Interview with Cheryl Broadhead, BYU Design

7 Tips FOR  Designing a Space you’ll love

Interview with Cheryl Broadhead Principal, BYU Design

A beautifully designed home that reflects your personality and creates the perfect mood for relaxing or entertaining… sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? But how can we design these Instagram-worthy spaces for ourselves, without the help of an interior designer? Cheryl Broadhead of BYU Design says it all hinges on seven key design elements.

1. Understand Design

“At BYU we always say that the purpose of design is form, function and emotion. Design is the coming together of form and function, with the intention of creating an emotional response.”

2. Know What You Like

“A lot of people don’t necessarily know what they like, but they might know it when they see it. I always suggest that people collect images from magazines, Pinterest or Instagram to create a look-book. Then, try to identify the underlying thread that ties these images together to help you define your tastes.”

3. Understand Your Space

“Consider the requirements of your space – who is using it, and what it needs to do for you. There might be a range of people in your home, so it’s very important to understand how that space is meant to act.”

4. Get a Sense of Scale

“Bring a tape measure with you to shop for furniture, art, and rugs. Then, tape off the spaces in your room so you can understand what the items will feel like in the space. Remember to think vertically as well as horizontally.”

5. Embrace Colour

“You can really change how a room feels using colour. Remember, colours and patterns that are trendy right now may not be tomorrow, and while it’s easy to change your toss cushions, it’s more difficult to change your backsplash tile. Don’t be afraid of paint – it’s easy to change.”

6. Create Visual Spaces

“Visual clutter can be just as hard to deal with as actual clutter. Sometimes you just need a pause. Every wall doesn’t have to have something on it. Like white space on paper, visual space allows you to see and understand things better.”

7. Pick a Plant

“Bring nature into your space with live plants. There’s a lot of science to back up the fact that humans think better and feel better in spaces with natural elements. Plants also add a muted, natural colour that doesn’t need to be considered
an accent colour.”