Using repetition throughout your home is one of the pillars of great interior design. Repetition creates a sense of rhythm within a space and establishes consistency that is aesthetically pleasing. This rhythm can flow through visual elements like lines, colors, shapes and textures, or take the form of exact replication. The effect is the creation of a visual echo that can connect two or more separate spaces. If you'd like to establish repetition throughout your living space, try out these four tips:
1. Integrate repeating decorations or installations
One of the simplest methods of using repetition to your advantage is integrating similar decorative or storage themes throughout your home. This creates focal points a person's sight can fall upon when they enter a room. Consider installing a set of wall mounted shelves where you can place your collection of books or photo albums in one room, with an accompanying set that holds an assortment of trinkets and statuettes down the hall. If you'd like to go the decorative route instead of utility, you can apply the same tufting you use on your living room sofas and loveseats on the headboards inside the master and guest bedrooms.
2. Use similar finishes in separate rooms
An entire living space can be tied together with one unifying element, like the finish of your floors. For example, if you enjoy the aesthetic appeal of oak finishes on your kitchen floors, perhaps you might like to apply the same finish to the wall cabinets and wall panels you install in your entertainment room. You can use this technique with almost any fixture or feature of your home. As long as you make sure that the colors or finishes are exactly the same, you can't go wrong.
3. Decorate in conjunction with your home's architecture
If you have an outstanding feature in your house that you want to highlight, you can use the repetition technique to create a visual echo of that specific feature throughout your home. A picture window that frames a spectacular view of a sprawling countryside can be mimicked by setting up long bookshelves and landscape-oriented paintings and photographs along a long wall. Consider strategically applying vertical rectangles throughout the space to create a less static atmosphere.
4. Make use of vibrant rugs
Using rugs is an understated method of repetition. Rugs have been known to tie a room together, but if you use rugs that are look similar but are not exactly the same, you can create cohesion among multiple spaces within your home.