In this post, we will explore the design principle of RHYTHM. The design principles are the strategies that pull together chosen elements into a cohesive, pleasing, and unified completed space. If the design elements (line, shape, pattern, texture, color) are the ingredients—as in a recipe—the design principles (balance, rhythm, scale and proportion, emphasis, and unity) are the way that those ingredients are artfully combined to create a pleasing composition. 

Rhythm is a tool that designers and homeowners often utilize instinctively by repeating certain elements within a design. But when used very intentionally, rhythm can be the means of creating visually stunning and memorable spaces. 

Borrowed from musical vocabulary, rhythm is the underlying repetition of elements that anchor a design’s composition. Much like a drumbeat that maintains the tempo and holds a piece together, repetition of an element in an interior space supplies cohesion to the overall design. Rhythm punctuates the composition of a room in the same way that a drum beat adds an underlying structure to a musical composition.

We designers often repeat a certain color or motif throughout a space. Or we may replicate certain shapes or lines, such as a drum-shade pendant over a round table or a gallery wall with several rectangular framed pieces.

In architecture and interiors, the repetition of elements creates harmonious, aesthetically pleasing coherence and unification. Related visual elements seem to satisfy a basic human need for visual consistency. Randomness, on the other hand, seems incongruous or unsettling to us. Simply put, the repetition of identical or slightly modified elements establishes rhythm, and rhythm provides order to our visual experience. 

In the images below, the repetition of architectural and design elements provides a unified and pleasing aesthetic to these spaces. If, on the other hand, the lighting, furniture, and wall placements in the restaurant on the right were random and highly varied, we would not see the same level of visual cohesion and unity. 

In previous posts of The Design Brief®, we have covered the Design Elements as they relate to interior design: LINE, SHAPE AND FORM,  PATTERN AND TEXTURE, LIGHT, and COLOR. 

I use the analogy that the design elements are like the ingredients in a recipe. Choosing to add specific amounts of ingredients (the elements) is how a designer effectively and creatively composes a space. 

If the design elements are your raw ingredients—the flour, salt, and spices—then the design principles are the culinary chemistry that determines whether the final dish is a masterpiece or a mess. Think of design principles as the sensory experience that emerges when the elements are combined.

Just as with a well-executed recipe, a thoughtful blend of design elements can result in a savory masterpiece; conversely, a poor combination can yield something bland or even unpalatable. And while a strategic pairing of ingredients can create a harmonious sweetness, an unskilled combination risks a finished product that tastes bitter.

It is in combining the design elements (ingredients) to achieve desired levels of the design principles (interactions) that a designer exercises creative expression and mastery.

In previous posts, we covered a variety of historical periods in architecture, interiors,  and furniture design:

Historic French ArchitectureFrench Furniture Styles

Historic British Furniture and Architecture

Historic Italian Architecture

Historic Architecture from Spain

American Historic Furniture Styles

The last post listed above covered furniture styles that were strictly American, but it did not include a critical period: the architectural and furniture design movement that took place from about 1930 to 1970, called Modernism. 

The Modernist movement included innovations in art as well as architecture and furniture, including abstract expressionism, pop art, and surrealism. But that is a topic for a different post. And music of the time also took innovative turns in the 20th century as well, including Blues, Jazz, and Rock and Roll. But here, we will explore what transpired in architecture and furniture design during this period.

Let me also clarify some terminology. I sometimes hear people say that current designs look really modern. That is a misuse of the term. Modern design is really of that period of about 1930 to 1970, the topic of this post. A more appropriate term for designs being produced at the current time would be contemporary.

By the early to mid-20th century, the American landscape was undergoing a profound transformation. At the beginning of the century, most people didn’t have indoor plumbing or electricity in their homes, and transportation relied on horses and buggies. Just a few decades later, in 1969, the United States sent astronauts to the moon. 

nd a newly expanded network of highways. In 1950, only about 9% of American homes had a TV; by 1959, that number had soared to nearly 90%.

Simultaneously, the social fabric was shifting: women were entering the workforce in record numbers, and the pace of daily life quickened as new technologies reshaped the home and the office. Following decisive victories in both World Wars, the United States emerged as a global superpower, fostering a national sense of security and supremacy. Together, these forces acted as a catalyst for a radical evolution in American lifestyle and material culture.

So it was no wonder that the architectural style of the times took on a distinctly new flavor. Unlike the previous styles of Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau, and Victorian—all of which were ornate and featured many embellishments—modern architecture was quite simplistic. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe famously said “Less is More,”  meaning that stark simplicity is better than elaborate ornamentation. Modernists embraced minimalism and clean lines.

Why Interior Designers NEED to Know the Residential Codes

It is critical that designers who are producing residential floor plans understand the relevant code requirements. Codes are the law, and the requirements must be followed. 

Most often, if a designer draws a floor plan or lighting plan that misses code compliance, the licensed plumber or electrician, or the experienced carpenter or installer will recognize the deficiency, and make a correction on site or during installation. Within their specialty, good contractors are well aware of the requirements and keep up on any code requirement changes. Or, during a plan review for a building permit application, a code deficiency might get tagged for revision. And, even if something is installed or constructed incorrectly, a building inspector should catch it during an inspection (but then, of course, there may be a hefty cost to the homeowner to reconstruct the element per code requirements!!!)

This is all very comforting to designers. Mistakes and improper applications get caught and fixed along the way during plan reviews and construction. So, the real risk when a designer is ignorant of the codes is that they lose credibility with contractors and installers. AND, that gives the entire industry a bad name. 

Can you almost SEE the contractor rolling their eyes when they see a designer’s plan that has missed a basic requirement???

Can you almost HEAR the men on the job site chuckle over the silly designer’s scheme that misses the mark with plumbing, electrical, or life safety codes?

Yeah, right. This is why some designers get a bad rap.

And this is also why we at Dakota Design Company have developed the Residential Codes Handbook, which includes summaries and diagrams of ALL codes related to single-family homes. Additionally, we update it every three years when the International Residential Code (IRC) and the National Electrical Code (NEC) are revised, and we send all purchasers an update to keep them informed about any code changes.  

But in this post, we will cover the key areas where designers might miss the mark when it comes to code compliance. 

Interior designers excel at maximizing the visual elements within a space to achieve optimal solutions. We all recognize that a beautifully composed interior space is the result of meticulous planning and creative intuition. Designers manipulate visual elements to trick the eye, evoke specific moods, and enhance how people function within a space.

For instance, designers manipulate line to direct where one’s eyes should focus. Color is used to add visual interest and as a spatial corrector: by using colors that make elements advance or recede visually, to create a sense of balance and unity, or to create focal points and areas of emphasis. Texture and pattern add visual weight and interest to a space. Lighting is a sculptural tool that adds variation, creates depth, and highlights architectural features. Designers rely on symmetry and balance by organizing objects to provide a sense of order and reduce cognitive clutter.

Designers are skilled at all of these manipulations, and more. But all of these strategies rely on visual perception: what the inhabitants of a space can see visually. 

Although interior design is clearly predominantly a visual endeavor, this is not to say that designers ignore the other four senses, which are (in addition to sight): smell, touch, hearing, and taste. After all, design isn't just about what would look good in a photograph; it's about how a space feels when someone is actually experiencing it.

What is Multi-Sensory Focused Design?

Sensory-focused Design, also known as Atmospheric Design, focuses on ways people can experience interior spaces through their other four senses, in addition to sight. Intentionally adding elements that trigger smell, touch, hearing, and taste can greatly impact the experience of being in a specific space, making it emotionally resonant for the person.

This post is about a topic I have been thoroughly fascinated with for the last several years—ever since I became aware of this topic’s existence. A few years ago, I read an article in The New York Times that left me astounded. How did I not know about this phenomenon, so closely tied to a creative professional’s abilities?

The illuminating phenomenon I am talking about is the ability, or in some cases, the inability to willfully bring an image of something into your mind’s eye—to see something in your head. I had never given this any thought at all, but have come to understand that I have a very agile mind’s eye, and that this ability has served me well over my career as an interior designer. And, I understand that many people are not able to conjure images in their mind’s eye at all! How many times have we designers had clients wring their hands and become paralyzed with indecision, and say, “OOOOH, I just don’t know. I just can’t see it!!!”? (I have often clients that I CAN see it, and they need to trust me.)

It is important for designers to recognize house styles in order to coordinate interior styling with exterior design. It would be inappropriate to style the interior of a mid-century modern home with pieces referencing Georgian design, or to use French country furniture in a Mediterranean home. Below is a comprehensive description of many of the house styles found in the United States. 

Many of the house styles listed below overlapped with each other timewise, in the periods of their popularity, so the order they appear below is not strictly chronological.

Historic American furniture styles are extremely varied and diverse. They were influenced by a wide range of European settlers who immigrated here and brought their own stylistic heritage, as well as by designers who shaped trends with their unique American sensibilities. 

European Stylistic Influences across North America

During the 1500s, and 1600s, early Spanish settlers conquered and occupied what is now Florida, Texas, Arizona, Southern California, and Mexico. The Spanish strove to impress native populations and to demonstrate their superiority with construction techniques. Delve more into Spanish-influenced architecture in North America here. 

The French did not occupy as much of the Americas during this colonization period as the Spanish, but they did settle in northeast Canada, across the Midwest, and down to Louisiana. The most lasting impacts of early French settlers in architecture and design can be seen in Louisiana, along the Mississippi River, and in southeastern Canada, as described here. 

The Dutch (from the Netherlands, previously known as Holland) settled along the eastern seaboard, particularly in New Jersey and New York. German migrants settled in what is now Pennsylvania. Their legacy in architecture and design is explored here.  

The Spanish, French, Dutch, and Germans were not the main nationalities to settle in colonial America. It was the  BRITISH who were the most predominant settlers. They came not only to explore the new world, but also to flee political and religious upheavals in Europe. Learn more about their architectural and furniture traditions here.