Rhythm is an art principle, in which a sense of orderliness, gracefulness, and an easy movement lead the vision to move from one design to another related design in a rhythmic fashion. You can think of it as a form of movement.

When we incorporate rhythm in interior design, it gives us a set of established patterns to fall back on and allows viewers to take in the room’s sensory information as easily as possible.

Rhythm can be achieved by the following methods:

1. Regular Rhythm

A regular rhythm occurs when the intervals between the elements, and often the elements themselves, are similar in size or length.
example: Repeating letters, Shapes, or colors AB … AB … ab … Ab … ab … 

2. Alternating Rhythms

Two or more different motifs may be alternated, such as the black and red squares in a checkerboard; a single motif might be flipped, mirrored, or rotated every so many iterations; or the placement or spacing between motifs can be alternated.
This is essentially a regular rhythm that has more complex motifs, or meta-motifs. The added variety can help lessen the monotony of a regular rhythm.

Example ABA – CBC – EFE – ABA – CBC – EFE

3. Progressive Rhythms

Progression occurs when there is a gradual increase or decrease in the size, number, color, or some other quality of the elements repeated.

Example

ab
ab
ab
ab
ab

4. Random Rhythm

Random Rhythm is created when groupings of similar patterns or elements that repeat with no regularity create a random rhythm. Pebble beaches, the fall of snow, fields of clover, herds of cattle, and traffic jams all demonstrate random rhythms.
What may seem random at one scale, however, may exhibit purpose and order at another scale.

5. Flowing rhythm

Flowing rhythm is a rhythm in which movement is shown, most often with organic shapes. This piece displays flowing rhythm because the waves (organic figures) are shown to be moving repetitively throughout the piece.

Rhythmic Movements can be divided into the following types: Through Repetition of shapes, the progression of sizes, continuous line movement, radiation, gradation in the arrangement of shape, size, and colors.

1. Rhythm through repetition of shape:

Rhythm through shape is the repetition or alteration of the same elements or objects often with defined intervals between them. To achieve beauty through repetition, a good proportion is a necessary accompaniment. Shapes of the same size and shapes arranged with the same spacing between each would give us an example of rhythm by repetition.

2. Rhythm through a progression of sizes:

Progressing sizes create a rapid movement of the eye like an arrangement of pictures on the wall in a series of shapes that carry the eye upward or downward to a more interesting part of the room or just creating a rhythmic movement.

3. Rhythm through continuous line movement:

One finds many fine examples of this type of rhythm in Greek sculpture and in Japanese prints. A composition that shows rhythm through continued lines and curves are examples of rhythm through lines. The spiral line of a shell brings out the beauty in the sequence of its line movement and in the rhythmical.

4. Rhythm by radiation:

The rhythm created by identical objects coming from a central axis. The glass frames “radiate” from the center of the path. The floor design, the windows, furniture, etc. in redial rhythm.

5. Rhythm through gradation:

Rhythm by gradation can also be achieved through a change in spacing between lines or shapes, change in hue, value, or intensity, change in amounts overlapped in a composition, change in texture from smooth to rough, shiny to dull. Graduation is a sequence in which the contrasting extremes are bridged by a series of similar or harmonious steps. Graduation is a common and basic form of the natural order that exists in nature like the sunrise, sunset, flowering pattern the scales on a fish, or the flowing of water, etc.