Rhythm 101
Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 4:42PM 
Christine,
Will what you suggested (referring to this post) flow ok with this side of the house?
- Kim
I want to start by addressing rhythm. No- this has nothing to do with dancing. Although I could teach that as well. (I can do a mean thriller line dance.)
Rhythm is one of the Principles of Design, and, in my opinion, it is one of the more abstract, difficult to teach principles. For designers, and those with the right instincts, it simply comes naturally. There are also many different avenues where the principle is engaged. I will not attemtpt to teach them all- but will teach some.
Rhythm is the flow of a room, as well as the flow of the home. Your instinct was right, Kim, to question whether the advice I gave you on the family room would be consistent in the dining and living rooms. (And- no- it doesn't really flow... ) I suggest a compromise paint color that can go throughout- such as Kilim Beige SW6106. This is close to white- but warm enough that you don't have to re-decorate the living area. Using the same paint color will help with the rhythm. Then go ahead and invite some of the blues into this room by replacing throw pillows, etc. Homes with a lot of different paint colors can sometimes have a problem with rhythm. I refer to them as "White House" homes- where you have the "blue room" and the "red room" etc. I am not suggesting to everyone that they have only one paint color.
Rhythm by alternation is something I have addressed in the past- and something that is glaring in the room above. The China hutch next to the buffet. Whenever you have two or more case pieces next to one another- you most likely have a rhythm problem in the room. What does this mean? It means that the room doesn't "feel" quite right. It is frequently a subconscious thing, but quite likely it is keeping the room from feeling great. This has nothing to do with items "fitting" or being the right scale. When you have case pieces intermixed with upholstery and plants and wall decor- you create rhythm by alternation. Your dining room looks more like a furniture storage room.
Another word about rhythm. Rhythm should lead the individual that enters the room to the focal point. This is a problem in your room, as I do not see a focal point.
You have another rhythm problem with this room. You have no rhythm by height variation. You have two sofas, in a row, (yes they do turn a corner- but still...) When you have a large long wall- you need something tall on the wall to break it up. This is similar to this girl's room. A large piece of furniture would be great- or even your buffet with a substantial piece of wall decor over it- would be great. Your current wall decor is far too small and weak to do the job. The scale is more consistent with the thirty inch wall to the left of the window. Hang the two vertically. Any "off-set" diagonal hanging will make me puke. (Not that you would ever do that.)
I took the dimensions you gave me and drew up a quick sketch for furniture placement. I did not include all of your furniture, and I added a 36 x 36 coffee table, as well as a sofa table. Your room is not wide. You have a minimal clearance of 36 inches- but the furniture does fit this way. You will notice that I did not include your end tables, and only have one leaf in your table. The table lamps you have on your end tables are too large for your buffet. You could hang your mirror above your buffet- but a piece of art would be ideal. Unless you are a houseful of supermodels- a mirror is not exactly the ideal focal point. However- it is large enough that it would work.
You have a long wall in the living room with nothing on it- consider a collage of painted frames:
(photo from Traditional Home)
You might notice that I drew in a new rug. 7 x 10- or 6 1/2 x 10 would work great. 8 x 10 is standard- it would have one foot on a rug, and one foot not on a rug in your traffic path. I would do something fresh and bright like this one:. Then I wold paint your China hutch blue- like the case below from Sommerset Bay:
Paint your table white and chairs green.
You also need more lighting- I added some sconces and some uplights at your plants, and some smaller buffet/ table lamps- consider adding can lighting.... and some plants...
XOXO
Christine
Reader Comments (3)
Love it... except I ALREADY BOUGHT SWISS COFFEE for the family room.... **sigh** I should not be trusted with these matters. :) xoxoxoxo
When you hang two pictures vertically on the wall, should the space between them be at museum height 57 inches?
How many inches should be between two pictures mounted on over the other?
Cheryl
Any "off-set" diagonal hanging will make me puke. (Not that you would ever do that.)
Eeek!!! I did that, oh no! I was so proud of myself for finally committing to putting *something* on the wall, I KNEW I should have asked you first! Off to search the archives and see if I missed a post about the horrors of off-set diagonals :bagoverhead:
(and next time I'm going to make my husband use those command strip thingys so I can undo my mistakes more easily! lol)