How can you define ‘good design’? More importantly, how can you incorporate that design into your home?
While decorating, the rule of 3 in decorating can be a powerful tool you can implement in your home’s interior. To break it down for you, the rule of 3 implies that things arranged in odd numbers seem more visually appealing to our eyes. You can try it with groupings of 5, 7 or 9 as well (however, the rule of 7 and 9 can make a room look too cluttered). The human brain is automatically wired this way; we tend to think the use of odd numbers somehow makes anything better organized and more natural. There’s a reason why this guideline is often used in terms of photography and architecture as well. Read below to learn more about the rule of 3 in interior design and how you can use it on your home’s interior.
Why it works
The rule of 3 in interior decoration is a design principle that states the layout, shape and size, even the patterns, fabric designs and colors of individual objects in a room. The concept of these interior design rules has correlations with the principle of Feng Shui, that odd numbers creates good energy while even numbered pairings do the opposite. The rule of 3 in interior design is not only easy to incorporate in an interior but also an inexpensive way of sprucing up your interior decoration.
How it can be applied
An easy of way implementing this guideline is to include 3 colors in a room. The primary color should cover 50% of the room, the secondary should cover 30% of the room while the remaining 20% should include decorative items such as rugs, throw pillows and artworks. For the last part, the accessories should vary in size so that they belong together without creating the look of a cramped room.
Vignettes
Not to be confused with the effect used during photography where the picture has Black or White shadows surrounding it. Vignette is another term that goes hand in hand with maximalism. Vignette is popular because you have the option of restyling your interior decoration multiple times. For starters, include three groups of things together that vary in size.
One of the best ways of incorporating vignette is to keep a few different components such as lamps, books, and vases together. Make sure to keep the same tonal range, though. This way, you can easily refresh the look of your interior decoration with changing seasons and occasions. All you need to do is replace those components with new ones that are different in colors and patterns!
Lighting
Lighting plays a huge role in terms of setting the mood of a space. We tend to keep it very basic when it comes to setting up a proper lighting system in different areas of our house such as in the bathroom or the kitchen but the truth is, nowadays there are way too many options and fixtures available. A simple way of highlighting a kitchen is to use 3 overhead pendant lights. This way, you can have task lighting and at the same time, create your kitchen’s focal point.
Decorative pieces
One of the easiest ways of using the rule of 3 in interior design is through adding accessories. For instance, you can hang 3 artworks vertically or horizontally on your living room wall. Or, set up 3 vases of different colors and sizes together on top of your coffee table along with stacks of notebooks. In a corner, try placing 3 giant floor pillows to bring in the illusion of an organized room. Designing an area this way will give the space a feeling of visual depth and satisfaction.
However, we are not undermining the concept of even-numbered designs in any way! That is just as important; for instance, a couple of chairs with a coffee table, or two bedside tables with a bed. The numbers aren’t important as long as you can work it in your interior that reflects on your personal style.
