Whether you aim to achieve a strikingly stunning, beautifully bold, or calm serenity with your interior design creations, there are several elements that need to come together, and which require careful pre-planning and thoughtful arrangement.
As the name suggests, ‘layering’ literally refers to the way in which you layer different components with, or on top of, each other to produce a creatively harmonious space.
By identifying and learning how to manipulate them, you will be able to come up with a variety of engaging and creatively unique design layouts. In doing so, you will also be able to troubleshoot effectively when things don’t go the way you intended.
Let’s discover more about interior design layering
Architectural Aspects
These are the fundamental structural elements that make up the room, consisting essentially of the walls, ceiling, and floor. You should consider the textures, colors, and patterns of these elements and whether they complement each other – this is, after all, the framework in which you are working.
You might also include furniture in this category, especially if you have items that have been made to fit into a specific space, such as alcoves or bay windows. For example, when it comes to the bedroom, you might use a fitted wardrobe to occupy the space between a wall and a chimney breast. Items such as this can really help accentuate and bring a room together.
Color Scheme
Having a decent grasp of colour theory will enable you to generate a multitude of design concepts. When it comes to painting the walls, you are probably best sticking with a single block colour as your foundation, against which you can accessorise with more ambitious, patterned elements (such as ornaments or items of furniture).
White offers a blank canvas – as does black – and can pretty much be matched with anything
A common trend is to have three walls painted neutrally – say in cream or white – while the fourth is painted in a bolder or more vibrant colour as an offset. Not only can this be a nice visual element, it can also help enhance a particular theme you might be aiming for.
Use of Patterns
Of course, having too much blank space can be slightly dull, especially if the room itself embraces a minimalist aesthetic with little furnishings. This can be avoided by layering in some splendid patterns to add an interesting visual dynamic.
A common strategy here is to embellish a single statement wall, where you can use densely-layered wallpapers that utilise striking patterns – such as floral or paisley – to draw the eye.
Remember, in contrast with how you plan your colour scheme, if you elect for a more decorative or patterned wallpaper, you might be the best layering in simpler block colours to prevent a sensory overload!
Equally, such elements are best employed as a focal point as opposed to the dominant tone, so it’s perhaps best to limit their usage to controlled bursts of colour and creativity!
Texture
Diversity is not only essential from a visual point of view but can equally be incorporated into the textual subtleties of a room. If light, whether natural or internally generated, hits and reflects off each surface in the exact same way, the eye will eventually get tired.
For this reason, it’s useful to incorporate a range of interesting and differing materials to accentuate a room. Consider whether you want your modern sofas or armchairs to comprise such materials as leather, cotton, acetate, linen, or crushed mohair, and in what ways these would complement both your floor type and other furnishings (such as coffee tables or desks).
Fabrics and throws to cover your furniture will help add a further layer of intricacy. Likewise, you can place a rug across a floor for added variety especially if the floor has a glossy surface, like hardwood.
Lighting
Your choice of creative lighting will make a significant difference to the tone of your space and will influence the way in which people perceive it. Do you want to create a crisp and bright vibrancy or a warmer atmosphere?
Concluaion
Consider trying a variety of lighting sources for maximum flexibility and adaptability; these could include table lamps, floor lamps, and downlighters (dimmers). For added colour and texture, you can dress your lamps with a funky shade that compliments the tones and patterns of the room.
Also consider windows, factoring in how much natural light pervades through and at which points during the day. This might also determine how you position yourself in the future in order to maximize or minimize this effect.
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