The office of Aeria Games by Lindemann Projektnet exhibits ultimate harmony and unity; probably a refreshing and welcomed environment for employees of a colourful and interactive online game site.
We have come to our last post on the principles of interior design; harmony and unity. Our two series of blog entries on the elements and principles of design introduce you to the fundamental guiding forces that may be incorporated into the design of your commercial interior. If you missed our previous series on the elements of design (line, colour, texture & pattern, light, and scale & proportion), or our first three principle of design posts (balance, rhythm and emphasis) you can read back to fill yourself in.
Harmony
Harmony can be described as sameness, the belonging of one thing with another. The repetition of design elements like colour, texture, shape, and form is one of the easiest ways to achieve harmony to create a composition.
BEHF Architeckten’s design for this BIPA office uses colour, pattern and shape as harmonious elements in at least a couple of floors of open workstations.
Unity
Unity is when the elements in a space combine to make a balanced, harmonious complete whole. The space feels right and everything works together. The result is a pleasing feeling, that everything is right with the space.
You can see how these two principles of design go hand-in-hand. Harmony and unity are two words that designers often use to describe the feeling of a space. We will also use these terms in relation to your project and the finishes, fixtures and furniture we are proposing. They can provide a sense of calmness, or at least play a role in limiting chaos in our workplaces, and can also add to the comfort level of a room; especially when balance is also considered and effectively realized.
If you read last week’s post on variety you may be saying to yourself, “Hey, didn’t they just tell us that the world becomes a boring place when everything is all matchy-matchy? Isn’t variety the spice of life?”. To that we say, “Yes!”. As interior designers we tend to want harmony and unity with pops of variety to add interest and liven up a potentially static, dull space. Furthermore, all of the elements and principles of design should be considered and used where appropriate in your project. They are the tools that we, designers, keep in our bag of tricks to imagine and execute interiors that are as unique as you are.
We are constantly seeing new and very cool projects by Nendo. This Camper shoe store illustrates how a little variety in an otherwise unified space can help to make merchandise the focus of a retail space.
We hope you have enjoyed our glimpse into the elements and principles of interior design. The thoughtful, creative use of these age old guidelines are what give places of work and play character and identity. A great interior designer will know how to incorporate some or all of these to enforce your message and strengthen your brand.