Elements and Principles of Design There really is no mystery involved in making a space beautiful - only simple, universal rules. No matter what your budget or style, by familiarizing yourself with these basic concepts of design, you can make any space appealing. D E S I G N E L E M E N T S : Design elements are the fundamental components of design. 1. SPACE: In regards to interior design, your space is your canvas and is often defined by a room with three dimensions (length, width, and height). Space includes the background, foreground and middle ground. Space refers to the distances or are as around, between, or within the components of an object. (Positive space = goblet, negative space = 2 profiles of human faces) There are two types of space: positive and negative space. Positive space ref ers to the space of a shape representing the subject matter. Negative space refers to the o pen space around the subject matter. (examples: rooms, walls, floors, et