Response due at the beginning of class 9/15.
After this next week, we are going to begin talking about the Elements and Principles of Design. We first start with the Elements of Design that include: Line, Shape/Form, Space and Color. Since all design begins with a LINE, we will start with you exploring the role of line in your everyday life.
Please visit your course reading Interiors and read about the “Psychological Effects of Line.” (it is page 70 in 4th Edition, and close to page 70 in other editions) For this week, please provide a personal example of how line used in the built environment has affected you. Please find examples from your personal experience of the following line types:
1) Straight horizontal lines.
2) Straight vertical lines.
3) Diagonal or Zigzag line.
4) Soft Curved lines.
5) Tightly Curved lines.
Image from: http://www.infarrantlycreative.net, One hot trend we are seeing in interiors is the use of the chevron. The chevron is a bold use of line with color contrast that creates a bold statement visual. Click on image to see other uses of the chevron.
An example of a possible answer:
1) Straight horizontal lines = I grew up in Tucson, Arizona where it is common to have single level long ranch style homes. The reason for the style of home reflected the weather in the region that averages a 100 degrees for many months of the year. I became used to homes that were low, flat and felt part of the terrian, as if they were rocks or mountains coming up from the ground. My home growing up in the desert felt at “rest” with the earth, whereas all other places I’ve lived the housing does not feel that it is integrated or part of the terrain. Instead they feel like they are visitors on the ground, an accessory on the earth. I believe part of the low restful horizontal lines of the single level ranch style home in the desert has made me incorporate the element of design “horizontal line” as a key element in ALL my designs.
2350 Design Inspirations 
1) When I think of straight horizontal lines, I think of all of the staircases in my home. Even though having to run up and down them to find other members of my family is so tedious, there is just something about them that I really like. One of my friends has this awesome spiral staircase that is in the middle of her house and goes down to where she and her brother’s bedrooms are. I love them so much. In pretty much every Disney movie, the princess always walks down a magnificent set of stairs, and so the idea has a fairytale quality I just love. When I was younger, I loved pretending to be some important person and walk regally down the stairs in order to make a big entrance, and I guess the idea just stuck.
2) Straight vertical lines mean two things to me. First, they mean the traditional southern porch with the fence around it and white columns. I just love the look and feel of these porches. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on a rocker on the porch drinking lemonade or sweet tea while the breeze flows through you. [So southern, I know.] These porches are so typically southern, which I love. Vertical lines also mean books and bookcases. I absolutely love to read, it is one of my favorite things to do. There is nothing like curling up with a fantastic books and getting lost in your own world for hours. Whenever I walk into a library and see those tall vertical shelves files with those vertical books, something inside me goes crazy, and I get so excited,
3) When I think of zigzag, I am reminded of the way our Christmas lights hang on our tree. I absolutely love Christmas, it is my favorite time of year. This however could have something to do with the fact that my birthday is the next day. I love just watching the lights blink on and off in random formation, it looks so magical.
4) Soft curved lines remind me of our “old” couch that is now is now in our basement with the Wii and other gaming devices. When we lived in Alabama, it resided in our living room. Something about it was just so soft and relaxing; from the deep colors, to the curved lines all over it. The couch kind of hugged you, and I really liked that. Soft curved lines also makes me think of our sunroom in our house in Alabama. It was basically a room that was full of windows, perfect for basking in the sun. The biggest most central window was arched at the top. Something about the position of the window an the arch at the top gave that window such a commanding presence, and I would lay in front of it like a cat for hours just looking.
5) Tightly curved lines make me thing of my childhood dresser, which I still have in my room at home. Around the mirror portion are these tightly curved lines decorated with little flowers. This white dresser matched my flowered bed set when I was little. I really love this mirror/dresser because it is a piece of my childhood. Even the handles on the draws have tight curves. I remember when I was younger, I would just love tracing the curves with my finger when I was bored. Another set of tightly curved lines could be found on our guest bathroom mirror, which was this fancy ornate gold affair. I loved just looking in it for hours at a time, because as mentioned above, I loved feeling regal and fancy, and this mirror allowed me to do just that [after I walked down the stairs like a royal of course].
1) Straight horizontal lines: I think of Annapolis when I think of horizontal lines. Annapolis is not known to be a hilly area like Athens and Atlanta are. The land is overall mostly flat. It also makes me think of the bay. Even though the water at times can get a little rough, most the time the bay is a flat body of water. Annapolis is famous for sailing and the water around it.
2) Straight vertical lines: I love New York City. When I think of vertical lines I think of the tall sky scrapers towering over me. My family goes to visit New York every year. I also went with some friends for a weekend this past summer. As a teenage girl figuring out what I am going to do in life. It is amazing walking through this busy city of tall towers that make you feel so small. At the same time it makes me realize how many opportunities are waiting for me.
3) Zigzag Lines: When I think of zigzag lines I think of pattern. It takes me back to my design principles class my freshman year of high school. This is where I discovered my passion for art. I would use zigzag lines to create cool patterns with my artwork. I discovered so many different ways to incorporate zigzags into different images. Zigzags definitely help me with my creativity.
4) Soft curved lines- Similar to my answer to question one this makes me think of California hills. I visited California this past spring break for my graduation present. Id never seen such a busy life over such a hilly area. I found it beautiful. It’s amazing how the landmark of LA is the Hollywood sign because you can see it from so many different places. When I think of soft curved lines I think of the hills and the glamorous life in California.
5) Tightly curved lines- this makes me think of steeper hills in Vermont. I love to ski and went three years in a row to Vermont for my school ski-trip. The beautiful mountains from a distance or height make out a tightly curved line. This is one of the most beautiful sceneries I remember. It is definitely a part of why I like to ski.
1. Horizontal Line: I absolutely love the piano. I love to play it, look at it, listen to it. It’s such a beautiful instrument to me. I grew up playing on an upright piano, and it has sat, and still sits in our living room (otherwise known as the music room). It always bothered me that we didn’t have a grand piano. It wouldn’t have fit in our room, but the sound that a grand emits is so much more elegant than an upright. So, I am very used to the horizontal lines of our piano. The way it sits against the wall, with the piano bench in front of it. It’s very pleasing to the eye, even if I wish it did have a few curves in it…
2. Vertical Line: My house back in Cumming, Georgia is about 16 years old. I’ve lived there since I was 4,and it hasn’t been redesigned since it was first built. On our staircase, we have a short hand rail that meets the wall with white railing posts holding it up. For some reason, the first vertical thing that I could think of, that is connected to my past was these railings. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone up and down those stairs, or just walked by them on my way outside, but they are definitely a characteristic of our house. And they are rather 90’s, but I think I would be sad if we replaced them.
3. Diagonal Lines: My Aunt loves to make quilts. She has handmade so many, I can’t even count them. But one of my favorite parts of the design is the stitching. They way she pieces together the patterns, and makes it flow in unifying way takes a lot of practice. The quilts that I like best are the ones with the diagonal stitching running through the whole thing. She sews right threw the patterns, to create this awesome stitching pattern on top of it. There’s something about that I just love.
4. Soft Curved Lines: There is a pair of ancient, 100 year old chairs in my family room that were passed down from my grandfather’s family a long while ago. They are black, with wooden oak arms and trim, with very minutely carved details on them. I have always loved these chairs; they’ve certainly endured a lot of wear , specifically from my family’s generation. What I like most about them is the way they curve at the top. It’s like one little hump, very subtle, very elegant. It characterizes the whole chair because all other parts of it consist of vertical and horizontal lines. I just love it because of the way it makes it pop.
5. Tightly curved lines: My sister’s hair. That’s all. She has the most amazing curly hair, and the tightest curls that will never come undone. Ever. She has tried straightening her hair before and it looked great—but that will never do because her curly hair defines her. Although my hair is curly too, it’s not quite like Julianne’s. Unfortunately…
1. Straight horizontal lines-For some reason I am obsessed with wood floors. Wood floors add so much to a room. Going from carpet floors to wood floors can literally transform a room into a new being. Wood floors can dress up a dining room or make a living room in a casual hang out. The house I live in back home is rather old, eighty-five years, and back about eight years we decided to change from carpet floors to wooden ones. When we took carpet up, the original wooden floors were there. They were obviously in some bad shape, but they were beautiful in their dark brown, antique color. We put down wood floors very similar to the original ones. The way they are laid out, they are seen as horizontal lines to me even though they obviously can be seen as vertical lines as well. However, my perspective is usually horizontal.
2. Straight vertical lines- another element that truly pulls me into a home’s design is columns. Vertical lines represent stability, and there is nothing better to stabilize part of a house better than columns because that is its purpose. True southern homes usually have white columns surrounding the periphery of a porch. Personally I love the huge, tall, and fat columns that support a porch that goes all the way around a house. I probably love columns so much due to the fact that my house has them surrounding the front porch and the back porch; so, more than fifty percent of my house is surrounded by them. Houses with columns just seem to have more sturdiness. Moreover, these houses seem to be more “confident,” if that even makes sense
3. Diagonal lines-this type of line reminds me of something very random to most people when talking about lines-salmon. Salmon is hands down my favorite fish, and now that I think about it my favorite meal. Every time I come home from college my grandparents always surprise with a visit to the best seafood restaurant in town to treat me with this meal. If someone has never really eaten or examined salmon, then he or she might not know that diagonal lines are associated with it. Salmon fillets can be pulled apart piece by piece that come from a diagonal cut that goes throughout the fillet. I, for one, am picky about how I eat my salmon. I don’t like to just dig into it any such way, but I like to slice it piece by piece according to the diagonal. Strange, I know but that’s how I perceive diagonal lines.
4. Soft curved lines-these lines make me think of a lake’s graceful wave. Every time that I go fishing I notice them. Something about watching the repetition of the soft ripples is so mesmerizing. Lakes’ waves are different from that of oceans. Most ocean waves are rough, jagged, and unpredictable, but lake waves have a sort of pattern to their being, which are much more pleasing and relaxing to the eye to behold.
5. Tightly curved lines-when I think about these types of lines, my mind goes straight to my own hair. I have naturally tightly curled hair. These types of lines are described as patterned and playful. People actually describe my hair in this sort of way many times before. They always tell me they want to touch and play with the curls, which is sort of a weird thing but I have gotten used to the question (haha). Both tightly curved lines and my hair can be described as very lively.
1.) Straight horizontal line: A straight horizontal line is supposed to have a calming effect, and that is exactly the way i feel when looking out my backyard at home. My parents live on the lake in South Carolina and the lake is practically our whole backyard. The lake goes for as far as you can see on the horizon making the straightest line possible. It has a very smooth transition between the lake and sky making me feel tranquil and at rest. This is one of my favorite places to be because of how stress free it makes me feel when I am looking out on the water.
2.) Straight Vertical lines: When I think of straight vertical lines I think about the house that I babysit at. They have two little girls who share a room and there room is painted with yellow and white vertical stripes. I have always loved that room and wanted to do something like it in my own home. Every time I go into that room I feel very happy and “lifted,” as the book would say. It just puts me in a good spirit! I think it i the design for a child’s room, because it makes them feel happy, secure, and stable.
3.)Zig Zag Line: The first thing that comes to mind is the rug in my room. It has a red, orange, and brown zig zag design all over it. The reason I chose this rug was to liven up my room. My eyes are immediately drawn to the rug when I walk in the room and it is the center of attention. The rug makes me feel energized and motivates me to get moving an active.
4.) Soft curved lines:My house in Athens was built in the 40’s and has a lot of great architecture. I know I use my house for examples all the time but that is because it inspires me, and people do not build with as much detail now days. The first thing I think of for a soft curved line is the archway in my house. It is a huge flowing archway coming into my livingroom. It gives a feeling of peacefulness and grace it is also calming and easy on the eyes.
5.) Tightly curved line: My house has been decorated with many tightly curved lines. I find them really fun and intriguing. One example, is the mirror hanging above my fireplace it is a huge gold plated mirror with a lot of design and detail with curvy and twisted lines . The mirror was purchased at an antique store and I think it was a great find because it very aesthetically pleasing to the eye and it has the ability to draw you into its beauty.
Straight horizontal lines- When I think of straight horizontal lines, the first thing that comes to mind is one of my favorite Austin boutiques. There is one wall in the store that has big, painted horizontal lines running down it. Every time I go in the store I notice the wall because of its uniqueness. However, I have never thought about the fact that on top of being visually appealing, the wall gives off a certain “restful” feeling. The store is very tranquil and airy so the lines work perfectly with the calming atmosphere. In addition, they give off an illusion that the store is much longer than it really is.
Straight vertical lines- I have always been attracted to vertical lines. I think the main reason I love them is because they can make anything, from a person with a vertical lined shirt to a house with vertical columns seem much taller than they really are. I am a huge fan of big vertical columns on houses because they exude sophistication and elegance. Many houses in the south have these classic columns and they are all so beautiful to me. Hopefully one day I can have them on my own house.
Diagonal or zigzag line- Whenever I think of zigzag lines, Missoni immediately comes to mind. I love everything Missoni because I have always liked the look of chevron lines. Whether they are in pillows or clothing, zigzag lines to me are fun and exciting. They are not seen as often as horizontal or vertical lines and therefore add spunk to wherever they are placed. Diagonal lines are the same way; they are interesting and rare. When I think of diagonal lines, I think of a skirt that one of my friends used to wear all the time. The skirt was great because it really popped against the solid tops worn with it. Patterns with lines, in my opinion, are what make design so enjoyable because they give off a feeling of excitement.
Soft curved lines- Soft curved lines are stunning to me. When I think about these lines, the first thing that comes to mind is one of the arched doorways in my home. I think architecture would be so extremely boring without arched lines. These lines give off a sense of relaxation and are always visually pleasing.
Tightly curved lines- Tightly curved lines are sometimes hard to find in design but when they can be beautiful when used. When I think of these lines, my roommate’s gold mirror comes to mind. The mirror has many tightly curved lines that are made of iron and wrap around the edges of the border. I always notice the mirror when I walk into our room but I have never looked closely at what the lines were until now. The border is so intricate and gives of a wonderful aesthetic. The lines– even though they are tight—make the mirror look so regal and majestic.
1. Straight Horizontal Line: My room in my house back in Austin, Texas is located right above the kitchen, with a back wall full of windows. I can easily see our pool from any point in my room. The pool is built with the back wall at least five feet taller than the front of the pool because the backyard is a downward slope. I remember when I little my brother and I used to run up to the back of the pool and jump off the straight ledge. Whenever I see a rock wall similar to our pool’s, it reminds me of the fun summers I had while growing up. Horizontal lines are so common, but they really can change the look of a design or can change how you look at something.
2. Straight Vertical Lines: Trying to think of vertical lines that I grew up around really opened my eyes to all the countless vertical lines around my house. They are in the wall, cabinets, tables, chairs, televisions, etc. However, the vertical line that has impacted me the most is definitely the columns in the front of my house. Every Sunday, my dad used to read the paper on the front porch swing which looked out onto the columns. We would sit out there for at least an hour, just swinging. Whenever I see big white vertical columns, I think of those times with my dad and how much I cherish them.
3. Zigzag Line: I absolutely love food and going out to restaurants to try out new places. There is one restaurant that is in downtown Austin that has the cutest sign hanging in front of their door with a light blue zigzag pattern as the background. I always thought it was the cutest sign and I was always drawn to it because of the interesting background. I love pattern, and zigzag lines are definitely one of my favorites. I think they add so much depth to a room if you carefully place them in a room.
4. Soft Curved Lines: My parents remodeled our house my freshman year and in the process, changed many of the regular doorways into curved arches. The difference the arches added to open up a room or add an interesting detail was enormous. It makes a room somewhat softer and more calm, and the overall feeling is better. After realizing how many curved lines are incorporated to designs I grew up with and learned to love, I can say that I will use this type of line in my future designs.
5. Tightly Curved Lines: I had never really thought about any tightly curved lines that occur in my daily life until this assignment. But after I thought hard about something that has affected me in my inspirations and designs, I thought of my jewelry. As shown in my inspiration board, it it evident that I am very motivated and inspired by the colors and shapes of the different jewelry. But another aspect that I had never thought of was the actual design and depth of my bracelets and necklaces. Many of my favorite bracelets are made up of hundreds of tightly curved lines. I love how the light reflects off it and the way it catches the eye. This type of line would add an interesting touch to any room by adding it to a pillow, frame, painting, etc.
1. Straight Horizontal lines
Until now I have not realized how much I have seen the design element of straight horizontal lines. I grew up in Atlanta where there are many buildings. Driving down Peachtree Road there are office and apartment buildings that line the streets. Most of these buildings are made of glass with windows making up the façade. These transparent skins provide unlimited access to natural daylight, which is one of the leading concepts of architectural designs. They are lined up perfectly next to and on top of each other that form horizontal lines. These lines continue around the entire building and from the ground to the top. The architect wants the look of the horizontal lines because it makes the building look sleek and clean. This gives the office buildings a very modern look to them.
2. Straight Vertical lines
I grew up going to my grand fathers plantation in Coolidge, Georgia called Woodhaven. At Woodhaven there is a large brick house with many tall white columns that tower above the ground. They are what hold up the house and the two wrap around porches that surround them. This type design of plantation houses is called Antebellum Architecture. The stately Greek columns are the most defining element. These homes recall the glory days of the south. As a child, there was an airplane swing that hung from the ceiling on the porch and I would swing in between the columns and look out at the huge magnolia trees. I also loved to bring my lunch up to the second floor wrap around porch and eat it. I would look up and down and studying the columns thinking they were magnificent. Having grown up at Woodhaven and admiring these horizontal lines on the house, it has made me integrate the horizontal line into my design ideas.
3. Diagonal or Zigzag lines
The front door to my house in Atlanta has a zigzag design on it. These lines go across the door in mahogany wood. The zigzag designs have a red stain applied to them with natural mahogany in between the panels and the border around the door. These lines are perfectly symmetric and add a unique style to my front door. After doing some research about these lines I found that a “zig” points to the left and a “zag” points to the right. This is a simple repeated line segment that many designers use.
4. Soft Curved lines
When I think of soft curved lines I think of spiral staircases. My grand father has one in his foyer and I love to go up and down it. As a child I would slide down the banister. I think these single helix designs are derived from the early years. They were built in castles and appear in many old churches around the world. One of the most famous spiral staircases is in The Vatican. This staircase is somewhere between a ramp and a staircase because it has a slight incline. This famous staircase is also a double helix. One helix is for going up and the other is for going down. Because of this, the Vatican staircase is known to represent life because of the discovery of a DNA stand, which is a double helix itself. These soft-curved lines maximize floor space and make efficient use of that space. I would love to integrate this design into one of my projects in the future.
5. Tightly Curved lines
Deep-sea fishing has a lot of tightly curved lines. From fishing hooks to gaffs to the curve the pole makes when there is a fish on the line tightly curved lines are everywhere. This design concept is what makes fishing functional. Without the tightly curved hooks it would be impossible to keep a fish on the line. Growing up going deep-sea fishing a lot, I would know. When it takes sometimes forty-five minutes to an hour to reel in a sailfish you rely on the tightly curved lines in the equipment to be functional. These lines are what make fishermen successful. This has caused me to become familiar with this design aspect and would be great to use later in my designs.
Hannah Huggins
Horizontal Lines
When thinking of horizontal lines, I can’t help but think of the horizon at the beach. I could gaze for hours at the point where you can no longer see how far the ocean stretches. The point where the sky and the sea seem to collide is a beautiful and calming sight. Horizontal lines like this are so relaxing and peaceful.
Vertical Lines
I was born and raised in a town that is full of history. Similar to a lot of small South Georgia towns our downtown area is filled with buildings and houses that have been standing for years. On Main Street, almost in the heart of our town, is the largest funeral home. The two story white house was converted many years ago. This large house is the epitome of a southern home. In front, four large pillars stand and command all of the attention from those who pass by. Vertical lines are consistently bringing strength and stability to design. Especially in the use of columns and pillars, vertical lines seem to be a classic design that spans across traditional and modern design.
Diagonal or Zigzag Lines
Also in my hometown is a little pizza shop opened about 10 years ago. It’s a busy place with a great atmosphere. The inside really encompasses the old feel of the building. One wall, that runs the length of the building, is brick. They designed this wall to look as if part of the wall is the natural brick and a diagonal, rough line separates where the wall becomes painted concrete. The concrete portion of the wall is visibly raised and the line the separates it from the brick is much undefined. The look is hard to explain, but very neat to look it. It adds dimension and character not only to the wall, but to the interior design of the entire restaurant.
Soft Curved Lines
When thinking of soft, curved lines, I think of the Arch. I’m sure this response seems to be cliché but the Arch is something I have always loved and not just because of its symbolism. To me it is just such a graceful, smooth design. Like the Arch, I have always also loved arched windows. Something about them just seems elegant and lady-like. Especially in window design, we are so accustomed to seeing the use of vertical and horizontal lines, only. Because of this, our eyes are immediately drawn to an arch window anytime it is around. I’m not a big fan of conformity, so I love when something stands out because it is different but maintains a simple beauty.
Tightly curved lines
Tightly curved lines almost raise my stress level just by looking at them. When I was younger I had an iron trundle bed with a design full of tight curves almost to the point of “swirls.” I hated this bed so much and maybe that’s what has made me have such a strong dislike for tight curves now. I much prefer soft curves with their laid-back look and relaxed feel. Tight curves just make me feel worked up, stressed out, and uncomfortable.
1) Straight horizontal lines- Growing up in what has been deemed a “historic” neighborhood in Atlanta has introduced me to many different traditional architectural styles. Many of the more historic homes are mansions built in the traditional antebellum style, while others, such as in my part of the neighborhood, are ranch houses. My home is located on top of the second highest point in Atlanta, and therefore, has massive hills on either side. The flat style of our house, therefore, is a great contrast from the rolling landscape that surrounds it. Our one-story ranch house is made up of a series of horizontal lines that extend from end to end, and give a very elongated feel to the design. Whenever I drive up to the house, I am struck by its flat, low appearance. It appears as though it is sitting directly on top of the ground, flattening it. This ever present illustration of the concept of horizontal lines in design has influenced my style by making this type of line an inherit fixture in my design arsenal.
2) Straight vertical lines- I have found a wealth of inspiration from my home in my idea of design, both because of its consistency in my life and because of its own qualities of design. My aunt is an interior decorator, and was therefore charged with designing several of the rooms in my house. Due to my mother’s infatuation with all things British and the need to create an impression of greater space in our living room, my aunt designed floor to ceiling bookshelves that my dad then built himself. The bookshelves encompass the entire length and width of the back wall, save for a window seat that covers the distance in between. These bookshelves, with their floor to ceiling vertical lines give the space a lift, and create the impression that the both the room and the house are larger than they are. These bookshelves have been a fixture of inspiration for me and equip me with the false pretense that my house is grander than it is.
3) Diagonal lines- Every year, since before I was born, my family has been going to Jekyll Island for vacation, and for the past 16 years, for Christmas. On Christmas day we all get dressed up and go have lunch at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. The Club was built in 1888 and retains much of its original structure, despite significant restorations. Christmas lunch at the hotel is an extremely popular affair for many who stay on the island, and requires waiting in line to be seated in the main dining room. While waiting in line however, your attention is captured by the large, wooden staircase that ascends down unto the floor of the lobby. The staircase is made up of long, diagonal lines that block the view of the people descending the staircase until they are right in front of you. The fact that such a simple element of design can induce such mystery and excitement is something that has always inspired me.
4) Soft curved lines- My high school is a historic landmark that was built in the 1920s and features red brick and a large, curved staircase. One of my favorite features of the school, however, is the abundance of windows throughout the school. Although each floor is equipped with rows of large, square windows, it is the inclusion of dozens of small, circular windows that gives the school its character. Some of the windows are no bigger than a foot in length, while some are semicircular in shape and reside towards the top of the building. These circular and curved shapes provide a nice contrast to the long, sweeping landscape of the school and feel right at home with the centerpiece of the main building, a long, winding staircase at the front of the school. Even before I attended Druid Hills, I would look through my mom’s yearbooks, or drive by the school and be completely impressed and inspired by the design and the use of such small, distinct windows.
5) Tightly curved lines- When I was younger, one of my favorite things to do was redecorate my room. Even if my parents did not endorse my ideas, I would rearrange my furniture and try to create something new. When it did become clear that my room was no longer age appropriate, however, my parents enlisted the help of my aunt and a new room was reborn. One facet of the room, however, provided me with great discomfort, both physically and emotionally. My new white, wrought iron, twin bed was from pottery barn and housed a trundle underneath. The color was great, the trundle was nifty, but the wrought iron material and the many sharp curves and loops of the bed did nothing to soothe me at night. I felt trapped and cold in my bed, and it has been a long time since I’ve felt such strong emotions from a piece of furniture. The tightly curved types of lines used in the design of this bed are something that has inspired me in the sense that I can understand the way people can react to certain elements of design.
Straight horizontal lines: I grew up constantly going to the beach for family vacations and any time our family could get away. When I think horizontal lines, I think the horizon and the sunset and the relaxing feeling that comes from the beach and relaxed horizontal. I now see that many of my designs have restful or calm horizontals to give off a comfortable feel of the room because I have been so influenced by the lapping ocean waves on the sunset horizon.
Straight vertical lines: Growing up in a historic southern setting immediately makes me think of long, straight, white, vertical columns in front of most homes. In my neighborhood growing up, almost every house had white vertical columns beautifully crafted into the front of the home giving off a sturdy, elegant, and strong feel and appearance to the home. I really enjoy seeing the strength vertical lines bring to a design.
Diagonal or Zig zag lines: We all have our go to outfits. Our favorites that we go to all the time, the classic basics that are just always some how incorporated into our everyday lives and then we have our statement pieces. When I look at my wardrobe I think of my statement pieces and I immediately go to my prints. The same concept can be incorporated in interior design. The diagonal/ zig zag lines add movement and harsh sharp corners to be an accent in the design. I like to spice up an outfit or a design with a pop of color or a patterned print that attracts your eye and moves it through out the space.
Soft curved lines: soft flowing lines make me think of nature and the natural terrain of the earth. I again go in my memory to the beach with soft rolling sand mounds that make the beach look like an adventure to reach the blue water. I see the natural soft curved lines used in designs to give a comfortable natural feel to a design.
Tightly curved lines: I think tightly curved lines create movement or “clutter” in a space. I like the use of them as accents but too many can fill a space with too much going on. I like to think of rod iron works that are pulled and curled into beautiful works that are either wall hanging pieces or other works that can accent a room with beautiful movement but not over crowd the space. Being brought up in the south, these wall pieces have been common not only in my home, but in my friends homes.
1.When I think of horizontal lines, I think of a long landscape terrain. Living in Eastern North Carolina, the land is pretty flat and looks like it extends out so far as to touch the sun. Parallel crop rows run horizontal for acres. Tall willow trees line up along highways forming straight lines with their trunks. Horizontal lines give off an endless illusion, allowing areas to look much longer and larger than their actual size. On the coast, if you look down the beach, a horizontal line divides the sand and the ocean evenly. Facing the actually water, wave ripples headed out towards the ocean into a never-ending body of water. If you stare at a horizontal line for long enough, the line creates a disillusion moving flow leaving my mind to think endless opportunity.
2.I have always loved high, open ceilings. To me, this is absolutely beautiful architecture. The higher the ceiling, the larger the room appears. Vertical lines are also apart of window design. The longer the window, the longer the wall appears and the more natural sunlight. Long vertical drapes that touch the floor convey a higher window and ceiling affect. I think it is a great designer choice. Another vertical beauty is a column. They have been in southern design since the colonial times and symbolize, power and wealth.
3. At the beach, we have open beam ceilings with vertical columns running across the roof corners (which are slightly angled, like the roof shape). To me, this is absolutely beautiful architecture. I feel like it would be completely impossible to touch the tip of the ceiling, because it never ends. Wooden pillars with large metal nails that run across ceilings are what come to mind when I think of diagonal lines with a touch of interior design. Not only are they beneficial to diminish the human scale perspective, but also they allow natural beauty in a household. No painting, wall color, or piece of furniture can do that.
When I think of zigzag lines, I envision an African theme. Many tribal fabric and pottery has zigzag patterns along the piece.
4. I love curve lines in arches. At my high school we had outside brick hallways that had open gaps looking out onto the courtyard. The best part about the opening was the arches created in between the columns. When sunlight would shine at just the right angle, the arches shadows would create curve mounds atop the grass. I thought this was a beautiful scene, mid day when I was exhausted from school.
5. From woodcarvings to mirror frames, most décor that attracts me has curvy patterns. It’s a subtle touch that adds great detail to a simple piece. In my bedroom, I have a large circular mirror with a metallic frame around it. The frame is engraved with wispy, leaf-like shapes. It is an eye catcher amongst the bare walls of the 4×4 I live in. Wood is a timeless beauty and is universally used in most design tastes. I have a strange obsession with visiting used furniture stores, especially one’s with old wooden pieces. The best-hidden treasures you can find in these stores are handcrafted wooden pieces. Whether it is engraved on there, or even just elaborately painted, wooden pieces with flowing curve figures are classic design.
Horizontal line- My older sister lives in Las Vegas and I try and go at least once a year and I’ve been going there for nine years so I have had a lot of time to explore the different hotels and design in them. There is a silly tradition that my sister and I have to go to this certain bathroom located inside city center at the mandarin hotel. We go at night every time I’m out there because it has to be one of the most beautiful bathrooms I have ever seen. You walk in and its all warm tones with dark purples and browns then you walk to the vanity which is this long continuous vanity with one long sink and then your view is floor to ceiling windows and you see all of Las Vegas and when you look out you also see the horizontal line of all the lights in Vegas it is truly breathtaking and one of he first places I think of when it comes to peaceful horizontal lines.
Vertical line- The first thing I think of when it comes to vertical line would have to be my parents’ room in our first home. My mom did a faux finish on the wall and did think vertical lines on the walls. I think it could have been very over done but the colors were neutral and the vertical lines just had a subtle sheen to them. It was actually very pretty and that is one of my first memories with vertical lines in design.
Diagonal/ZigZag line- The new Missoni line for Target it what I think of right now. It is all about the Chevron zigzag line it is a very busy pattern. And the zigzags along with the colors have a lot of movement. I’m not a huge fan of zigzag line I think in moderation it is nice but to much makes me a little antsy.
Soft Curved Line- My head board and footboard are silver rod iron with a soft curve design throughout. I absolutely love my bed I picked it out when I was 13 and immediately when I saw it I knew it was for me. I love how the soft curve lines aren’t too much they create a pretty feminine touch to the heavy rod iron bed. And the curves are a nice break from the rest of my room pieces which are mostly straight vertical and horizontal lines.
Tightly Curved lines- When I first think of tightly curved lines I think of spiral staircases, moldings, and railings. Growing up for some reason I always thought spiral staircases were fun and interesting because they went something I would see all the time. At the end of some moldings I see a square with a spiral curve. Tightly curved lines I don’t notice as much I’m not sure why but I am now wanting to pay more attention to where they are.
1.Horizontal line- It was hard for me to think of any significant horizontal lines that I have found in the world of design, maybe because they are so common. There is not much visual or architectural appeal of straight horizontal lines, however they can be calming. I take particular notice into the alternating horizontal beams of old wood and rock at my ranch house. These big wooden beams add a lot of character and warmth to the room and are very appropriate for the ranch house style home. The simple, horizontal and straight direction of the beams are both aesthetically, and sensuously appealing.
2.Vertical line- Since vertical lines are everywhere I could not pick out just one example of vertical lines that I have noticed in design. I love vertical lines, especially in big architectural buildings such as sky scrapers. I love the height and energy that they represent and how they can really open a room or space and make it seem so much bigger than it actually is. They never fail to draw my eye upwards and I appreciate the sense of vastness and optimism that they create, whether it be in the exterior or a sky scraper, the columns in a house, or in the height of a tall ceiling.
3.ZigZag line- I have always found myself very attracted to the zigzag design within the popular, Ikat pattern. I am always drawn to the Ikat pattern and it is definitely among my favorites. In my room, my center pillow on my bed consists of an aqua and white Ikat pattern and I love the way it looks and the way your eyes are immediately drawn to it. I enjoy the energy and activity that is felt from the zigzag design of the Ikat pattern, it is very visually appealing and it definitely reflects my style in design and in life.
4.Softly curved line- The archways and round windows at my house immediately popped into my head when I though of soft, curved lines. My house is full of arches, – whether it be over the staircase, in my bathroom, in every hall way, or lining the balconies, – and they have always been one of my favorite aspects of design, both in my house and out. I love the contrast that arch ways and rounded windows create in comparison to angular ceilings and windows. They create a certain softness and intricate beauty that could not be attained otherwise. Each arch way and softly curved windows adds iniquity and character and that it why I am so attracted to and appreciative of them.
5.tightly curved line- One of my walls in my room is decorated by a unique, tightly curved, metal carving and it always catches my eye. It was hand made by a man in Nicaragua and is sort of abstract looking because it is in the shape of a big tree with birds in it, while at the same time looking like the flared tail of a Peacock. There are so many angles and curves within the design of this piece and it is so visually appealing and emits a feeling of vibrance. The business adds character and also intrigues each person that sees it.
Straight Horizontal Lines – I know the earth is round. I know this is because of gravitational pull. I’ve always liked the look of a horizon, especially when you can see the vanishing point incorporated. It’s a grounded feeling, incorporated with gravity itself it is kind of a neat concept… anyhow. While in Paris this past May I had the opportunity to look through the Arc de Triomphe to/through the Grande Arche de la Défense located a significant distance down the avenue. It was an interesting sight, it was like I was trying to aim at something. One of the things I don’t enjoy about Athens is the lack of opportunity for horizontal views (sunsets, sunrise, vanishing points) because of the physical terrain. There are just so many hills, which also makes it hard to ride a bike.
Straight Vertical Lines – When reading the Psychological Effects of Line section in the book I found it very interesting that “too many vertical lines can cause a feeling of uneasiness, or too much confinement and predictability”. I find that statement interesting because jail cells are usually steel bars that a vertical and are used for confinement, so that made a lot of sense to me from that sense of reasoning. Also in a more primitive sense the lifestyle of the “early human” man clearly didn’t have much decoration to it, in that sense the book suggests that vertical lines lead to predictability, therefore with the absence of vertical lines in early mans shelter I think this could suggest (somewhat subconsciously) the state of uncertainty in they were living in. I tend to wear a lot of shirts that are vertically striped, mainly because I’m wide and tall, it tends to usually be a good pattern choice for the height and width reasons.
Diagonal or Zig Zag Lines – My first reaction or thought of zig zag lines is lightening. I always am somewhat mesmerized by lightening, even though I’ve seen it throughout my entire life. Lightening is hard to ignore for a number of reasons. The book states that such lines are “frenzied and agitating” which I would certainly agree with to a point, but there is some beauty in the randomness of it all. Not to mention it’s light, electricity traveling at such a high speed. I also like the use of The Flash’s logo from DC Comics. The Flash is the fastest man alive (in comic book world) and his logo represents the lightening speed he possesses (as it is a yellow lightening bolt that is positioned slightly larger over a white circle).
Soft Curved Lines – had to really think about this one. I decided that I really enjoyed the soft curves of my car interior. More from a functional standpoint than aesthetic though. It’s leather interior, but there are no traditional corners and the lines seem to flow together from the dash to the seats to the cupholders. It really comes together well from a line/shape perspective. I can imagine the reasoning for soft curves is to create a more relaxed driving experience, with road rage, stress of commuting and gridlocks causing unwanted stress. I don’t like driving, but come to think of it one of the reasons has never been because the way the interior looked or felt.
Tightly Curved Lines – We have this lamp in our home that has a base which is ivy-like in appearance. There are three separate spiral branches that come off of it at the base and a spiral top that connects the shade to the base. I hate this lamp personally, but my wife loves it. I will say that it is very unique, especially the shape. The shade itself even has swirled textile patterns sewn into it. It certainly adds an element of interest to our living area which is otherwise pretty traditional in layout colors and styles.
1. Straight Horizontal Lines: I have lived five minutes away from the beach since I was seven and have always been struck by the horizon and how many structures around us have been shaped in a similar fashion. One of my favorite places to drive is A1A, which is parallel to the beach. From this long drive I can see the horizon of the ocean and I get to look at all of the beachfront homes. Although each is very different structurally, they contain a common element of horizontal lines made by the slates of wood. Lastly, I stayed with my friend in her uncle’s house that was on the beach over the summer and I got to experience his infinity pool. It is a strait rectangular pool that looks as if it is a part of the ocean, so it uses the oceans horizon to make its structure great. Because I am so used to the look and aesthetic of horizontal lines, they will probably show up in my designs.
2. Straight Vertical Lines: My house in Florida is two stories and the front door is covered by a roof that is held up with two large vertical, square columns. They seem to make the house taller by extending the area that the eye can look upon. They are quite different from the other columns that are commonly seen in my neighborhood, which are round and white. The square structure gives them a more substantial feel and makes the front of our house seem more spacious in a way. I like the way that they extend space, so vertical lines will be fun to use in design to expand smaller seeming spaces.
3. Diagonal and Zigzag Lines: Even though this example is very plain, the first item that I could think of is a staircase. A staircase can combine both diagonal and zigzag lines to establish the movement up or down that are person using them will be going. When the side of a staircase is exposed, it reveals the zigzag pattern sloping down. A diagonal handrail is attached to the wall, which combines with the steps to make an energetic slope.
4. Soft Curved Lines: When my family traveled to Italy we stayed in a hotel that overlooked the Pantheon in Rome. Its roof is a giant dome that gradually slopes up to the top, in which there is a whole. The entire focus of the building is on this circular whole in the roof, which lets light in, in a small patch of light each day. To emphasize this, the slopes of the roof come together, leading viewer’s eyes to the hole. This concept has always been very interesting to me because it takes something as simple as a sloped roof and a hole to make an astounding design.
5. Tightly curved lines: When I was younger, my parents built a wine cellar in our house. They got this catalog of doors and I was intrigued by the different types and models of door that were available. After seeing my interest, my parent let me choose the door that they would put on the cellar. I chose one with a vine-like iron design across the glass panel of the door. I have always liked designs such as this one that include curved and curling lines and in many designs, this kind of a pattern could be a good accent.
Straight horizontal lines—“Horizontal lines suggest a solid, harmonious relationship with the earth; earths gravity has no further pull.” As soon as I read the words harmonious relationship with the earth I immediately thought of my beach house. My beach house is located in Sea Island, Georgia, which is a small island next to St. Simons. Our house isn’t located on the beach; instead the marsh is my backyard. The sun rises and sunsets are indescribable. Unlike the ocean, the marsh is calm, quiet, and peaceful. You can watch the birds skim the water with the tip of their wings and the little fish jump quickly out of the water. “Horizontal lines provide a smooth transition between rooms or areas.” The marsh isn’t choppy like the ocean but instead it has a smooth surface and it looks as if it has never ending winding paths between the weeds and the wet marshlands.
Straight Vertical Lines—“Vertical lines are stable because they represent a perpendicular resistance to earths gravity.” Some of the synonyms in the book for vertical lines are lofty, solid, restrained. When I read the words stable and solid I think of the arch in my entryway at my parents house. I think of their house as being a stable and solid place in my life, it’s always something that I can call “home” and go to whenever I need to. The book also says “They have the ability to lift the mind and the spirit as well.” Whenever I go home and something is bothering me my parents and sisters can always get my mind away from whatever is bothering me so they are able to lift my mind and spirit and make me in a better mood.
Diagonal Lines— Diagonal Lines are thought to be lines that are exciting, lively and have rhythmic movement. “Angular zigzag lines can add energy and life to an interior.” I think of music when I am trying to relate to Diagonal Lines. The sound of music is somewhat zigzag because the artists hits different notes and sings different verses, which the music have a “zigzag” beat. There is an option on Itunes that allows you to watch the artists pitch change and those lines are all zigzags. Another definition to zigzag lines is that “if too many zigzag lines are incorporated, however, the effect can be frenzied and agitating. I think that that can apply to music as well because there are certain beats to songs that I don’t like or that I don’t think go well with the lyrics.
Soft Curved Lines— Some of the synonyms for soft curved lines are soft, humanizing, and gracefulness. Curved lines provide relief and are pleasant to view. When I think of something that fits those definitions I think of a simple curved chair that sits outside at an outdoor fireplace at my parents house. It’s the best feeling to sit outside by that warm fire during the winter. The flames are very “graceful” and pleasant to watch. It is also easy on the eyes to view, which was another definition for this particular line. The chairs that my parents have outside by the fire are just simple curved arched chairs not only remind me the outdoor fireplace but just the feeling of also being at home.
Tightly Curved Lines—“Tightly curved lines can add frivolity and add fun to interiors and can make up a pattern that visually closes in space.” “… add life and may be visually stimulating and aesthetically satisfying.” When I read those definitions I think of a sea glass window that my family and I made that is the window for one of our bathroom doors at our beach house. It is a window unlike the other regular windows at our house because it is something that has a little “spunk” to it and it is something that is playful and adds a little character to the door. The sea glass window is filled with all different colors not just the common green sea glass that you often find while walking along the beach. The window is filled with different shades of the colors blue, green, brown, and red. When the light shines through the window you can see a rainbow on the floor in the bathroom, which is a “lively visual stimulation.”
1. Straight Horizontal Lines: I wasn’t sure if what I first thought of constituted as a part of the built environment, so I’m going to give two answers.
The first thing I thought of was Mexican blankets. My family used to go to Cancun, Mexico about every 3 years and would always come home with plenty of Mexican blankets. Each one of them has a very unique, horizontal stripe pattern that differs in every blanket. I almost always have one on my bed.
My second thought, and I’m sure if this counts as part of the built environment either, was venetian blinds. They’re a very integral part of my house. Back in the day, we had really, really cheap white ones that soon became more of an off-white/grey. Now we have white wood ones, which I like much better, but I never really liked. I guess this would be an example of how horizontal lines negatively affected my environment, cause I really dislike blinds. I would rather have the sun blast in than be blocked by horizontal stripes.
2. Straight Vertical Lines: For as long as I could remember, my parents’ bedroom was a deep magenta-maroon-like color. I secretly loved it. However, over the years it faded and became a more pink color. My mom grew to hate it, which happened to coincide with my mom and dad’s marriage struggling. My mom decided she was going to paint the bedroom and not tell my dad, because she didn’t want to argue about it. She asked for my advice, which super excited me, and I suggested vertical stripes. (I suggested it based on what I had seen on HGTV Divine Design!) She went for it, and now her bedroom is light green stripes. While I do like it, how she painted it was not exactly the way I suggested (and I still believe if she listened to me it would’ve looked even better!) Most importantly though, whenever I see the stripes in her room it makes me think of the change in my family. The red-purple was warm and comfortable, but this green is vibrant and new, just like the change.
3. Diagonal or Zigzag Lines: I’ve grown up in 3 different churches. And of course, being a kid, I was never ever ever good at sitting still for at least an hour. One of the qualities that my first two churches had in common was the sloped ceilings. Both ceilings started lower near the altar and went diagonally upward towards the back of the sanctuary. It was very architecturally stunning, because it was like everything led to the front of the church, or the altar. Because of the diagonal lines of the ceilings, the eyes were drawn forward. Except mine, of course, I mostly stared at the ceiling, as inconspicuously as possible of course. In my second church, the ceiling also had the wood planks going diagonally, which was great fun to look at. I spent hours of my life just staring at those diagonal lines.
4. Soft Curved Lines- I had a really hard time thinking of this one, but I finally decided that my reading chair in my family room was a good example of soft curved lines. It’s pretty much your average, leather, ridiculously comfy chair that I’ve claimed to be mine. The leather adds to the soft, sloping effect it has. It’s my go to reading chair (and was very important whenever a new Harry Potter book came out) as well as my go to tv chair, nap chair, chill chair, whatever chair.
5. Tightly Curved Lines- I have an uncle who lives just minutes away from my house at home. When I was a little girl I used to get to sleep over at his house, which was very exciting. My Uncle Vinnie usually came over to our house instead of us going to his, so it always fascinating. One thing in particular was his dining room table. It’s a very interesting combination of a glass top and a plaster-looking, ornate stand. The stand is extremely intricate, with lots of tight swerves and curls. I always thought it was the coolest, weirdest dining room table ever.
1) Straight horizontal lines- The terrain in Savannah is very flat. Hills are practically non-existent and there is nothing of high elevation. The whole built in environment of Savannah is based on this straight flat land. The streets are long and you can see from end to the other easily. It’s all straight horizontal lines, like River Street. It’s by the river, almost in resemblance to a boardwalk by the beach because it is a built in straight walking path, except it’s paved in brick. The shops are lined up perfectly down the street and I believe the linearity of the flat low terrain I grew up on will affect the way I want to design in that I have a preference for low lying flat construction.
2) Straight vertical lines- I was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia and one thing that always struck me was the historic district of town. Most of the homes in this area of town are Victorian homes from the late 1800’s and they have so much character. The houses are tightly condensed on the street blocks and they are mostly tall 2 story homes. The first thing I would notice upon walking into one of these homes was the high ceilings. The high vertical lines of the rooms put me in awe, it would make the homes look so big. I think this has affected me because I have grown such a strong preference for homes that circulate a lot of air and have a lot of space. I like spaces that make a statement.
3) Diagonal or Zigzag line- The most influential item to the design of my bedroom is the Chevron pattern throw blanket laying on my bed. The color scheme of my room is based on this blanket. The lavenderish purple, indigo, and pale blue of the blanket is seen in different accents of my room along with the linear chevron pattern. In contrast to the zigzag lines of the blanket, I have put circular accent mirrors and complementary to it I put up linear picture hangings and boards and my comforter has a calm linear pattern in relation to it. I find a great appreciation for pattern particularly in chevron pattern because I believe it brings a lot of interest to a space. It’s a bit whimsical and attracts the eye. Chevron is a good way to bring all the colors of a room together in one accent piece, which is why I think I will use this often in fabric pillows, etc. in designing rooms.
4) Soft Curved lines- The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is definitely a building that commands attention, especially because of its prominent architectural details. It was built in the late 1800s and its Victorian gothic style is evident. The cathedral’s spires tower over the trees and buildings. You can see the tips while strolling anywhere downtown. And the coolest part is that I used to go there for Sunday mass. It’s an amazing construction from the inside out. The arched windows, the arches in the spires holding the bells, the ornate arched ceilings in the church, and the circular stained glass windows are mindblowing. I was always excited to attend mass just to hop up the stairs and run into the huge arched wooden doorway. I believe the soft curved lines in the arches will forever be influential in my design aesthetic.
5) Tightly Curved lines- Growing up in in a historic town with buildings preserved from over a century ago lent me to have partialness to older constructions. Older buildings seem to really pay attention to the small ornate details, especially in the details of railing and molding and trim. As much as I like modern streamline design, I like rich exhausting pattern and detail of the older Victorian style. Filigree bordering mirrors and on railing is very interesting to me. All the closely curved lines and turns in the pattern, especially in iron or metal work is so intriguing. I think this attention to ornate details will help me in the craftsmanship of future design work I do.
1. Horizontal line- When I think of horizontal lines, the first thing that comes to my mind is a house that I used to live in middle school. My stepmother went through a phase where she really liked modern design, so she designed our house with many modern aspects. One of these aspects included a flat roof. When you looked at the house from the street view, it just appeared a straight horizontal line but had many levels to it. When I visited the Hamptons this past weekend I saw a house that had similar modern architecture with the flat roof and automatically noticed the horizontal lines it possessed. Although I am not particularly drawn to modern architecture, I think I will always have an appreciation for it because it reminds me of my memories in “the modern house,” as my family jokes.
2. Vertical lines- As weird as it sounds, I have always been a fan of vertical lines. My mother always told me not to wear horizontal stripes because they make you look wider, but to always wear vertical stripes because it gives the illusion that you are taller. As much as I love wearing vertical lines, I also like the way they look in architecture. My family lived in a house in elementary school that had a beautiful back yard with a creek running through it. I would always play in the creek and look up at my house and see these beautiful white columns along the back porch. Ever since then, I have always loved the way columns look on houses because I think that they add elegance.
3. Diagonal or zigzag line- When I think of diagonal or zigzag lines, one of the first things that comes to my mind is a beautiful ceiling in one of my best friends’ homes. It is a wood ceiling painted white and it has beautiful detail cut in to it. It is a pattern of diagonal lines creating a “diamond” like pattern in the wood. I remember when we would be sitting at her dining room table eating dinner I would always find myself staring up at the ceiling and looking at these diagonal lines crossing each other. I always told myself that when I grew up I wanted to have a ceiling with a similar pattern on it.
4. Soft curved line- I think that soft curved lines are the most beautiful lines. In the house my family lived in when I was in high school (I know, we moved a lot) on the front of the house we had a huge wooden door that was arched. To the right of the door there were two windows and the windows were in arched form (there is a picture of this on my design board.) I thought that these were the most beautiful windows and they looked beautiful with the Mediterranean style of the house. I absolutely think that these arches and curved lines are going to play a huge role in my design style in the future.
5. Tightly curved lines- It was extremely hard for me to think of an example of a tightly curved line, but then I looked up and saw the frame of my mirror. It is a gold, rectangular frame but has beautiful detailing of gold small curves carved all around the edges of the frame. I had never really taken the chance to appreciate how beautiful these small curves were but now I understand how they really contribute to why I liked the mirror so much in the first place. Now that I have recognized this type of line, I hope that I will continue to spot it in the environment around me and hopefully it will play a role in my design.