Have you ever had the feeling that one, or several, of the rooms in your house does not feel quite right, but you have no idea why? It may be because the room is out of balance.
Maybe you feel the room is tipping to the side because there are many heavy pieces of furniture on that side, or it could be that the artwork or accessories are imbalanced.
If you are experiencing this very common situation and a Seattle interior designer is out of your budget, follow these simple tips to get your room to the right balance equation:
1. Large vs. large. If you place a heavy piece of furniture on one side of the room, maybe a bookcase for your big collection of books, place something large on the other side too; it could be a cozy sofa with a big art piece on top. This will balance the room by adding height and visual weight to both sides.
2. Separate. Split bookcases and entertainment centers to achieve balance. Place one of the sections in a different place inside the room, next to the sofa or fireplace, to make them look less heavy around the space. Sectional sofas can be too large for a certain room, making it feel too heavy or cramped, thus, place the sections one in front of the other, as you do with sofas and love seats.
3. Symmetry. This means both sides of the room are identical. The symmetry, matching furniture, gives a very formal visual effect and is easy to create. Two matching chairs on either side of the sofa or matching candlesticks on each side table; may do the trick.
4. Asymmetry. Yes, opposite to the above one, but incredibly interesting. The trick here is to put together comparable, but not matching, pieces. Look for pieces in different sizes, shapes and colors, and work a gorgeous asymmetrical arrangement, like for example, a huge vase on one side in contrast to three smaller candlesticks or an interesting lamp on the other. These arrangements may need a little more knowledge or “feeling” to create, because you have to perceive the visual weight of each piece, and they create informal settings, alias, more cozy ones.
5. Think lamps. These are great balancing pieces. Place a floor lamp on one side of the sofa and a table lamp on the other; you can even put books under the table lamp to make it look a little higher. You can also put two different table lamps on each side of the sofa; or even think of placing two different side tables on each side.
6. Plants. Place a tall potted tree across from a big bookcase to balance its height; vertical mirrors also work. To balance both sides of a sofa, place a potted plant on one side and a table lamp on the other.
7. An eye on art. To “complete” furniture that is too short or too narrow for the space, hang one or more art pieces on the wall above it. Color is a great balancing tool too. Darker and stronger colors are heavier than lighter ones, so think about this when you are placing art in front of a big piece of furniture like an armoire, bookcase or entertainment center.
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Amely
http://www.AmelyDesigns.com
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