetry of the structure with the furniture being off center or asymmetrical it can also emphasize the structure, especially if your structure is very detailed. Another way to bring focus to structural symmetry is to have less furniture and décor in the room so your eye focuses more on the walls. 61
Balance
Visual Asymmetry
Asymmetrical balance is becoming more appropriate in design these days. It creates a more casual feel than having everything so perfectly in line with each other on both sides, though it is more difficult to achieve. Asymmetry suggests movement, and creates more lively interiors. You can see that in this bedroom there was not much space on either side of the bed, so I could only fit one bed side table in between the walls. I hung a picture on the opposite side of the bed to create more visual weight so that the asymmetrical space is balanced. For the headboard of the bead I used shelves to create a different look than the original headboard. The shelves the client had were to different sizes, so instead of stacking them and making it look symmetrical I set them off center and we used an old clock she had to add a li/le more to the space. No@ce that I put the clock on the opposite side of where the bedside table is so that there is again more visual weight on that side and the space is balanced. 62
Balance
Visual Radial Symmetry
Radial symmetry is when all the elements of a design are arranged around a center point. Such as a table with chairs placed around it. In this interior you can see that the small glass table is the center point of the radial symmetry. The chairs and couch are arranged around the table. The area rug design adds to the circular design also. In your own home when you create radial symmetry don’t think that the pieces you are using have to be circular. You can s@ll create a radial arrangement with square furniture. As long as you arrange what you have in a circular arrangement around a center point then you have created visual radial symmetry. Radial symmetry can be more fun then perfect symmetry. It is not as structured and if you are using it in a living room it can make it easier to see everyone in the room and converse without having to look around other furniture or having someone sieng too far away.
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Harmony
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 HARMONY is compatibility of elements, furniture, and architecture to create a pleasing whole, achieved through unity and variety. Unity is a since of oneness and uniformity between things within your room. And variety is the absence of sameness, which brings out interest and diversity. This month we are focusing on unity through the principles and elements. 65 Â
Harmony
Unity Through Line
Having unity through line can be created with a line pa/ern or two carried throughout a space. In the bedroom showed below you can see that there is a chevron pa/ern on the bed, curtains, and pillow on the chair. Some @mes this can be too overbearing but the color used makes it more muted and not so in your face. But having this pa/ern make the room feel like is to not use it one, it unites it in a bedroom together. Also if but in a living, you were to dining, kitchen carry this and bathroom pa/ern into a on the main connec@ng floor or main bathroom it spaces of your would make the home. This can two rooms feel make your like it was all guests feel like one space they are s@ll in because the the same theme is space as you or con@nuing on. where a party Another way to is when they peruse this idea have to use the restroom or when they need to go to the kitchen or if they are chaeng in the living room. You don’t want your guests to feel like they are leaving the party or going far away from the main space when they need to use the bathroom or go into a different room. Having a reoccurring theme or pa/ern in all the spaces makes you feel like you are s@ll in the same area. 66
Harmony
Unity Through Shape
Having unity through shape can create a pleasing, calming space. You can imitate the shape of your windows to make a uniform look around the room. From using rectangular or square pictures on the walls to a rectangle coffee table. In the picture shown here we made a grid out of the square pictures. This makes a structured look with very clean lines. You can con@nue this look throughout the room or whole house to unite your room or rooms together. Having some variety in the space is important though, such as the shape of the table in that it has a rounded edge. If all of your décor is exactly the same your space can get boring to look and and some@mes even stark, to where you don’t feel very comfortable in the space. Also if you have mainly unified objects in your room you can again create a focal point with a special piece that varies from what your unites everything else in the space. You do want to make sure you have some unity in all of your spaces thought because if you don’t it can make you feel stresses out or unbalanced when in the room. 67
Harmony
Unity Through Color
Unity through color is a great way to unite a room. It is also one of the cheaper ways to make your space look new and different. If you have a favorite piece of furniture or accessory you can use it and the color to create a new look. If you have a nice blue chair like the one in this room you can find other small accent pieces in the same color to create a “pop” in the room. If you use the exact same color when you create unity in this way it is best since you are not using big things that are the color. Also adding this technique to a monochroma@c room or just a black and white room it makes the color pop even more and makes it more obvious which objects are united and it draws your eye to each of them individually. Take the lamps for an example, if they just had white bases they would probably blend into the walls and you wouldn’t no@ce them very much, but with the blue color they draw your a/en@on and you really no@ce what they are and their shape and color. The blue stripe around the room not only brings your eye around the room but it subtlety unifies the color all the way around as apposed to an accent wall which makes a large focal point. 68
Harmony
Unity Through Repetition
Using repe@@on can create unity between rooms. Having something repeated down a hallway guides you to where the hallway is taking you but also repea@ng something in the rooms that it is connec@ng makes the rooms fell more as one. This hallway shown is pre/y long but they have repe@@on in the floor, light fixtures and colors that it s@ll unifies the two spaces. Maybe not so much one room but a con@nua@on of the previous. Having unity through repe@@on in the arches is a big deal, it really makes the hallway more drama@c and frames the table and fireplace at the other end. Crea@ng arches through a hallway is doable but does require the work of an architect or designer and it can be pricy. There are other ways you can create repe@@on down a hallway, for example using picture frames in a strait line horizontally. But in order for them to be unified you need to do a li/le more work than just hanging pictures. If you were to do the pictures all the same way, say for example all black and white, ma/ed with the same black frame. They have more of a connec@on with one another and have a since of unity through repe@@on. 69
Massing
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MASSING means grouping together components such as accessories, furniture or architecture to create a unified group mass. Mass is anything you can touch, in science it is said that mass is made up of atoms, which makes up everything we can see and touch. So obviously using mass is very important in interior design. Massing will give a weighted, more solid, or imposing appearance.
ABOUT THE PHOTOS: “When traveling ci@es such as Paris, Barcelona and New York, architects Kasper Ronn and Jonas Bjerre-‐Poulsen were fascinated by the street lamps; the characteris@c cast iron top-‐ looking a bit like a hat-‐ with a semi transparent glass sphere base. Back in the studio norm.architects detached the street lamp from its original use and transferred the shape and combina@on of materials in order to design an indoor pendant-‐ The Mass Light.” Photos and informa@on from h/p:// 71 nordicdesign.ca/blog/2012/03/mass-‐light/
Massing
Actual Density
Mass is actual density when the material is filled in, such as a solid block of wood. Having actual density in your home creates more weight in the room. When you are adding weight to the room you have to make sure you are keeping your space balanced and not pueng too much actual density in one place. If you spread it out in the room it will look more harmonious and pleasing to the eye. Having all actual density in a room can also be overbearing, so if you mix it with smaller pieces you can balance it out be/er. This chair here resembles actual density. It is one solid piece, there are no holes under the arm rests or on the back. The chair is wide and a thick piece of furniture which makes it not only literally a heavy chair but visually it has more weight also. if you have space in a room that is not filled or seems to be a li/le empty, try to put a chair like this in the space. It can fill the space, but if it your chair is smaller than your space it is ok because the visual weight of the chair makes it look like it fills the space perfectly.
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Massing
Optical Density
Op@cal density is when the material is not solid. Op@cal density has a density but it is not as heavy as actual density. You can group together objects that have op@cal density to make them look heavier and to balance out the actual density in your room. You can see on this page that these chairs, as opposed to the one on the opposite page, are much lighter. There is more space flowing around and through them. The one on the lec has many holes where there is space going through the whole chair. In the picture on the right the chairs are made out of glass. This makes them harder to see, you can see strait through them, which makes them have a very minimal visual weight. They help make the space look larger and not filled with so many chairs. These are great for when you have a small space, but you s@ll need chairs. Also glass table tops do the same thing if you need something that doesn’t have much visual weight. 73
Rhythm
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RHYTHM in interior design carries the eye along a path at a pace determined by the elements that illustrate it. It is the flow of elements, usually organized according to a scheme such as repe@@on or alterna@on, progression or grada@on, transi@on, opposi@on or contrast, or radia@on.
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Rhythm
Repetitive
Rhythm can be created through repe@@on. By repea@ng the same thing down a wall for example creates a pa/ern which in theory creates a beat or a rhythm down the room. In this hallway you can she the rhythm created down the hallway in the ceiling and floor. There is a repe@@ve rhythm in the pa/ern on the ceiling and it is also repea@ng on the floor design. This rhythm con@nuing down the hall guides you to the other side of the hall. There is also a repe@@ve rhythm on the walls. The panels created by molding are repeated in a rhythmic way down the hall to again guide you and your eye down the hall. The ceiling, floor and wall repe@@ve rhythm makes the hallway look longer than it actually is. Because it is using line along with with rhythm, it draws your eye all the way down the room making it look longer than it actually is. Another thing that could have been added to the walls is sconces. In repea@ng sconces down the hall is a cheap and easy way to guide your eye down the hallways in your own homes. 76
Rhythm
Climatic
Progression or grada@on is seen in shapes progressing from large to small or small to large, such as the front steps leading to the main level or a set of nes@ng tables, where each smaller table fits below the next larger one. A collec@on of different-‐size boxes or a descending branched candles@ck are accessory items that can create rhythm by progression, or grada@on which can also be known as clima@c rhythm. You can see how one table fits underneath the larger table. When you have more tables than two that are stacked it looks more drama@c. You can create a clima@c design with whatever you have in your home. As long as they are geeng bigger or smaller as they go so that it creates a grada@on as you go on. Pueng larger and larger or smaller and smaller pictures on the wall can create a clima@c feature at a good price and you can make it more personal to your life and your family. 77
Rhythm
Contrast
Opposi@on or contrast is an abrupt change that forms interes@ng, repe@@ve rhythm and is seen in three ways. First, it can be seen as repe@@ve 90-‐degree angles, such as windows frames or grids, as built-‐ in units, and as the corners of angular furniture or framed artwork. Second, opposi@on or contrast can be seen in pa/erns: open and closed, busy and plain, light and dark combina@ons of fabric, area rugs, or other tex@les or wall coverings. Third, forms can be placed to contrast in a pleasing rhythm. Angular shapes placed next to rounded shapes not only create rhythm by contrast or opposi@on but also give relief and a type of asymmetrical balance. On this staircase you can see that there is a very drama@c contrast between the dark floors and white walls and rise of the steps. Crea@ng contrast in your home can be as big of a chore as pueng in new flooring or as easy as pain@ng. With whatever color your floors or furniture is you can paint your walls a contras@ng color, which would be either a lighter or darker color so that one really pops out and you can see the drama@c difference of the two colors. 78
Rhythm
Transitional
Transi@on is a rhythm that leads the eye without interrup@on from one point to another. Rhythm by transi@on can be established by a con@nuous line, usually an architectural element such as a crown molding or dado molding or an arched doorway. A stenciled or wallpaper boarder, a painted graphic, or a long carpet runner are all methods of crea@ng an uninterrupted visual, rhythmically flowing line. You can see in this nursery that there is a scalloped boarder around the crown of the room which brings your eye around the room, crea@ng a rhythm. Making a boarder around a room is not a very hard thing to do. You can either use a wallpaper to do this, or you can paint it yourself. A chair molding around the room is also a nice touch and adding a wainscot is even more fancy. But if you are on a budget the best thing you can do is to get some paint and paint on a simple boarder or a fake wainscot from about a third up the wall. 79
Scale
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SCALE is overall size, such as the largeness or smallness of a room, object, or pa/ern. Scale deals with actual and rela@ve size and visual weight. One of the goals in interior design is to select furnishings that are in scale with one another, when they are not to scale they are not harmonious selec@ons and can make your room look “off.”
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Scale
Human Scale
Human scale is the scale that most people have in their home. The human scale is pre/y self explanatory but it is the scale that fits the human body. Having things in your home that work with the size of your body is important. A good way to think about it is the size of children's things. A bed for a child would not fit an adult, neither would their chairs, tables, or toy kitchens. Having human scale though out your home is important so that you stay healthy. If you have a chair that is too small for your body you can end up hur@ng you knees, or if you are typing a computer you don’t want the chair to be too low so that you are straining your arms when typing. You want to be comfortable in your own home so buying things that fit your own body is key. Everyone’s body is different so you have to find the right size for you and the people that live with you. If your spouse is smaller or larger then you then they may need a smaller or bigger chair. Or if they are taller or shorter than you are, you should make sure that the shelves say in your closet are where you can reach them. Just remember that you need to be comfortable 82 in your home.
Scale
Symbolic Scale
Symbolic scale is created when things are larger than human scale. This church shows a monumental scale. It is so much larger than what a normal sized human would use. In a church monumental scale is used to make the church feel like it is closer to God. Using monumental scale in your own home is unrealis@c because of the normal ceiling heights. But some homes do have a grand space, usually near a stair case. If you do have a tall, symbolic space in your home there are many ways to emphasize it. Ceiling decora@on is one way, like shown in the church. Also if you can add windows, having floor to ceiling windows makes the space feel more grand. Having curtains that are hung from the ceiling also emphasize the height of the room and add some texture to absorb sound that can echo in a large space like that. 83
Picture Loca@ons • Asheville, NC……………………pages 1, 3-‐9, 13, 14, 15, 17, 22
• Atlanta, GA……….……………..pages 32, 33, 50 • Greenville, NC………………….pages 24, 26, 34, 35, 62 • Statesville, NC………………….pages 18, 73 • Sylvania, OH…………………….pages 10, 11, 16, 23, 36, 37, 51, 52, 57, 72, 77 • Walt Disney, FL………………..pages 21, 54, 64,65 • Pinterest.com….………………pages 12, 13, 19, 23, 25, 28-‐31, 40-‐43, 46-‐49, 53, 55, 59, 60, 63, 66-‐70, 74-‐76, 78-‐83
• Hand drawn by editor……..pages 20, 38, 39, 44, 45, 46, 56, 58, 61
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References • Interiors, an introduc@on. 5th edi@on. McGraw-‐Hill companies • Pinterest website
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