Creating Proportion And Balance In Your Home

An interior is the projection of the soul.

- Coco Chanel

Our homes say a lot about us. Think about this as you move through the different spaces of your home. What are you saying about yourself through your interior spaces? Are you pleased with the messages you get? If so, wonderful!

If not, look over the areas that you're not happy with. Is there anything - a color, texture or object - that feels emotionally jarring or out of place?

There are 2 main things to consider when you review your interiors: Proportion and Balance.

Your room will feel out of proportion if the furniture and accessories you put together do not maintain a sense of appropriate scale to each other. For example, if a tiny bouquet of pink rose buds is placed in the center of an enormous dining room table, or if an extremely small, dark wood table is placed next to a large, brightly colored, overstuffed sofa, these elements will look and feel disproportionate to each other. Use items that will have a pleasing sense of size relationship to each other. Think instead of pairing a larger, lighter table with the brightly colored sofa or a darker, more tailored sofa with the smaller, dark wood table. This will allow you to visually glide through the room with more ease.

Think also about the mixture of a variety of bold prints in one room. Too many different prints each trying to command your attention, creates an environment of anxiety. Try using one or two strong prints at most and pick colors that are used within the print for the rest of your rooms accessories. This will create color unity, without boredom.

There are 3 main types of balance: symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial. Symmetrical balance utilizes identical elements to balance each other on either side of the room. If you place two chairs with a table in between them on one side of your fireplace for example, then to create symmetrical balance you would place two similar chairs with a similar table in between them on the other side of the fireplace.

To create asymmetrical balance, using the same example, you might place the two chairs with a table in between them on one side of your fireplace and perhaps a couch with the same visual weight as the two chairs on the opposite side of your fireplace. Asymmetrical balance is created by using elements that while not the same, create the same visual weight.

Radial balance works similar to the spokes on a bicycle wheel, with everything radiating out from a central point. In a room with radial balance, there would be a strong focal point in the center - a large, striking piece of artwork for example - with all furniture, plants and accessories placed around the central focal point.

Once your review and refine the pieces in your home you will be able to create a more harmonious living space.

by: Johanna Uribes

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