Scale and balance
Have you ever thought about proportions, the idea of having a sense of scale and balance?. These topics are often overlooked in home decorating, which can lead to the idea that 'some just have it, and some don't'.
"I don't really like this room, but I don't know why. The colors are ok, and I don't mind the furniture, but - something's not right!"
Well, now you can have 'it', too.
Relative size and relations
Proportions, or scale and balance have to do with the relative size of areas and objects, and how they relate to one another. As with elements such as color, most people have a good idea about proportions - it's just they've never had to think too much about it.
One of the best ways of appreciating proportions is to use the same exercise as suggested for finding your preferred color schemes. If you look at some of the illustrations you selected, you'll probably find the reason you like some of them was not the color scheme in particular, but a combination of the color and how the furnishings in the room were arranged.
See your ideas take shape
Whenever you're doing any designs for your home, take a look at a product called Plan3D. You can use it to visualize new layouts and designs, and see how your home will look before you go ahead with your plans. It's aSome hints and tips
Usually the most attractive rooms are ones where there is balance. A large sofa in one area is balanced by a large picture on the opposite wall. Or a tall piece of furniture is balanced by a standard lamp.
In the same way that each room should have one focal point, usually the fireplace, it should also have one or more 'anchor' pieces. These are usually larger items which give a sense of solidity and permanence to a room.
Vary the height of your furniture. If all your items such as sofas, lampshades, bookcases etc are the same height, the room will appear very static and predictable. Break up the monotony with items of varying heights and volume.
Pictures are very useful here; you can hang them at a height which gives a 'lift' to the room. But don't make the common mistake of hanging them too high. Somewhere around eye level is usually correct.
Try to make the eye move as it takes in a room. A lamp is close to a picture, which in turn leads towards a sofa, to the left of which is a bookcase ... and so on. Don't overcrowd the room, but have enough there to make it interesting.
Be aware that color comes into scale and balance. For example, if you have a blue chair at one side of a room, try to balance it with another item containing blue elsewhere. It could be a rug, or a picture, or a painted piece of furniture.
Color also has 'weight' of its own. A light colored object will have less of an impact than a darker tone of the same color.
Too much to remember?
Try the following sequence, and as you practice thinking about scale and balance, and move items around, you'll learn how to make the most of your rooms.
- Do the larger items look balanced purely in terms of their size? Are there too many objects of similar size fighting for attention?
- What about high and low items? Is there enough variation in your room, or is everything the same height making the room look static?
- What are you able to rearrange to give a better sense of balance? You may want to move the grand piano, but is it practical?
- Do the smaller items fit naturally into the remaining room space?
- Do you have isolated areas of color? How can you balance the color elsewhere?
- Can you place items to create contrast and give a bit of life to the room? How will bringing in more colorful items affect things?
As with all aspects of home decorating, a little thought and practice with proportions will take you a long way.
You'll find a wonderful selection of furniture at Homelement.com. They also provide an excellent 'room planner'. You'll find the link to this on the bottom of the Homelement.com main page. Just click on it and start planning your room!
This room demonstrates many aspects of scale and balance. The fireplace is the focal point of the room, and is balanced by the dark colored bookcase on the right, and the curtains and drapes at the windows.
The blue carpet provides a 'base' for the whole room setting.
The proportions of the mirror over the fireplace are well suited. It is less in width than the mantlepiece, but is not too tall so that it reaches the picture rail. The effect is one of a comfortable fit without being squeezed.
Notice the height of the pictures. Each one has been hung differently, yet an overall balance is achieved. The one next to the curtain and the one one the right are set below the wall lights. The one above the bookcase is hung slightly higher so that it is not too close to the bookcase.
Look at the height of objects. The mantlepiece and bookcase are roughly the same height, the wing chairs are lower, followed by the coffee tables. The pictures, mirror and ornaments are higher, with the drapes in the background framing the windows. There is interest and movement, giving a restful effect which still has life.
The proportions of the rug are good for the size of the room. The flower arrangement in the recess above the fireplace gives a nice variation on the usual mirror/picture theme. The window treatments bring the colors of the rug onto the walls and provide a counter balance to the solidity of the coffee and side tables.
