AESTHETICS IN INTERIOR DESIGN: WHAT IS BEAUTIFUL OR ELEGANT? A LIST OF QUALITIES

Wikimedia Commons: Krzysztof Mizera (2008)

Aesthetics (Greek: aisthētikós) relative to an object, a project, or a work of art, is the perceived quality of it being “beautiful”. It’s essentially the study of beauty in art. This easily understood definition of a challenging philosophical and fine arts term, is adequate for our purposes.

Aesthetics imparts the visual identity of a building. An aesthetic work is pleasing to look at. It invariably involves judgement, which is subjective. Can aesthetics or the sense of beauty be taught? Can anyone acquire this skill or talent? Most professional designers support that it takes years of education, training and experience, to excel in this field. Granted, some are born with an innate talent to draw or have an artistic inclination, but this doesn’t appear to be adequate for today’s complex world. In all fairness, we’d say that it ultimately requires a combination of innate qualities and developed skills.

So what makes something “aesthetic”? Below is a partial list of qualities needed to justify the beautiful or the elegant: 

1. Unity
2. Proportion.
3. Scale.
4. Balance.
5. Symmetry.
6. Rhythm. 

These are accomplished by massing, pattern, contrast, theme and variation, coherence, etc. While the designer employs a stand-alone form or a composition of forms.

The Greeks in antiquity held that symmetry was a prerequisite of beauty. However today, symmetry is avoided by many designers, for various artistic and philosophical reasons.

For Vitruvius, the ancient Roman architect, a building had two satisfy three conditions: Firmness (Statics), Commodity (Function) and Delight (Aesthetics). Interestingly enough, what was considered beautiful in interiors or haute-couture in the 19^th century, doesn’t always meet the approval of today’s people. For taste and the sense of beauty or elegance, seem to change over time.

In the end, what makes an interior space or a work of architecture aesthetic? While it needs to satisfy all of the above, it still seems to have an aura of its own; that makes it both memorable, and enjoyable.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

For specifics, or ideas about your own project, get in touch; we can work together. It's fun, easy and affordable! Feel free to CONTACT:  interior.design.easy@gmail.com