This blog entry is about creating a design scheme for two connecting spaces using the principle of Harmony Through Progression. I will be designing a kitchen and a dining space using the tetradic colour scheme.
A tetradic colour scheme is the use of 4 colours which are evenly spaced on the colour wheel, creating two sets of complementary colours. This means there will be two warm colours and two cool colours giving your overall colour palette a more interesting contrast.
My inspiration for my design scheme is this bouquet of flowers so I will be using these colour palettes.
Design Elements in the Bouquet
Each individual flower itself has radial balance as seen in each petal forming from the center outwards. Each flower in the bouquet is emanating from a center point extending outwards creating a a circular shape.
Harmony through progression can be seen through the repeated use of the same colours and shape. Each individual flower is round shaped as well as the bouquet itself. Each colour is repeatedly used several times in the floral arrangement.
Product Selection
I am aiming for a bright and vibrant living space so I have chosen a warm shade of RED as the dominant colour.
A circular handblown glass pendant light inspired by the shape of a flower petal from nichemodern.com; A round shag rug from irugs to add texture; For a unique look, a round kitchen island and red cabinets similar to this can be custom designed by local kitchen companies such as hostesskitchens.co.nz
To add contrast to the warm red, my choice for the secondary hue is a cool colour - blue-violet which I have used in the following items:
Cameo chair by James Salmond for David Shaw; A retro style yet modern looking fridge from smeg.co.nz
Yellow-orange and green were used as accent colours in these David Shaw chairs. The round design in the chair's back echoes the round shape of the bouquet.
All 4 colours were represented in the rest of the product selection:
Handblown glass pendant lights from Niche Modern; High gloss lacquer kitchen cabinet doors from Hostess Kitchens; bar stools from dalewis.co.nz
Neutrals such as black and dark gray were chosen for the dining table, walls and backsplash to unify all those bursts of colours.
Sourced from bradfordsfurniture.co.nz, the table's base metal detail gives a floating feel to the Italian marble table top. It blends deco and contemporary styles and would fit well in a modern space. The glossy backsplash from Hostess Kitchens also gives off modern vibes. The dark grey and white striped wall can either be painted or wallpapered.
Here is my design based on the inspiration bouquet. Its modern and contemporary arrangement translates to a sleek looking living spaces.
Design Elements and Principles in the Living Spaces
The radial balance in the bouquet is translated in the dining area through the chairs centered around the table with the rug anchoring the dining set. In the kitchen, all furnishings are radiating from the center island. The circular lighting fixtures in both spaces also helped in achieving radial balance.
Harmony through progression in the bouquet is seen in the living spaces through the repeated use of the round shape in both spaces.
It is also seen in the repeated use of the same colours in both spaces and in how the use of all 4 colours was allocated. Red was given importance as the dominant colour. Other colours were added in diminishing proportions.
Getting the right mix and blend of the tetradic colours will result in a colourful and harmonious palette that does not clash with each other. If done right, it can give you a vibrant yet harmonious living spaces.
Just for fun, I had recreated the same spaces using green as the dominant colour and yellow-orange as the secondary colour. I also changed the black neutrals to white. They use exactly the same products but what a lot of difference the change of colours make! What do you think?
