interior design

• Home


  A place that provides shelter, protection, facilities to eat, wash, rest and sleep, and meets educational, emotional and social needs
• Types of homes/houses


  • Houses (bungalows, two or three storeys, detached, semi-detached or terraced)
  • Apartments (self-contained living areas, usually built in multi-storey blocks)
  • Institutions (convents, monasteries, hostels, boarding schools, nursing homes)
  • Mobile homes/caravans (transportable accommodation used on a temporary or permanent basis)
  • Sheltered housing (a number of small housing units built together, often for older people or people with disabilities)
• What a home should provide

  • Physical needs (shelter, protection, facilities to eat, wash, rest and sleep)
  • Educational needs (desk, chair, storage for books, quiet place to study, research facilities)
  • Emotional needs (safety, privacy)
  • Social needs (space for communicating with family and friends)
• Factors to consider when choosing a house

  • Cost
  • Location (rural or urban, safety of area, proximity to work, schools and other facilities)
  • Availability
  • Size (number and size of rooms)
  • Special needs
  • Energy efficiency
  • Style of house
• Statutory services in a community

  • Schools
  • Hospitals
  • Health centres
  • Libraries
  • Post offices
  • Garda stations
  • Social welfare offices
• Voluntary services in a community

  • Sports clubs
  • Youth clubs
  • Active age groups
  • Parent and toddler groups
  • Drama groups
  • Society of St Vincent de Paul
  • Meals on Wheels
• Amenity


  A place or facility in a community where people can spend their leisure time
• Types of amenities


  • Natural amenities (parks, forests, lakes, rivers, beaches, mountains)
  • Human-made amenities (sports fields, playgrounds, swimming pools, gyms)
• Features of design to consider when designing a living space

  • Function
  • Form (shape and line)
  • Colour
  • Pattern
  • Texture
• Function


  Rooms should be designed so that they function well for their purpose
• Form (shape and line)


  Most objects in the home, rooms and buildings use four basic shapes: square, rectangle, triangle and circle. Lines can be vertical, horizontal, curved or diagonal, creating different effects.
• Colour


  Colour is an important element of design, as it can change the atmosphere and feel of a room. There are primary, secondary and tertiary colours, as well as warm, cool, neutral and pastel colours.
• Tint


  A colour lightened by adding white
• Shade


  A colour darkened by adding black
• Warm colours


  • Reds, oranges, pinks, purples
• Neutral colours


  • White, black, cream, beige, shades of grey and brown
• Texture


  How an object feels, e.g. rough, smooth, hard, soft, silky
• Design principles


  • Balance
  • Emphasis
  • Rhythm
  • Proportion
• Balance


  • All features of the design work well together, e.g. colour, pattern and texture
• Emphasis


  Drawing attention to a particular feature in a room, adds interest
• Rhythm


  Repeated use of a colour, pattern and texture in a room to bring parts of the room together (harmony)
• Proportion


  Furniture and features in a room relate to each other in size and relate to the size of the room
• Decorating a room


  1. Consider floor coverings

  2. Consider wall coverings

  3. Consider soft furnishings

  4. Consider lighting
• Floor coverings


  • Carpets, wooden floors, laminates, tiles, vinyl
• Choosing floor coverings


  1. Consider type of room

  2. Consider personal taste

  3. Consider cost
• Wall coverings


  • Paint, wallpaper, tiles
• Soft furnishings


  Create interest in a room and make it appear warmer and cosier
• Popular soft furnishings


  • Curtains
  • Blinds
  • Cushions
  • Rugs
  • Duvet covers
  • Pillows
  • Throws
  • Lampshades
  • Tablecloths
  • Table runners
• Lighting


  Needed to prevent eyestrain and accidents, can add warm atmosphere
• Types of lighting


  • Large central light
  • Table lamps
  • Standard lamps
  • Wall lights
  • Spotlights
• Factors to consider when room planning

  • Function
  • Money available
  • Size and shape of the room
  • Existing fixtures and fittings
  • Heating and lighting
  • Storage
  • Traffic flow
  • Aspect
  • Likes and dislikes
  • Sustainability
• Sustainable design considerations


  • Lighting
  • Heating
  • Materials
  • Soft furnishings
• BERP


  design principles:

  Balance

  Emphasis

  Rhythm

  Proportion
• DF: TCLSP


  ''Deirdre Foley said: That coat looks sloppy, Paula''

  Design

  Features

  Texture

  Colour

  Lines

  Shapes

  Patterns
• Floor plan


  A to-scale sketch of a room drawn on graph paper. Fixtures such as doors and windows are then drawn in. Furniture can be drawn to scale, cut out and then moved around on the floor plan until the best arrangement is achieved.
• Floor plan


  • Sketch of a room drawn to scale on graph paper
  • Includes windows, doors, fireplace, radiators, electric sockets
  • Plan where each piece of furniture will be placed
• Birdseye view


  A view of a room plan from above
• Mood board


  1. Decide on colour scheme

  2. Choose floor covering

  3. Remove all furniture and fittings

  4. Carry out necessary repairs

  5. Sand and wash all surfaces allow to dry well

  6. Cover any surfaces that need protection

  7. Decorate in order of ceiling, woodwork, walls

  8. When décor is dry put down floor covering and arrange furniture
• Bedroom design elements


  • Wooden sanded sealed, vinyl (children), carpet (floor)
  • Paint, wall paper (walls)
  • Bed, locker, bookcase, desk, chair storage unit or wardrobe, dressing table, chest of drawers (furniture)
  • Curtains, blinds, duvet covers, rugs, lampshades (soft furniture)
  • Window, central fitting, bedside, desk, mirror (lighting)
  • Window (ventilation)
  • Radiator or portable electric heater (heating)
• Sustainable design choices


  • Furniture
  • Soft furnishings
  • Floor covering
  • Energy use