In interior design, it is equally vital to what you should not add to a room as it is what you do.

That blank area on the wall, the undisturbed area, the breathing space around things, this is what designers refer to as negative space, and is one of the most potent (and unnoticed) weapons of establishing a beautifully balanced home.

Consider negative space as the rest in between the musical notes.

I am unable to live without it, as it makes everything feel loud, busy and overwhelming. It is accompanied by an opening of a room, pieces are given meaning, and your home is relaxing, cleaner and more classy.

This is where designers apply negative space – and how you can do the same, as well.

 

Know the Intention of Negative Space.

Negative space is not empty in its boring sense of the word, but it is empty purposefully.

Negative space is useful in design:

• Calm visual clutter
• Highlight important pieces
• Open up rooms and make them less stuffy.
• Improve flow and function
• Create a modern, curated look

It is among the simplest methods of raising a home without purchasing anything.

Begin With a Less Is More Philosophy.

Designers usually start with a room by dreaming of what they can take away but not what they can add.

The premise is quite straightforward: When everybody attempts to be special, nothing is.

Attempt to take away one of the items in the room until you feel it is balanced.

You will find soon how the lack of clutter brings out a feeling of luxuriousness and tranquility.

Employ Negative Space to draw a Focal Point.

Being in a room that has a lot of things happening, your eye does not know where to settle.

Negative space even provides breathing space around the room star and makes it more effective.

Focal points might be:

• A statement sofa
• A large piece of art
• A beautiful window view
• Huge wall clock, which holds a blank wall.
• An architectural element or a fireplace.

It is best to give these works room to glisten.

Make Walls Privacy Purposely Sparse.

The majority of individuals are under pressure to cover all the walls but designers understand otherwise.

A plain wall or a wall with few decorations can:

• Balance out a busy corner
• Create calm in an open space
• There is a direct focus on a focal point.
• Bring elegance and aesthetic and repose.

A single large piece of art or a large piece of wall clock usually has a great chance of looking better than twelve smaller items that are all trying to capture the eye.

 

Play With Scale and Proportion.

Scale is in liaison with negative space.

The designers tend to use big pieces of furniture in a room, where there is much unoccupied space, due to the fact that it exudes a dramatic effect.

For example:

 

• On a very blank wall high up was a massive mirror.
• There is a large wall clock in the center of a console.
• Corner plant and no other decoration.
• Chandelier above a clean dining table.

The contrast of big object and quiet surroundings is added without complication.

 

Be Picky With Decorations -Curate, Not Collect.

Designers select pieces deliberately rather than crowded the shelves or tables with everything.

They choose:

• 2–3 objects per surface
• A mix of heights and textures
• Items with personal meaning
• Furniture that compliments the room however, not the opposite.

This discriminative style allows your interior and style of furniture to breathe.

 

Enhance Negative Space to enhance Functionality.

Negative space is not purely visual, but it is also functional.

Designers use it to:

• Create walking paths
• Prevent overcrowding
• Make multifunctional rooms look organized.
• Make hectic families feel organized.

It only takes a few inches to move furniture or the removal of something that is hardly used to make a room look immediately much more habitable.

 

Beauty in Symmetry and Asymmetry.

Both asymmetrical and symmetrical designs are vivid in the negative space.

Symmetry:

Two empty lamps upon a console table.

Asymmetry:

One sculptural object (such as a vase) and empty space in the other half of the shelf.

The two methods also make use of empty space to produce harmony and not clutter.

 

Negative Space can be thought of as a Design Element.

Rather than considering empty spaces as being like unfinished spaces, consider it as a design element.

Ask yourself:

• Is this area required to be occupied?
• Does it add or will it clutter the room?
• Will empty room cause the room to feel more relaxed?

Is it because you want to leave it blank so that it can emphasize something?

According to designers, the negative space is the area in which the room breathes. Let it.

 

Final Thoughts

The silent hero of the interior design is negative space.

It is what renders a room to look balanced, purposeful and uplifted, regardless of your style, be it minimal, modern, eclectic and vintage.

Harmony is created with your furniture by letting it breathe, opening up some walls, and selective use of statement pieces such as oversized art or any size wall clock, and this is guaranteed to uplift your home upon the first glance.

Design does not only involve the addition of things.

It is what you do not put in – and the silence of harmony and harmony.