Space

Space is one of the most important elements of interior design. Space acts as a foundation on which the entire interior design plan is built. Hence it is essential that the designer is well aware of the space available, its dimensions and its utilities. Space is divided into two types namely – Two Dimensional Space which covers the floor (includes length and width) and Three Dimensional Space which forms the living space (includes length, width, and height). A space that is essentially filled with furniture/décor items is a Positive Space and an empty space is a Negative Space. Equilibrium has to be maintained between the positive and negative spaces and either overcrowding or skimping on the furniture/décor items is going to affect this equilibrium.

Design Cheat Sheet

Define how space is to be used, and how much is to be used. If you have a cavernous foyer with a 2 storey ceiling and a vast expanse of floor, determine how much of the space you want to relate to human scale – if the objective is to help people find the elevators quickly, or find the courtyard, or the amenities, you can define smaller areas within the space using different methods. A drop ceiling or artwork that hangs low can reduce the feeling of loftiness, in addition to absorbing sound if there are a lot of hard surfaces.

If, on the other hand, when determining the use of the space it is revealed that the amount of space is inadequate, a decision can be made to expand physically or visually. 

Consider, too the shape of a room – is it a long corridor or a big open square?  And when creating the floorplan, think about flow from the perspective of comfortable distance from objects when there are many people in the space.