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Achieving Balance with Fabrics
by Kathleen M. Peters, www.KatieDidDesign.com
Do you ever look at a professionally
decorated room and wonder what exactly makes it look so good? There are many
aspects of decorating that come together to create the perfect room... but
there is one element that brings it all together into a harmonious whole.
That all-important element is balance. This article addresses fabrics and
balance.
The fabrics used in your decorating must be
balanced. Here I'm talking less about colors, and more about textures and
designs. Some fabrics will take up more visual space and weight, while others
will take up less - regardless of their colors. For example, a sheer material
will be overpowered by a heavy tapestry - unless you use about four times
as much sheer material as tapestry material. It's the same principle used
in color. Evaluate your materials individually based on the colors used,
the size of the print (if any) and the weight of the fabric. Darker colors,
larger prints, and heavier fabrics must be used sparingly compared to lighter
colors, smaller prints, and lighter, softer fabrics.
For example, I'm using medium-weight damask
fabrics as well as extremely light sheer fabrics in my living room. The key
to making them come together is to balance more of the sheer material with
less of the damask. For window treatments, I've got long, full scarves and
drapes of the sheer material, but only a simple tailored valance of the damask
above the drapes and under the scarves.
Another example would be if you had two coordinating
prints - one with large roses scattered all over, and another with tiny pinstripes.
If you wanted them to appear as equally noticeable, you would have to use
more of the pin-stripe material than the rose material - even if the colors
were about the same. The large roses would draw your attention to them, while
the pinstripe would fade into the background. If you had a comforter in the
rose print, you'd want to make the bedskirt, shams, and throw pillows all
use some of the pinstripe since the roses are such a prominent and noticeable
place.
The principle for balancing materials can
be summed up like this: use less of the more noticeable, and more of the
less noticeable.
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This article Copyright 1999-2004 - Kathleen Peters, KatieDid Design. Reproduced with permission.
Kathleen Peters - 'Katie' - is a custom window treatment and bedding designer, and owner of KatieDid Design, her online shop. She is also the editor-in-chief of Decor, Decorating, and Design, a free bi-monthly ezine filled with articles, tips, and guidelines to help with your home decorating.
http://www.KatieDidDesign.com
http://www.DecorDecoratingAndDesign.com
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