THE 7 PRINCIPLES OF INTERIOR DESIGN (WITH REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES)
THE 7 PRINCIPLES OF INTERIOR DESIGN (WITH REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES)
THE 7 PRINCIPLES OF INTERIOR DESIGN (WITH REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES)
Kim Johnson
Rae Wolf founder & Interior Designer
2 min read
Oct 23, 2025
|
2 min read
Oct 23, 2025
|
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Along the way, I’ll share real-life client stories and practical tips you can use in your own home
Function & Flow (Plus Sightlines)
A room should work just as hard as you do. Layouts aren’t just about where things fit – they’re about how you live.
Picture this: mulled wine is poured, the tree is bought, the lights are untangled… and then you realise there’s no plug socket where you want to put the Christmas tree. Future-proofing your space means thinking about how you’ll use it both day to day and during special moments.
Sightlines matter too. In our bathroom remodel, we decided to move the toilet. Not only was it the first thing you saw as you walked up the stairs (hardly inspiring), but it also blocked the only wall big enough for a statement mirror. That one decision transformed both the flow and the feeling of the space.
Balance
Forget that Goldilocks was technically a thief – she was onto something about things being “just right.” Balance is what makes a room feel calm and harmonious.
As designers, we sift through countless options until we land on the perfect solution. It’s not luck, it’s instinct honed by experience. Balance can come from symmetry, proportion, or simply knowing when enough is enough. Without it, even the most beautiful pieces can feel jarring.
Walls & Art: Colour with Intention
Walls are your canvas – and colour is the fastest way to change the energy of a room. Be deliberate. Whether you go bold with a feature wall or keep things subtle with layered neutrals, colour sets the mood.
Art brings personality. From a single portrait to a gallery wall, think beyond the artwork itself – frames, mounts, and scale are just as important. Together, they express your style and make your home feel complete.
Flooring & Rugs
Flooring is the foundation of a room and one of the most effective ways to zone different areas.
Think about the physical experience: a concrete floor feels very different underfoot than a plush carpet, and that sensory difference changes how you perceive a space. Rugs, especially on hard floors, add comfort, connection, and softness. They also anchor furniture groupings, tying the room together.
Furniture
Comfort and function should always come first. Everyone seems willing to invest in a mattress, but what about the sofa – the place where you spend so much of your time?
The first question I ask clients is: how will you use this room? If grandparents will visit often, for example, a higher seat height (around 480mm) makes getting up easier. But no single sofa will suit every need. Prioritise how the space will be used most of the time, and design around that.
Materiality & Objects
Materials are the quiet heroes of design. Wood, marble, and stone don’t demand attention, but they support a scheme beautifully and create links throughout a home.
Objects, textiles, and accessories are the finishing touches. Choose pieces that tell your story and bring joy – not just anything in the right colour.
A client once swapped out a cushion I had specified because the original boucle was out of stock. They chose a patterned velvet in the same colour family. On paper, it worked. But in reality, it clashed. The boucle had been chosen as a modern counterpoint to a refined pattern and a block colour. Velvet, with its luxury softness, disrupted the linen-based palette we were creating for their French summer house.
It’s a reminder: materials carry meaning, and every choice has an impact.
Authenticity
As we grow older, many of us shrink a little – making ourselves quieter to fit in, putting others first. Homes can fall into the same trap: decorated for “what’s expected” rather than what feels true.
Rules about proportion, colour, and style matter. But the first filter for any design decision should be your soul. Does it feel like you? That’s where authenticity lives, and that’s what makes a space timeless.
The seven principles – function, balance, walls, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity – are the scaffolding of good design. Get these right, and your home won’t just look beautiful.
It will feel like it was always meant to be yours, and you will feel like you belong.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Along the way, I’ll share real-life client stories and practical tips you can use in your own home
Function & Flow (Plus Sightlines)
A room should work just as hard as you do. Layouts aren’t just about where things fit – they’re about how you live.
Picture this: mulled wine is poured, the tree is bought, the lights are untangled… and then you realise there’s no plug socket where you want to put the Christmas tree. Future-proofing your space means thinking about how you’ll use it both day to day and during special moments.
Sightlines matter too. In our bathroom remodel, we decided to move the toilet. Not only was it the first thing you saw as you walked up the stairs (hardly inspiring), but it also blocked the only wall big enough for a statement mirror. That one decision transformed both the flow and the feeling of the space.
Balance
Forget that Goldilocks was technically a thief – she was onto something about things being “just right.” Balance is what makes a room feel calm and harmonious.
As designers, we sift through countless options until we land on the perfect solution. It’s not luck, it’s instinct honed by experience. Balance can come from symmetry, proportion, or simply knowing when enough is enough. Without it, even the most beautiful pieces can feel jarring.
Walls & Art: Colour with Intention
Walls are your canvas – and colour is the fastest way to change the energy of a room. Be deliberate. Whether you go bold with a feature wall or keep things subtle with layered neutrals, colour sets the mood.
Art brings personality. From a single portrait to a gallery wall, think beyond the artwork itself – frames, mounts, and scale are just as important. Together, they express your style and make your home feel complete.
Flooring & Rugs
Flooring is the foundation of a room and one of the most effective ways to zone different areas.
Think about the physical experience: a concrete floor feels very different underfoot than a plush carpet, and that sensory difference changes how you perceive a space. Rugs, especially on hard floors, add comfort, connection, and softness. They also anchor furniture groupings, tying the room together.
Furniture
Comfort and function should always come first. Everyone seems willing to invest in a mattress, but what about the sofa – the place where you spend so much of your time?
The first question I ask clients is: how will you use this room? If grandparents will visit often, for example, a higher seat height (around 480mm) makes getting up easier. But no single sofa will suit every need. Prioritise how the space will be used most of the time, and design around that.
Materiality & Objects
Materials are the quiet heroes of design. Wood, marble, and stone don’t demand attention, but they support a scheme beautifully and create links throughout a home.
Objects, textiles, and accessories are the finishing touches. Choose pieces that tell your story and bring joy – not just anything in the right colour.
A client once swapped out a cushion I had specified because the original boucle was out of stock. They chose a patterned velvet in the same colour family. On paper, it worked. But in reality, it clashed. The boucle had been chosen as a modern counterpoint to a refined pattern and a block colour. Velvet, with its luxury softness, disrupted the linen-based palette we were creating for their French summer house.
It’s a reminder: materials carry meaning, and every choice has an impact.
Authenticity
As we grow older, many of us shrink a little – making ourselves quieter to fit in, putting others first. Homes can fall into the same trap: decorated for “what’s expected” rather than what feels true.
Rules about proportion, colour, and style matter. But the first filter for any design decision should be your soul. Does it feel like you? That’s where authenticity lives, and that’s what makes a space timeless.
The seven principles – function, balance, walls, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity – are the scaffolding of good design. Get these right, and your home won’t just look beautiful.
It will feel like it was always meant to be yours, and you will feel like you belong.
READ MORE FROM RAE WOLF
READ MORE FROM RAE WOLF
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of Interior Design
In this post, I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of interior design.
I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
The 7 principles of interior design.
I’ll walk you through the seven core principles of interior design: function and flow, balance, walls and art, flooring, furniture, materials, and authenticity.
Our guide to space planning
Space planning isn’t just about furniture layouts – it’s about designing a home that functions for the way you live.
Where to start when you're renovating your house
So, you’re drowning in stuff and dreaming of more space– you are not the only one.
RAE WOLF: INTERIORS THAT FEEL
LIKE YOU, ONLY BETTER.
RAE WOLF: INTERIORS THAT FEEL LIKE YOU, ONLY BETTER.
RAE WOLF: INTERIORS THAT FEEL LIKE YOU, ONLY BETTER.
Interior designer, problem-solver, colour enthusiast. Kim founded Rae Wolf to help people create homes that don’t follow trends – they follow instinct.
