Today we are going to dive in and take a look at all of the elements and principles of design which are key to achieving rhythm in a space.
The Design We Will Focus On:
Smoke, located in Pretoria, Gauteng features three restaurants in one, the indoor capitol bar, the brunch bar, and the outdoor smoke yard. The three styles of eatery in this restaurant are completely different yet innovative in considering how to design futuristically. Although Smoke includes three very different concepts of eateries, the designers of Smoke created conceptually harmonious and visually rhythmic elements to attain unity in the restaurant design.
Who are the Designers Behind Smoke?
The main designers behind Smoke are designers with Paper Architects, and Melissa Capriati Harrison and Elene Olwagen who are designers with DB&CO. These designers are passionate about South African culture and wanted to incorporate common themes and concepts of South African design into the interiors of Smoke. All furniture in Smoke was locally made and features the work of fabric designers, as well as pulled work from many local designers who came together in celebration of South Africa’s pride.
Elements and Principles of Design
To achieve a rhythmic design, there must be a clear initial design concept which establishes connections between design elements and principles. There are many different elements that can be utilized to create harmony in a room such as shape, color, space, form, line, value, and texture. Many principles such as balance, rhythm, pattern, emphasis, contrast, unity, and movement also have a key role in achieving harmony. As the designers of Smoke created rhythm amongst the three eateries, they utilized many of these elements and principles which can be recognized by a creative eye. Let’s continue the discussion of the distinguished elements and principles below!
What Elements and Principles Does Smoke Capture?
As you take a look at the images of Smoke’s interiors pinned along this post, focus in on the 7 design elements and principles incorporated. Upon entering the capitol bar, many earthy green tones can be seen in the furniture, furniture decorations, greenery and casings along the wall. The designers also incorporated neutral tones to balance out the strong visual weight of the green tones. When designing a room color is a great elements of design which can help to create a weighted balance in a room. The second element and principle of design conceptualized in the capitol bar, is the pattern and texture of the carpet, carrying the direction of a viewers eye from one side of the room to the other because of contrasting shapes. The capitol bar features darker more harsh colors, however, this is a great practice in design to help customers feel as if they are in a mature space such as the bar which they are residing.
Now we are moving on to the second eatery, the brunch bar. The tones of this room are much lighter and bring a sense of morning to prepare customers visual surroundings, helping them conceptualize the full breakfast bar experience. This is an example of how the designers of Smoke used color in many ways to support the mood of each eatery for what its purpose was to project on customers. While the breakfast bar is very different from the capitol bar, the designers carried in many similar elements. The natural arrangement of outside objects hung above the seating area, floral placements, and stone slab tables carry nature elements from the capitol bar to the brunch bar. As we look at the overall placement of furniture in the brunch bar, we can determine that the designers utilized the element and principle of space and balance to achieve rhythm in this room. The placement of furniture is weighted evenly on either side of the room appealing to the eye, with space for a walkway in the middle, leading the customers from the capitol bar, through the brunch bar to the smoke yard.
The third and last eatery is the outdoor smoke yard. The smoke yard continues the stone slab tables from the brunch bar to the outdoors while slightly changing the color and style of seating. The outdoor smoke yard also utilizes space and balance among furniture placement, helping lead the customer through the outdoor area. Red furniture is brought in as a contrasting color. The deeper meaning of red in this design, as mentioned as importance to the designers, is incorporating the South African pride through hints of the country’s flag, featuring the green seating in the capitol bar to red and black hints in the smoke yard.
Overall Takeaway
The beautiful design of Smoke is just one example of how designers utilize design elements and principles to create rhythm in a space. Although the three eateries in Smoke are completely different restaurant atmospheres, they are all brought together through unity, balance, and a sense of direction, achieving rhythm throughout all three spaces. Utilizing design elements and principles can be utilized in so much more than choosing the best throw pillows to match the colors of a room, yet achieved in combining many elements and principles to create an overall sense of belonging and feeling of comfort in a room such as the rooms in Smoke.
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