Creating The Wow Factor
Recently our company was engaged by the MAB Corporation to do the interior design and supply FF&E for their Grand Mecure Docklands – The Pods in Melbourne.
The MAB brief was that they required the WOW factor, to provide a visual feast, with warmth, elegance and professionalism for their latest development. This was accomplished by using vivid, bright art, architectural lighting and funking accessories to create the ultimate effect.
In their quest for the best look, our client requires one key element that will set them apart from their competitors and be extremely pleasing to their guests. The challenge for the designer becomes creating the ultimate effect within the budget and to be able to suit a wide target audience. Some of the most creative ideas can be quite overwhelming to the conservative palette so balance is paramount.
In order to achieve the wow factor and understanding the fundamentals of design is the key to creating the perfect space and a visual feast.
The following elements need to be incorporated into the interior design in order to get the wow factor as required by our client.
1. Unity – A space should be considered as a single unit that has been separated through walls, and this should considered while designing the interiors of the space, to ensure there uniformity. The overall theme must always be kept in mind.
2. Balance – This means properly arranging items in a given space. It is always better to keep things with the same visual features at different points so as to strike a good balance. Balance is classified into three broad kinds. The simplest one to achieve and the most traditional one is symmetrical balance. The second type is asymmetrical balance, which is highly popular but needs a good deal of creativity. The third is radial that is attained by taking a central point or item from which the other pieces seem to radiate.
3. Proportion – This is essentially to do with the dimensions and proportions of the objects. It is critical that articles in a room look good together with respect to their sizes. An absence of proportion will cause the room to lose its overall appeal as some items will be too prominent, while others may stay hidden in the background.
4. Focus – Having a focus in a room is a sign of good interior design. Focal items can be anything ranging from a furniture article to a beautiful painting or some other art work. This object must make an impression on the observer and also fall in line with the decor of the rest of the room. It should be eye-catching without seeming irrelevant in the room.
5. Rhythm – Having a rhythm too is absolutely important for attaining a good design. This means that the design should have a feeling of continuity and structure. This can be attained through the use of arcs, patterned walls or floors, through artworks or furnishings, and through repeating shades or shapes.
Interior designing of a space will be coherent if these fundamental principles are taken into consideration.
Light is a technically difficult yet astonishing medium that requires mastery of varied and continually evolving disciplines. A lighting design practice integrates the arts, sciences and business of illumination design and implementation far beyond concerns of visibility and horizontal footcandles.
There is an exciting range of lighting for interiors that are creatively pleasing and functional. This alone can add the wow factor to an interior where it is used to highlight artwork, fabrics and create a mood in the room. From classical pieces to contemporary, smooth soft lighting to a bold artistic statement, from glass or fabric shades to metal.
Art can often be the inspiration of a design, whether it is a wall piece, fabric or furniture piece. Once a designer has identified what is needed within the interior the rest of the creation can take place.
Strong colours, rhythmic movement in the art forms fulfill the principals of design and invigorate the senses to create a wow factor of its own transforming a blank canvas into a masterpiece.
Accessories are the finishing touches to an interior. These are not only decorative but can be practical in the forms of bowls, vases, storage boxes and many more. It allows a simple surface to decorate and give it an appeal. Certain pieces can complete a design and give it a signature. They can take a dull void and transform it into an eye catching feature.
When entering an interior our eyes will move to the rhythm created by all of these key elements and give us a sense of wow – a pleasing visual that overwhelms the senses.
Following the principals of design and using the key elements of art, light and accessories this allows us to create the wow factor that the client is searching for.
Sandy Reay
Resort Interiors International
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