"Dutch Home" design, as it will be referred to amongst all the other well established interior design schemes, is a unique concept in the world of interior design today, and one in which I have created with the establishment of my company, Daffodils & Delft.
At present we offer decorative and functional Dutch products and are direct importers from the country of the Netherlands. In addition to what we offer at present, I will begin introducing what it means to live in a "Dutch Home" on an ongoing basis and show you how you can achieve the same look in a cost effective yet stylish way. It all begins with the basics!
Before we can delve into "Dutch Home" designing, it's essential we understand the fundamentals of design itself. I think a good starting point would be for me to share what I believe are the absolute basics of creating any interior design scheme. This will set the tone and also set the stage for us to progress onto the next levels with our goal being to create a lovely warm and inviting and very aesthetically appealing cosy and "gezellig" Dutch home!
It's been my experience that knowing at least the basics of interior design can enhance your ability to achieve not only a warm and inviting home, but also create an aesthetically appealing interior that is uniquely yours and no one else's. Rules aren't always meant to be broken and where designing your home is concerned, they will come in very handy and save you from changing things and moving furniture around time and time again until you "feel" it's just right. Learning these 7 elements can save you a lot of hassle PLUS help you create the interior or your dreams. After I share my thoughts on the basics of design, I'll begin sharing my thoughts on Dutch Design. Dutch Design is unique and we will explore that area as I continue to add items to my shop such as linen curtains, pillows, and bedding designed by me!
So, let's explore this area together, shall we? So, there are 7 basic elements of interior design and I wanted to begin with Space. Space refers to the distance between and around furniture and objects, including their proportions, within a room. I shared a little bit about how the Dutch like things balanced last week. Understanding the element of Space will help you to achieve that balance. Space refers to both positive space, such as a where sofas and chairs are positioned, and their proportions, and negative space otherwise known as the gaps in between, which includes space for navigating through the room, as well as the areas left open to give the room some breathing space.
Striking a balance between the two is vital for a room to feel well laid out. A room with more negative space will feel larger than it may actually be, which is a desired goal oft times, but too much negative space can also make a room feel uninviting and impersonal, and under furnished, where too much positive space being taken up can make a room feel busy and crowded, and over furnished. One final bit to keep in mind is to keep 50cm between objects and 1m for walking.
It’s an easy concept to understand in theory but actually making it work requires a bit of effort. So, to take it to the next level in planning your room, you have various options, you can use digital resources or do what I like most to do, which is to use graph paper and scale everything to meet with the dimensions of the room including entryways, and with the proportions of the furniture, just cut little scaled pieces of furniture out, like I do! That works like a charm and no having to purchase or learn a program! Easy peasy and it gets the job done and it's fun!
Until we meet again!
With much love, Brechtje ❤️