Interior designing is not just a technical skill or an artistic venture. It is a formative discipline that enriches the emotional quality induced by a space. In fact, the science of interior design psychology has the human mind at its centre.
Its concepts and practices revolve around the understanding of the effects of forms, colors, lighting, positioning etc. on the resident/owner. Emotional well-being and guided states-of-mind of the inhabitants is achieved while designing commercial or residential interiors.
Interior designers may convince the clients to accept their best and most innovative designs tagged as being “modern” or “uber”. But the task of creating customised spaces for the ones who will use it is much harder.
If interior designers overlook rendering the emotional content, they would verily set an unfit environment for the client. The reason is that every space has a purpose and has a group of people who inhabit and share it with a certain feeling or reason.
Different elements of interior designing derive a variety of human reactions. For example, Sales outlets and stores colored in bright shades evoke a feeling of readiness to buy. Hospital dorms colored in cool shades, soothe the patients. A longer corridor in an office gives a sense of greater departmentalisation.
Hamstech Institute, as a top-ranking interior design institute in Hyderabad, trains its students in the psychology of space and behavioural science through its diverse interior designing courses.
So, here’s a glimpse of how the human mind affects interior designing:
The Color Effect
Colors influence the mind most. Suggesting optimal color combination needs expertise derived from observation, practice and interactions. Rather than deciding on a single color for all the rooms, interior designers research and suggest a palette for the house. The colors are chosen by purpose, instinct, environment, room space, functionality and the client’s taste.
An urban dwelling could use more of green to invoke the feel of nature. Rooms for creative activity can have orange to inspire liveliness. Blue is good for calmness in kitchens and bathrooms. Office spaces can use shades of gray to bring a relaxed feeling at work.
Interior designing courses can provide more insight in this regard. The designer make efforts to generate an emotional effect, contributing to the achievement of the purpose of a particular space.
Forms and Sizes
Forms and sizes matter in interior designing. Distributing space or creating illusions of space can profoundly influence people’s minds. There are 2 types of forms namely geometric and natural. Geometric forms are man-made and natural forms are inspired by nature.
The negative feelings like risk, injury or danger are subconsciously triggered with sharper forms of structure or objects. Curvy forms instill more confidence and aesthetic appeal. Wide rooms suit collaborative activity and smaller rooms suit precise objectives and dedicated functions.
Interiors can incorporate natural forms like waves or irregular shapes for the walls or objects like shelves or tables. These design variations can give a novel feel to the interiors. It appeals to those who’re looking for a new experience from their interiors.
Lighting Up the mind
Lighting interiors appropriately is crucial for the effect a space might have on its psychological interpretation. Lighting is achieved either naturally or artificially. Daylighting, a method of natural lighting, is the technique of letting in sunlight through properly planned inlets like glass panels and windows. A natural lighting system has well-assessed window placements and reflective systems to bring light to different areas of the structure.
Natural lighting brings the peace and joy of being closer to nature. It also saves a lot on energy consumption. To have a moonlit bedroom is incomparably pleasurable. A sunlit living room with bright colored walls bring out abundant excitement.
Proper artificial lighting with the correct light type, intensity and color can generate different feelings. Types of artificial lighting namely task lighting, accent lighting and mood lighting serves different purposes and creates a different feel, style and mood for a room. For example, dim lighting evokes cosiness and warmth in people.
Interior design psychology is a specialised field of study. It focuses on the efficacy of interior designing through analysis of human emotions under the influence of the elements of design.