Decorating Guides
How Repetition Helps Rooms Shape Up
To give your interior designs a satisfying sense of rhythm, just add circles, squares or rectangles and repeat
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.
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.
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.
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.
Subtle diamond motifs stud this entryway. Rotate them 90 degrees, and they morph into squares — just look at the window above the stair landing.
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.
Gentle curves and flowing lines in this living area suggest rectangles and circles in a less blatant manner.
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