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How Repetition Helps Rooms Shape Up
To give your interior designs a satisfying sense of rhythm, just add circles, squares or rectangles and repeat
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.
Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »
Repetition is one of the fundamentals of great design, creating a sense of rhythm and consistency in a way that few other elements can. Sometimes it takes the form of visual echoes throughout separate spaces, such as a series of identical lighting fixtures in adjoining rooms or a triptych of like-colored artworks on a wall. Other times it appears through architecture — imagine a progression of ceiling vaults down a hallway or a grid of porthole windows. And still other times, it comes down to simple geometry, as in the spaces below. Look closer to see it in action.
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| The repeated motif in this sassy, bright bedroom is obvious: circles aplenty. Study the photo for a minute and feel the movement that they add to the space. Although they're layered in a bold, emphatic way, they're not so intense that they'll give you vertigo. |
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Quieter yet no less striking, this bathroom relies on ovals to soften its rather angular lines. The interlocking ovals in the blue backsplash tile are especially graceful.
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| The most important component of this room? The picture window, which frames a showstopper view of the landscape. Throughout, the architecture takes its cues from that rectangular focal point. A few vertical rectangles play off the horizontal ones to prevent a static feel. |
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Subtle diamond motifs stud this entryway. Rotate them 90 degrees, and they morph into squares — just look at the window above the stair landing.
| At its heart, this outdoor deck and sitting area are a series of graduated squares. The two stools in the center are like earrings that put the perfect finishing touch on an outfit. |
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You can repeat more than one basic shape in a single space. Circles and rectangles play tug of war in this kitchen, and as a result, the energy in the room skyrockets.
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Gentle curves and flowing lines in this living area suggest rectangles and circles in a less blatant manner.
by Leslie Bentson
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You don't often see prominent triangles in a home, and there's a reason for that: Too many odd angles and sharp edges can make people feel jumpy and unsettled.
But this homeowner embraced the idea. In addition to the roofline, note the triangular window and the accents at the foot of the bed, which add up to a cohesive — and surprisingly soothing — package.
More:
From Building Blocks to Buildings: Balanced Geometry in Architecture
Multiply and Conquer With Design Groupings
But this homeowner embraced the idea. In addition to the roofline, note the triangular window and the accents at the foot of the bed, which add up to a cohesive — and surprisingly soothing — package.
More:
From Building Blocks to Buildings: Balanced Geometry in Architecture
Multiply and Conquer With Design Groupings
Comments
olldbobbi This is a really interesting article and it gves me something to think about that I never considered before, thank you, Lisa! What really strikes me is the view in picture #3; can you imagine laying in bed and watching a really good storm come in? Wow!
10 months ago · Like
joannehodges Lounges
10 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on July 21, 2012.
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