Positive and Negative Space (Elements of Design)

Just like open and closed space, positive and negative interiors can be achieved by the arrangement of furniture in a way that either takes full advantage of every particle in a room, or simply creates emphasis by leaving this last one with empty spots that seem excluded from the design as a whole. Although there is no right or wrong answer when talking about positive and negative space, we do have to: a) find the right equilibrium between these two, and b) utilize them both in our favor. The term minimalism can be an extremely powerful tool to follow when achieving clean and relaxing environments, usually directed towards a more modern feel. Nevertheless, the minimalist style does have its own guidelines and concepts that must be pursued for it to be successful at displaying our design ideas.

When understanding the differences between positive and negative space, I personally enjoy seeing these as two possible questions (or rooms). For this first one, the room would be an incomplete sentence, and the positive space as filling in the blanks for said room. The best part of this last element of design is that it is often unnecessary to modify an interior dramatically in order to eliminate its negative space. For example, if there is an empty view from your kitchen provoked by colossal glass windows and a diagonal transition for the stairs right in front of them, we could identify the negative space we would like to dissolve by placing artwork, plants or any other decorative item of our choice over the nearest countertop on the way of this negative panorama. By doing so, we are not only creating positive space in our home, but we're also adding the final touches that our interior needs according to the principles and elements of design.

On the other hand, we could see negative space as the second question (or second room) for understanding this element of design. This can be an open response answer, allowing you to leave or include as many items in an interior while placing them within your best judgement and accordingly to the principles and elements of design. As designers, we must understand when enough is truly enough, and that there are occasions when a white, empty wall creates a superior focal point than any other highly elaborate piece of artwork could. An important aspect to consider when creating negative space in your home is to make it obvious, and, more importantly, genuinely achieve it with intention and not by accident. Negative space is one of those elements in an interior that should be easily identified, understood and loved for it to be a successful part of the design concept. A recommendation in this section would be to attempt to arrange it in a way that it is easily filled, in case the negativity in the space does not fully satisfy you at its conclusion. Start by arranging furniture differently, adding and/or removing decorations, etc.

Remember that the main objective in the amount of positive and negative space found in our interiors is not to choose one over the other, but to learn how to work with both in order to achieve the right balance between them. Although extremities are always fun to play with, we need to be careful at defining our space through a theme, and not through a single element of design. After all, there is no better way to familiarize ourselves with these other than first-hand experience, and constant change is just part of the process.

Safety Tips for DIY Jobs That Include Welding

Welding projects can be challenging, but they can also be a lot of fun. If you like hands-on projects that allow you to create new things, welding could be just the thing for you. And with the right setup and preparation, you can even enjoy welding right in the comfort of your own garage.

Despite how great welding projects can be, though, they can also pose several dangers to your health and wellbeing. To ensure your safety, continue reading for a few tips that will keep you safe during any DIY welding job.

Wear a Helmet

The right helmet that is specifically made for welding and that fits your head perfectly will protect your entire face from any flying particles, as well as all of the sparks that you will end up creating. Plus, because you will be creating radiation as you weld, you need a welding helmet that is designed to protect your delicate eyes from this damaging radiation.

Cover All Exposed Skin

Any skin that is exposed during a welding project will be susceptible to the damaging and painful effects of the UV radiation and infrared rays that are created. Sparks can also catch in your open pockets, as well as your pant cuffs or even down your shirt, so you have to button everything and make sure that there aren’t any areas of your clothing where sparks could cause damage and injuries. And never keep any lighters or matches in your pockets.

Set Up an Uncluttered Work Area

It is a good idea to set up your welding station on wheels, and the station itself should be made of heavy-duty metal. But in addition to all of that, you should avoid having any clutter in the area as well. There should be a specific place for all of your tools and your project pieces as you work on them. The welding area itself should only have the equipment and tools that you need, such as Mathey Dearman clamps, to use during a project, and nothing else.

Prevent Stress Injuries Caused by Repetitive Motions

When you are working on a welding project, you will be performing the same repetitive motions for quite some time. This repetition could take its toll on your body and result in painful stress injuries that could take a long time to heal completely. But there are steps you can take to prevent these injuries.

For example, to reduce neck fatigue, you can use an auto-darkening welding helmet rather than the typical fixed shade option. These types of helmets can even save you time between welds, which means you will be working on a project for less time and reducing the chance of a stress injury.

With the above safety tips in mind, you can pursue any DIY welding project that you desire, and you can complete the project in your garage if you want. Just make sure that you have enough space and that you purchase all of the appropriate safety gear and tools to remain safe and unharmed at all times.

Open and Closed Space (Elements of Design)

As it was mentioned a couple of entries ago, the principles and elements of design both help us achieve our ideal interior spaces in any circumstance and under any conditions. Now that we have become more familiar with these first ones, it is time to discuss the elements of interior design in a broader way, starting with, perhaps, one of the most important decisions that we have to make in our design concept: Will our area be open or closed? The challenge here is to remove any previous ideas we have about these two characteristics and fully understand what we mean by open and closed space.

As beginners, we usually think that design is either black or white, while in reality we are talking about a scale of greys. A closed space is not relative to “bad design”, just like open space does not always result in the complete opposite to this last one. This element of design should symbolize the general outline of your interior, while the rest of the components are still left to be determined in order to achieve a well-balanced fashion throughout. In reality, what concludes how open or closed a space will be is the desired purpose of the room. For example, if we’re striving for a major adjacency between the kitchen and the living room, then we are interested in having a widely open space for both, or a subtle division between them, such as a pony wall serving as an island or a bar.

Needless to say, we might prefer more secluded areas reserved for specific activities and/or special occasions. For example, if we have already incorporated a breakfast table near the kitchen, then we could consider the possibility of a more private and formal dining room with moderated adjacencies to the rest of the house. When we think of open and closed spaces around the house, we need to reflect on the number of guests we welcome into our home and the privacy we demand on a daily basis.