Numbers are perhaps the last thing on your mind when planning your home decor. You think about focal points and consider textures and colours. But numbers? Never in matters of aesthetics, right? Believe it or not though, if you want to pull off a visually enticing room, numbers are your best allies. Not convinced? Here’s a rundown of number rules in interior design which, if followed, can transform your space from drab to fab:
The 3/3 Vertical Rule
If you look at the latest trends in home design, you’ll notice that most of it comes from people’s inclination towards bringing the outdoors in. Just look at the rise of biophilic features, sustainable materials, living walls, and plant life. The 3/3 vertical rule’s basic principle is replicating nature as well. When you look at the environment, you’ll notice 3 different layers separated by differences in colours. In the ground, you see the darkest shades, in the mud, stones, grasses. In the middle portion, you get the medium tones, present in the plant species. In the top of the view, you find the lighter shades, in the clouds and skies. This is the same colour scheme split you want in your spaces. You want that familiarity, that sight people see every day to create a sense of ease and relaxation in your home. That said, if you’re not sure yet how to distribute the hues in your room, use the 3/3 vertical rule.
The Rule of Thirds
For sure, you’ve heard about this rule in photography. But this also applies to home design, particularly in placing your focal point. The rule of thirds simply involves imagining your space as contained in a frame, dividing that image up using two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, so that you form nine squares. At one of the points where the lines meet, that’s where you should put the focal point of your design. Remember, the focal point is the ‘star’ of your room. It can be an accent wall, an interesting art piece, or statement furniture. To highlight that chosen element, you just need to group and orient your furniture towards that. Experts from an interior design firm in Singapore do caution that you may have an existing focal point placed in a good position already in your space, like for example your fireplace or the window with a great ocean or garden view. In this case, it’s just a matter of arranging furniture to further emphasise that.
The Rule of Threes
This rule covers a lot of aspects in interior design and it simply means that in introducing and grouping elements, it should be in threes. For instance, in colour, apart from having that 3/3 vertical distribution of different shades, you also should have a dominant, secondary, and accent hue. In terms of texture, you can introduce wood, rattan, and linen. In terms of lighting, you should have an overhead light, a few lamps on tables, and then accent lights, like track or under-cabinet lighting. Why threes, you ask? Why can’t it be in twos? Or fives? The truth is, the aim really is to achieve an odd number, because grouping elements this way looks more natural and unstaged, thus visually appealing. Five or a higher number is too much, so designers settle on the minimum odd, which is three.
Who would have thought that numbers can play such a drastic difference in interior design? Again, if you want to pull off a better-looking home, look to figures for inspiration.
