This document provides basic interior design rules related to space, light, and layers of lighting. It discusses how to use height, views, flooring direction, colors, mirrors and other techniques to maximize the feeling of space. When it comes to light, the document recommends maximizing natural light, using light colors that reflect light better, and considering the orientation of the room. It describes three layers of lighting - general, accent, and task lighting - and different types of light fixtures and bulbs that can achieve different lighting effects.

1. BASIC INTERIOR
DESIGN RULES

2. 1) SPACE
A) Height always adds to an
impression of space
B) People crave for views
regardless of what they are
viewing
C) Lots of glass equals lots of
space and light
D) The biggest luxury is a view
E) In the past people put
drapes on windows to block all
light but in the 20th century
they want light pouring in
because it is good for the
health

3. F) Floors bounce back sound
and light better than carpet
G) Floors maximize the
feeling of light and space
H) The direction of the
flooring can have an impact
1) Diagonal flooring
increases the feeling of
width
2) Vertical lines accentuate
the length and depth, they
draw the eyes upward
increasing the feeling of
height

4. 3) Horizontal lines like
the colors below the
day deck brings the
height down but
increases the feeling of
width
OTHER TRICKS
1) Strong colors that
come forward to greet
the eye on short walls
decrease the depth but
increases the width or
the room

5. 5) If you put strong colors on long
walls, you get a long corridor effect
6) Dark colors on the ceiling or on the
floor will decrease the feeling of
height which makes the room more
homey or cozy. Do this when the
ceiling is too high.

6. 6) Dark timber
paneling along the
stairs heighten the
theatricality of coming
up the stairs. You walk
from the dark timber
paneling into the light.
7) Mirrors used like
windows reflecting
corners of the room
make the space look
bigger

7. 8) A big picture in a small
room draws your
attention to it like an eye
magnet instead of on how
low the ceiling is or where
the corners of the wall are
9) Move the furniture out
of the walls
10) Have a lot of storage
-declutter, clutter makes
a room seem smaller

8. 11) Strong colors
close a room down
12) Maximize the
light coming in. Use
white or light
colored table tops
or drawer tops to
bounce back
sunlight

9. 2) LIGHT
A) Make the most of daylight:
It is good for the health
B) People are drawn to light as
plants are drawn to the sun
(human phototropism)
C) To maximize light coming in
do not clutter the window
C) A dramatic lighting scheme
can transform your room in an
instant from light and
functional to atmospheric and
moody (the plug-in kind)

10. C) A dramatic lighting
scheme can transform your
room in an instant from light
and functional to
atmospheric and moody (the
plug-in kind)
D) Light affects the way we
see and it directly influences
our moods
E) You do not see well in a
gloomy room but you feel
comfortable and happy in a
bright room

11. F) Use a picture frame that
reflects light
G) Red, orange, brown and
black hold daylight like a
sponge
H) Pale green, pale blue,
pale lilac and lighter colors
reflect light better.

12. I) Do not use carpet
for a dimly lit
room
Types of Floors
1) Matte – scatters
light in all directions
2) Glossy – bounce
back the light back to
the ceiling

13. The way your room faces is
a big consideration
1) East and north facing
rooms get less sunlight, they
tend to be darker and
colder.
They need bright and warm
color palets
2) South and west facing
rooms get more sunlight.
They should have cooler
colors
3) Cool blues are good for
hot places but too
depressing for cold places

14. What is the room used for?
1) Is it for relaxing, sleeping
or for families to get
together? Use warm colors
for living rooms and cool
colors for bedrooms.
2) Busy family kitchens
should have cool relaxing
colors
3)Trendy singles can take
more drama
4) Strong colors are not good
for bathrooms
5) Hallways should have
strong colors

15. 5) Strong colors in
restaurants make people
hungry and make them eat
faster
6) If the room is too large,
use strong colors to make it
look smaller
7) The interior of spaceCrafts are colored blue to
Look bigger
8) Prisons are colored pale c
Colors to help the in mates
Relax and calm down

16. Orange: joyful, exciting and
stimulates the appetite
Yellow: sunny and happy,
egotistical,argumentative
Green: natural, harmonious
and balanced
Blue: calming, sleep inducing
3 LAYERS OF LIGHT
1) General Lighting
(Ambient Lighting)
 Provides an area with
Overall illumination

17. 9)Red: the color
of blood, war,
fire,
assertiveness,
boldness, risk,
warmness
10) Pink:
romantic but can
be shocking

18. Orange: joyful, exciting and
stimulates the appetite
Yellow: sunny and happy,
egotistical,argumentative
Green: natural, harmonious and
balanced
Blue: calming, sleep inducing
3 LAYERS OF LIGHT
Layer 1: General Lighting
(Ambient Lighting)
 Provides an area with
Overall illumination
> It radiates a comfortable level
of brightness without glare and
allows you to see and walk
about clearly.

19. >It can be accomplished with
chandeliers, ceiling or wall
mounted fixtures, recessed or
track lights and with lanterns.
Layer 2: Accent Lighting
>anything that creates a mood,
or atmosphere
> adds drama to the room by
creating visual interest.
> It is used to draw the eye to
houseplants, paintings,
sculptures and other prized
possessions. It can also be used
to highlight the texture of a brick
or stone wall, window
treatments or landscaping.

20. Layer 3: Task Lighting
helps you perform specific
tasks, such as reading,
grooming, preparing and
cooking food, doing
homework, working on
hobbies, playing games
and balancing your
checkbook. It can be
provided by recessed and
track lighting, pendant
lighting and undercabinet
lighting, as well as by
portable floor and desk
lamps.

21. Types of Luminaires
1) Recessed-mounted
luminaires: direct in
distribution(downward)
2) Semi-recessed-mounted
luminaires: offer an
opportunity to incorporate
An indirect component
Recess-mounted luminaires
3) spots/projectors
4) Surface mounted or ceiling
mounted luminaires: provide
general illuminations
a) Linear general
b) Point general
Semi-recessed
luminaire
Ceiling mounted
luminaire
Spot lights
Linear general
Point general

22. 5) Pendant or suspended
luminiares: used to save
electricity because of very high
ceilings, they are also decorative
6) Free-floor standing luminaires:
very flexible, focus the light on a
visual task efficiently and
economically
7) Up lights or uplighters or floor
lights: are a big part of creating
drama. They direct light toward
the ceiling, which acts as a large
reflector creating a soft, ambient
light. Uplighters make good
background light, because unlike
an ambient light that comes from
a central source, they cast fewer
shadows and enhance the wall.
Pendant or suspended
luminaires
Free standing
luminaire
Up lights

23. 8) Trunking lighting system:
Economical, used for places
that are not permanent
9) Down lights: add subtle
lighting to the home
10) Wall lights or whitewash:
Use to bring out the texture
of the wall
11) Staircase lights
To light up the stair, add
drama
Down
light
Wall lights

24. Types of Artificial Light
1) Incandescent bulb:
consists of a filament that glows
when electricity is passed through it.
2) Halogen lamp: a type of
incandescent lamp where highpressure halogen gas is inside the
bulb allowing the filament to burn
hotter and longer.
3) Gaseous Discharge
• This technology passes
electricity through a gas, which
excites the gas and causes it to
glow. Fluorescent, highintensity discharge lights (HID)
and low-pressure sodium lights
use this technology. HID lamps
use different gases to produce
light:
a) Mercury Vapor
b) Metal Halide
c) High Pressure Sodium
Halogen lamp
Metal halide

25.  Mercury vapor
> Flourescent bulb