Elements and Principles Design

 

Design is everywhere we look in our world today. The elements and principles of design are basically the things that make up good design. The elements of design are line, space, shape, form, texture, pattern, color, and light. The principles of design are balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, scale, unity, variety, and harmony. A well-designed space does not necessarily have to have all the elements and principle of design but it will include some of them. An example of a space that has some of these aspects of design is located in the picture above.

            The elements of design are fairly easy to pick out in this picture. The main element that I saw first in this picture was line. Line is seen everywhere in this room. Lines are created on the ceiling with the exposed ventilations tubes. Line is also seen on the back wall, the chairs, and the wood flooring. Another element is shape. An example of shape in this space is the squares that make up the chairs. Together, the squares combine and make box-like forms. Color and light are very important to this room because they set the tone for the room. The colors are dark, warm neutrals with pops of green with the plants and the lighting is a combination of natural light coming through the large window and warm artificial light achieved by the use of the lamps on the side table and the fixtures on the ceiling. There are many elements of design seen in this room but one cannot forget about the basic principles of design.

            There are a few principles of design that are very important to this space. The first to identify would be the emphasis in the space. The emphasis is the large picture/paining on the wall. Your eye immediately goes to the picture because of its size and color. The picture really gives an interesting touch to the room since it is mainly done in neutrals. The other principle that immediately sticks out is the symmetrical balance in the space. This is seen first in the seating arrangement, which is exactly the same on both sides. Also, the balance is seen in the plants that are directly across from each other in the space. If one were to cut the space in half right through the window, both halves would be nearly the same.

             This picture was a good example to choose to write about the principles and elements of design because it incorporates so many of them. These elements and principles of design can be found in spaces everywhere, not just this picture. They are the foundation of which good interior design is based.

Unusual Materials

Unusual Materials

Hotels are an important of today’s society. Much of the time, when people travel, they cannot make the entire trip in one day. In this case, a person would have to stay in a hotel. Hotels have a lot of traffic coming through them every day and with that kind of traffic, the building must be large and able to withstand a lot of different situations. Hotels do not have to be ugly though. They can be made very interesting.

An interesting hotel is the Urbn Hotel. It is different because it uses common materials in unusual ways. The Urbn hotel is located in Shanghai, China. This hotel in China is also a unique hotel in that 100% of its materials are recycled. Ever since this hotel was opened in 2007, it has been a wonderful example of solar design and energy efficient design. Having an entire hotel that is so eco-friendly, is definitely not something that you see all the time.

 When it is said that the entire hotel is eco-friendly, it is not an understatement. One of the best uses of a recycled material in the hotel is located at the front desk. Behind the front desk is a very unique wall covering, suitcases. Yes, you read it correctly, suitcases. Whoever designed this wall has taken sides and tops of old suitcases and arranged them on the wall to create an interesting wall covering. It is very smart because a suitcase is something that almost everyone brings into a hotel. It looks very unique and is very clever to associate suitcases with a wall covering. The original handles and belts are still intact on the suitcases, creating a wall that is so enticing that a person could just grab onto it.  

Suitcases made into a wall covering are a very unusual use of material but it is one that is unlike anything that you would be expecting when you walk into a hotel. Unusual materials really make the Urbn Hotel stand out from other hotels. This hotel makes the point that a hotel can be upscale, modern, and classy as well as being eco-friendly.

Works Cited

Bridgette Meinhold (12/08/10). Inhabit. Retrieved from http://inhabit.com/old-suitcaes-used-to-decorate-shanghai-urbn-hotel/

Design Day: Daltile

Design Day

 

            On one particular day of the year, every October, there is an excitement in the air for all the design students on the Texas Tech University campus. It is the day that Design Expo takes place. The reason for the excitement is that on this particular day, many vendors from all around come to show the latest and greatest things from their company. One of the materials that was very pleasing to see was the tile at the Daltile table.

            Daltile is a large tile company that has quite a bit to offer when it comes to choosing the right tile. Whether it is commercial or residential, chances are, they will have something for just about any tile job a person has. One of the things that was on display that sparked my interest was the different colors and textures they have to offer.

            Another reason for the added interest in the Daltile booth was the fact that I was working on a project for another class that included the Daltile showroom in Dallas, Texas. Part of the project was that all the horizontal surfaces must be tile. Plus, it is a tile showroom, therefore, the space should inspire a person to want to use tile for their own projects. It was very interesting and helpful to get to see some of the newer products they have to offer that could potentially be added to my project.

            The most memorable type of tile that they had at their booth was a tile that was in long wavy strips. The wave-like shape of the tile, staggered in placement, caused the tile to look textured in way that is unique to other tiles like it. Most likely, this tile was meant to be used on backsplashes and walls. The tile, also, was not all one type of material. It was a mixture of glass and porcelain tile. Together, the two make a very attractive combination.

            Tile is one of the most prevalent materials in interior design. It can be the most practical or the most decorative part of a space. Daltile would definitely be a good vendor for tile in future projects and was a particularly good place to stop on the journey through the many different vendors that came to Texas Tech University for Design Day.  



Blog Post #4: Applications

Blog Post #4: Draft 1

On the Texas Tech campus, there are many different applications of fabrics and various materials in many different places. One place where many different types of materials can be seen is in the Student Union Building. At the Student Union Building, one of the most popular things to see as far as Interior Design is concerned, is all the seating.

                The chairs that are between the ballroom and the Allen theatre are probably one of the worst uses of materials seen in the sub. If one was to go to the Student Union Building to see them right now, they would see some chairs that once looked new and modern but now appear to be in bad shape. The truth, however, is that the chair itself is not in that bad of shape, it is the materials that were selected to be used on it.

                One chair in particular that I picked out was in fairly bad shape. It had been upholstered in some sort of faux leather material and now had holes and scuffs in multiple places. The material is obviously was not sturdy enough to be used on this chair. One reason is because these particular chairs get used constantly day in and day out. A person could rarely walk in and see no one in this area of the Student Union Building. This type on simulated leather is just no match for the amounts of traffic going in and out every day.

                When seen, it is obvious that this chair was intended to be upholstered. A suggestion for solving the problem of high traffic might be to just get a different type of chair for this area, preferably one that is easy to clean and has very little fabric that can be easily ripped, torn, or stained. Comfort may be sacrificed a bit upon getting a different type of chair but the durability would be significantly better.

                Bad uses of materials can cause many downfalls in the minds of many. A bad use of material, such as the material that the chairs in the Student Union Building are upholstered, can harm the entire space, causing it to feel older than it really is. This example can really be a motivator when it comes to selecting the right materials.