Writing Your Interior Design Concept Statement

Yet, there is a risk of creating a cascading effect once you get started. Moving the chair might necessitate rearranging the side tables, and so on until you’re lost in the interior design weeds. 

This is exactly why interior design professionals tend to use interior design concept statements. These informal documents keep designers focused on their design goal throughout the process. 

Creating an interior design concept statement is a great exercise for the DIY designer, too – drafting one is easy, fast, and surprisingly fun! Here’s what you need to know about how these statements work, why they could be helpful for you, and how to put together your own:

What is an interior design concept statement?

An interior design statement is the written articulation of an interior designer’s overall vision for a project. It outlines the key ideas, elements, and themes that the designer wants to incorporate into the design concept. 

Typically, interior designers create their concept statements at the very beginning of the project to serve as a roadmap for all the conceptualizing and execution to follow. This allows the designer and anyone they work with to have reference material to refer back to when they’re considering a new idea or concept. 

Your statement doesn’t need to be as formal as a professional one – it just needs to include all the information you want to consult as you’re figuring out how you want your space to look. 

Your design statement could include everything from specifics like which kinds of materials you want to use for the furnishings and decor in a space, to broader, more conceptual considerations like how you want the space to feel to anyone who enters it. 

Why are interior design concept statements useful?

Concept statements can be very useful for any interior design project because they help provide you with grounding and organization. 

Like almost any home endeavor, interior design projects tend to naturally expand and transform as you go to work on them – especially if you’re working on it with multiple contributors, such as family members or roommates. By creating a concept statement together, you and your contributors can agree on an overall concept and plan in advance. 

Throughout the project, you’ll be able to refer back to this plan to settle debates on how to best follow it and whether or not a new idea fits into the overarching concept you’re trying to achieve.

What to include in an interior design concept statement

There are generally agreed-upon seven elements of interior design. Here’s a quick overview of what these elements are, and what the terms mean when applied to interior design:

• Space: The foundation of design, balancing open and filled areas to create harmony.
• Line: Defines structure and guides the eye through verticals, horizontals, and curves.
• Form: Shapes that bring depth and character to your space.
• Light: Enhances every detail, creating ambiance and focus.
• Color: Sets the mood and reflects your brand’s personality.
• Texture: Adds tactile intrigue for a sense of refinement.
• Pattern: Elevates visual interest with repeated artistic elements.
   

Some of the most common elements to include in an interior design statement are your color palette, desired textures, and pattern considerations. Imagine you want to create a soft, neutral room using greys and whites, plush, smooth textures, and symmetrical horizontal patterning. 

Writing down these considerations would help you settle on the Olivia Wool Blend Rug Collection as a perfect option while helping you understand that something like a Hemp rug wouldn’t be right for the style you’re trying to evoke.

How do I write my statement? 

Start writing your design statement by summarizing your project goal. What will you be doing, what do you hope to accomplish, and why? Again, this goal could be as specific or conceptual as you’d like it to be – the important thing is that you settle on a goal that helps guide your ideation.

For example, you could say, “I want to make my bedroom a soft, cozy space that makes me feel comfortable and warm when I’m there.” This is a simple goal, but it’s already giving you plenty of direction to draw from.

Next, follow up your goal with your ideas for how you’ll get there. For example, you could say: “To achieve this, I will layer warm-colored, plush rugs with simple patterns on the floor while matching their color to my walls. I will contrast the warm colors of the walls and floor with darker furnishings and richer textures.” 

With your goal and approach established, the rest of the statement is up to you. If you have more thoughts and ideas you’d like to include, you could continue the statement with a third sentence. You could even include examples of “dos” and don’ts” to help give you more guidance on what you had in mind. These examples could also be specific or broad - for instance, if you’re trying to establish warmth and comfort, you could talk about how you’d like to use wool for your carpeting and rugs, or you could even pick some specific rugs you like for inspiration.

Remember: your interior design concept statement is for you. It should be a document and exercise that helps inspire and guide your decision-making, leading to a more confident and effective design project. If you find yourself struggling with creating your concept statement or the statement you draft turns out to be too restrictive, there’s no reason you can’t edit or even replace it as you go! 

Next time you’re considering starting a new interior design project, take some time to write out your concept statement. As you plan, you might find yourself inspired to try things you never would have thought of otherwise. 

And if you’re looking for more inspiration or direction for your statement, Sisal Rugs Direct is ready to help. Check out our online rug customization options to design the perfect rug for your next project.