Decor Portfolio

More likely than not, if a room has visual unity, a sense of balance, and an overall feeling of continuity, it expresses rhythm as well.  Rhythm suggests movement marked by a succession of elements that recur on a regular basis or develop into a pattern-such as tempo in music or dance.  Rhythm in design can be achieved through repetition, alternation, or progression.  Fabrics and wall coverings often repeat the same motifs or patterns to set up a kind of rhythm; windows of varying sizes may alternate around a room or within a house; furniture arrangements, may include pieces that progress in size from small to large; a grouping of plants may congress in height from low in the foreground to high near the wall.

Sometimes, rhythm is so apparent visually that it gives the impression that you are seeing balance at work, as when all the prints on a wall are the same size and are framed in exactly the same manner.  Like balance, rhythm can be subtle, too.  When the eye flows easily around the room, settling first on one object or grouping to take it in then traveling to a second point of interest, then another, it is experiencing the rhythm of the space.

Contrast can be an effective way to keep the repetitive or progressive patterns of rhythm from becoming visually monotonous or, at the other extreme, confusing or distracting.  A deliberate contract can create a welcome visual resting point, interject surprise, or act as a counterpoint without detracting from the overall continuity of the design.