Elements and Principles of Design

Nestled deep in the hills of Calabasas, California is a 25,000 square foot house designed by architect Stephen Samuelson. This residence is home to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and their three children. The home was designed to be full of intimate spaces with unique, handcrafted details throughout. While each of the rooms have been designed to feel cozy and organic, one particularly well designed space is the dining room.

            As shown in the picture above, the dining room is an eye-catching space with many unique touches that give it its own special character. This space is also an excellent example of many of the elements and principles of design. The principle of emphasis is illustrated with the chandelier in the center of the room. The mirrors on either side of the fireplace and the beams on the ceiling create emphasis on the lovely, eclectic light. There is also unity within the room. Each of the chairs around the table are the same color, material, shape, and size. With this unity also comes variety. The 2 chairs located at each end of the table vary slightly from the four chairs on the long sides. This creates variety within the unity and breaks up the monotony that would take place when rooms are too “matchy matchy.” Another factor contributing to the variety in the room is the contrast of the lacquered linen table against the walnut chairs. The last principle of design illustrated is the most prominent. The balance within the room provides a harmonious, relaxing mood. On either side of the fire place there is a mirror, mask, and shelf. These three items being repeated provide the balance needed within the space to bring everything together.

            The chairs also provide the element of form within the room. They have a slight curve in the back piece of the chair. This provides an interesting twist on the traditional dining chair and provides interest within the room. Texture is illustrated in the beams on the ceiling of the dining room and is reflected with the opposite texture of the rug beneath the table. Lastly, the walls provide a wonderful element of color to an otherwise neutral room and the flowers in the center of provide a bright “pop” of color.

            The elements and principles of design are of high importance when designing any space. It is important to try to incorporate each element and principle of design to create a more cohesive, pleasing space. The designer of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s dining room did a fantastic job in including a wide variety of elements and principles. The result is a unique space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Just outside of Beijing, China in the mountainous terrain lies a beautiful hotel called the Commune. The Commune is a rather unique group of buildings designed by some of the top architects in Asia. There is a sum of 42 houses that make up the Commune, each with their own eye-catching and unique design. Although located very remotely, the Commune is a resort with many amenities. There are four restaurants on the grounds, childcare facilities, and a luxurious spa.

            The particular focus of the Commune is not the interiors, but rather the panoramic views of the mountains and its distinguished architecture. However, there are some shocking and unique choices that were made on the interiors. As shown in the image above, there is a dining room located in the Commune that has a most interesting wall covering- peacock feathers. The choice was also used on the wall of one of the lobbies located within the Commune.

            Peacock feathers are not a natural choice for wall coverings. In many situations they would be a terrible choice because they are extremely fragile and over time would become worn and disheveled. In the Commune’s instance, peacock feathers could work both aesthetically and functionally. In both the dining room and lobby the feathers are located on the wall above the seating. This is a good location because it will not see daily direct contact from guests. This fact could become irrelevant, however, because of what a unique choice peacock feathers are for a wall. Many guests may be tactile and want to touch the feathers as soon as they see them. This would not be good for the longevity of the wall covering.

            Another aspect to take into consideration would be the application of the peacock feathers. The feathers must be securely attached to the wall which may mean that they were applied with glue. It would be extremely time consuming to glue each individual feather onto the wall. Another downside to using glue would be the damage left behind if the peacock feathers are eventually replaced.

            While peacock feathers are a unique and interesting choice for a wall, it may not be the most intelligent. The expense of replacing individual feathers over time or eventually redoing the entire wall would be immense. The feathers do provide an aesthetically pleasing and interesting aspect to the room, however, and are a creative way of making a focal point in a room. Almost every material will have its pros and cons, especially in a more commercial setting like the Commune.

Design Expo

Each year, Texas Tech puts on a Design Expo day featuring a wide array of vendors, each with their own unique products. This year Expo was phenomenal. Each vendor featured new and innovative products that left students anxious and willing to use them in some unique way. One product, however, stood out above the rest. Sabrina Fiebrich, a vendor from Austin, TX had a booth set up featuring her company’s product, Stone Solutions. Stone Solutions, Inc. is a company based in central Texas with locations in San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin. They feature a wide variety of natural stone, ceramic, and porcelain tiles. They produce products that can be used in a range of applications both indoors and out. Their tiles can be used on floors, walls, and countertops. They feature both residential and commercial products in a variety of colors allowing you to create your own, personal tile or stone masterpiece.

            Ms. Fiebrich provided the students attending expo with books and pamphlets featuring many of Stone Solution’s products. They offer a variety of both trendy and timeless colors that can be used to create overwhelming or understated spaces. Many of the more trendy options they offer are brilliantly colored and could bring any space to life.  Other more neutral colors can be used to create more sophisticated, timeless spaces that cater more towards the conservative and professional worlds. Stone Solutions carries products that can be used to create exciting spaces in everything from a child’s playroom to a swimming pool outside of a million dollar estate. The versatility of the product makes it attractive and intriguing.

            Stone Solutions also did a fantastic job of organizing their books and pamphlets. The photographs of the different applications of the product are phenomenal. Anyone in need of a tile or stone product would be blown away at the beauty Stone Solutions creates. The product in essence “sells itself.”

            Stone Solutions is a good, quality product that could be used in a variety of applications. While some of its products may not be suitable for a particular application, one can be sure to find something to fit both their budget and style. Products like this allow spaces to be exciting and inviting, allowing people to be comfortable and stimulated at the same time. Hopefully in the future more spaces will take advantage of this beautiful product and all that it has to offer.

The “lovely” chair shown in the photos above can be found in the Student Union Building (“SUB”) at Texas Tech University. This particular chair is more specifically located just outside the Allen Theatre along with an assortment of other upholstered furniture serving as anything from a lounge for students to socialize and eat in, to a place to have a quiet study session, or just relax between classes.

            Many words could be used to describe this chair: green, atrocious (a personal favorite), comfortable, durable, uncomfortable, stained, soiled, lovely (a stretch), possibly even functional. However, a close look at this chair reveals the truth of its good and bad characteristics. First, the green portion of the chair is ripe with stains. Filthy, grimy, disgusting, greasy stains that got there from activities and people that most would probably not care to think about while sitting in it. Low soil resistance most definitely stands out as a bad characteristic of this chair. A quality that should be at the top of the priority list when choosing a fabric for a university study/lounge that sees quite a bit of traffic every day. By choosing a more stain resistant fabric, the university could have had a chair that far outlasted the lifespan of this chair, saving money that could be used in more necessary areas.

            Contrary to the upper portion and arms of this chair, the seat area seems to be wearing quite well. The fabric choice is most likely some sort of synthetic leather or vinyl. This surface can easily be wiped clean with a damp cloth. This maintenance saves time, money, and provides a surface that will last far longer than its counterparts.

Perhaps we will never know the reasoning behind the choice for this particular chair. However, I can only hope that in the future more thought will be given to provide students with a comfortable, functional, aesthetically pleasing chair that will wear beautifully over time. There is no perfect fabric, and in many situations fire codes and other laws must be taken into consideration when choosing an appropriate upholstery fabric. What may seem now to be the perfect solution to the crisis of the disgusting chair could turn out to be quite the contrary. Over time we learn what works and what doesn’t, and the first time isn’t always the charm.