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published by KatieDid Design
Achieving Balance with Furniture
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 furniture and
balance.
All furniture and decor must be arranged in
a balanced manner. Have you ever walked into a room where it seemed like
everything was at one end, while the other end looked empty? Or have you
struggled with this in a bedroom where all your furnishings have to be on
one side of the room because the other end is all closet doors? Some rooms
are laid out so that balanced furniture and decor placing is difficult to
achieve. Here are some tips and principles.
First you need to decide what the focal point
of your room will be. This is something that not many people think about.
Or if they do, they misunderstand the term and think that they don't want
everyone to notice one particular object. A focal point in decorating isn't
something to dominate the room. Rather, it is the starting point for your
decorating layout. It is the object that will determine the placement of
many of your other decor items. For example, a common focal point in a family
room would be a TV armoire or cabinet. The focal point in a bedroom is usually
the bed. And usually your focal point object will have other items naturally
associated with it.
You must place your focal point item and its
associated items before you decide on the placement of your other furnishings.
You have probably always done this without thinking about it in your family
room. Before you decided on anything, you decided where your TV (focal point),
and sofa and chairs (associated items) would go. Why? Because the TV is the
natural focal point, and the sofa and chairs obviously must be placed where
TV viewing is comfortable and easy. In the bedroom, we all will usually decide
where the bed belongs and where the bedside tables will go before we decide
on the dressers. This process is important in all rooms -- it is just a little
more difficult in rooms that don't have an obvious focal point. Here are
some steps to make it easier:
1) Decide on your focal point. Possible items
include: TV cabinets, beds, large paintings, elegant bookcases, a table and
chairs, fireplace, piano, large aquarium, etc...
2) Identify the associated items. Many focal
points are often accompanied by different types of seating and end-tables.
Beds will usually be accompanied by night stands and maybe a chair. You may
also have pictures or other wall hangings that were purchased to go with
your furniture and therefore are associated items.
3) Decide where these items will go. You will
want your associated items to be balanced around your focal point. ... two
chairs on one side and a sofa on the other. ...one painting on either side
of the fireplace. ...a wooden night stand and wall lamp on one side of the
bed and a cozy chair and small table on the other. Make sure you allow the
correct amount of space between your focal point and associated items. You
don't want them so far away that conversation or TV watching is difficult.
Nor do you want them so close together that your space is cramped. So if
your room is large, pull your furniture away from the walls and closer together
to create a comfortable sitting area. If your room is small, turn some of
your object at an angle to help the room feel larger.
4) Now that those are in place you can decide
on the rest of your major items. Look around the room and identify the 'empty'
spaces. Decide which items will look best in those places. If all your empty
spaces are on one side of the room, create a lesser focal point or sitting
area there. For example, if your fireplace focal point is at one end of the
room and your sitting area is arranged around it, your empty spaces may very
well all be at the other end of the room. Consider a bookcase, a small table,
and an easy chair grouped at that end. Do not attempt to connect the two
sitting areas; allow them to be themselves, and they will be comfortable
for you and your visitors. Also be careful not to place something somewhere
just because you can't find any other place. I know that we are sometimes
forced to do this, but this will damage that 'professional' look. Consider
moving the item to another room or giving it away. If it must go in the room,
then use your imagination and work in your accents to help it belong. Perhaps
adding a tablecloth, lamp, and a few photos to your sewing machine cabinet
will help it look like it belongs in your living room as an accent table.
5) Next will be your wall decor. Arrange them
to compliment your furniture pieces. In the above example, try hanging a
medium sized picture or a grouping of small items over the table and beside
the bookcase. If you have several small pictures of wall decor items, group
them together. If you've got a nice mirror or painting and nothing to coordinate
with it, consider a floral accent to hang above, below, or on a corner.
6) Finally you are ready to place your accents,
such as bric-a-brac, photos, collectibles, etc. Don't just scatter these
all over the room. Arrange them in groupings. ...two candlesticks with a
vase, ...photos grouped together, ...collections grouped by type or style.
Make each grouping of at least three items, and don't attempt to even everything
out. If you've got just a lamp on an end-table, add a large lace doily under
it and a ceramic figurine and a crystal confection bowl the base of the lamp
on the doily. Be creative. Don't just stick everything on there. Experiment
with different combinations to discover what suits your style best. Try moving
something half-way off a doily or table scarf to balance a larger item on
the other side. Maybe bunch all your family photos together across your mantle.
There's tons of combinations, and they're easy to re-arrange... no heavy
lifting! Just be careful not to break them! ;-)
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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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