It
feels like a fresh time for a new column series. So we will spend the next few weeks reviewing
the principles of design and how we can incorporate each into our living spaces. Those principles are balance, emphasis,
movement, pattern, proportion, repetition, rhythm, variety, and unity. So put your thinking caps on and pull out
that notebook and pencil. School is in session.
Balance is defined as
“the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and
space.” Balance gives a space
stability. There are three main types of
balance in design: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Symmetrical balance is my favorite, and it
simply means that what you do on one side, you copy on the other, creating two
equal halves. Asymmetrical balance has
two sides that are different, but they still look balanced. Radial balance can be depicted in a tire –
everything is arranged evenly around a center point.
When you consider
balance in home design and decorating, furniture and large accessories are
major factors. A room with a lot of
furniture on one side and sparse on the other can look odd because it lacks
balance. Walls with artwork that lacks
some continuity can disturb the visual balance.
Instead, visualize that legal scale in your mind - the one that teeters
back and forth as weight is added to each side - when you arrange pieces of
furniture, position lamps and small tables, and hang up wall art. Decide which path you want to take – parts of
a room that are equal, close, or that radiate out from a central point.
For symmetrical
balance, think of an arrangement that allows your seating to mirror each other,
placing couches, love seats, and occasional chairs in a copycat fashion across
from each other. If you hang a large
mirror on one main wall, add something of similar size to the wall opposite it. If a sofa table has a lamp on it, add a
matching one to the other end. For
asymmetrical arrangements, you can be less matchy-matchy but still balance that
scale in your own way; it does not have to be about exact proportions, but an
overall feeling of evenness. Think of
this when you spread a color or a textured fabric throughout a room. For radial symmetry, let your placement
generate out from a fireplace or entertainment center and be less angular and a
little more curved instead. In wall art
placement, hang a larger center piece and other framed items around it.
When you peer into a
room, an overall feeling of welcoming balance and purpose should greet
you. Visual weight in a room or on your
walls pulls a lot of weight when it comes to how complete a space is perceived
to be. So get to sliding those furniture
legs and accessories around and tip the scales of balance in your creative
favor. Next week’s principle: Emphasis.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star April 22nd.
