We are so bombarded with visual messages and stimuli in our daily lives that when it comes to creating a pleasant home, I believe it is important to err on calm and relaxing interiors. The soil has an important role to play in this. You may have good reason for wanting a powerful, active effect, but in this case I suggest sticking to one or two places. Since your floor forms the visual background of your decor and furniture, try to keep it simple.

The calm and restful qualities are primarily a function of eye movement. Our eyes can only focus on a small area at a time, and if they are asked to encompass more than this, they will continually be pulled in different directions. This is why line and pattern jitteriness or visual clutter creates a sense of jitteriness. The universal appeal of the Japanese or American Shaker houses with their simple tatami or wooden plank floors, the simple modern interiors or the simple white Mediterranean architecture with tiled floors is proof of how the absence of strong visual accents in the flooring contributes to a peaceful and timelessly satisfying environment. bedrooms.

Strong contrasts, whether in color, line, or shape, are disruptive and keep our brains in a state of constant visual activity. Compare, for example, the effect on the eye of a crazy pavement floor with that of simple equal squares. Irregularity and fussy contrast produce what can best be described as “visual noise”, while symmetry and balance play an important role in those classic designs that are universally appreciated for their harmony.

However, while repetition of simple components can create calm, it can also become tedious, especially in larger areas. To introduce diversity into a regular pattern, you can buy handmade rugs or tiles that have subtle differences in color, texture, or pattern. On a stone or tile floor, small cabochons or key squares will produce a similar effect of variety in a calm setting.

To maintain a restful feeling when using patterns and motifs, you need to decide early on where the weight of the visual accent will fall, on a foreground motif or a background. When the two are the same, attention oscillates continuously from one to the other, causing discomfort and restlessness. It is also important to consider where and how to joint materials. Unless you want the joint to be eye-catching or to look like part of a pattern, it should be as inconspicuous and tight as possible, especially on materials like slate, stone, tile, or wood. It is a very common defect today, stemming from the decline of craftsmanship, that the joints tend to be too large. Look at the simplest Victorian ceramic floor and you will see how tightly the pieces fit together.

Simplicity is a powerful design statement in itself and conveys confidence, security and certainty. Plain, good-quality materials, well but simply laid, can bring lasting satisfaction.