Interior design is mostly visual. When we see designed interiors on TV and in magazines, colour is the primary element that impresses us; it’s probably what gives the strongest impression, and that’s not even to mention the psychology of colour. But what affects the colours that we see? Light does. The quality of lighting is so important in interior design because it affects how we see those colours, and therefore, how we subconsciously respond to colours.

But the most important element that contributes to the overall visual aspect to residential design is space. It even goes beyond the visual—it’s full dimensional and mostly, if not purely, psychological. Whether a space is tight or ample affects how we feel in that space. Not just the space between walls, but the space between the floor to the ceiling, and space between furniture pieces and structural elements—these all contribute to the overall impression we get from a space.

With our eyes closed, we can’t see the space we’re in. But space goes beyond the mere visual. Considering the blind who are sight-impaired, it is only when we move in a space that we get the full feel for it. That’s why Ergonometric—which concerns measurements of furniture dimensions in regard to the human body and movement—is so important. And space planning is based on this (or it should, anyway). So is “form follows function.”