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Seeking
Balance in Your Home Decor
By Indra
Books
In
our homes, as in other parts of our lives, we are happier
when we live with balance and harmony. Just like the rest
of our lives, balance in the rooms of our homes is sometimes
hard to create. For many years, decorators and home owners
tried to create this physical balance by having pairs of everything:
2 matching end tables, a matched pair of wing chairs, even
sets of twin beds in the master bedroom. This certainly created
a balanced room. It also created rooms that were sterile,
formal and visually boring. In a formal setting or a Federal
or Georgian home, this is still the way things should be to
look 'right.' Our ancestors valued this perfect balance so
highly that they created false doors in hallways so that both
sides matched or doors that looked like windows so that the
right and left sides of the back of a house matched perfectly.
This can still be seen if you go to visit some of our historic
homes. A notable example is the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis,
Md. We, however, tend to prefer a more relaxed approach to
our homes. So how do we create a feeling of balance without
matched pairs of everything? You can use:
- Color
- Dark
colors have more 'weight' than light colors.
- Actual
size
- Height,
depth and width of an object
- Mass
- A
thick bulky looking object has more ‘weight’ than a fragile,
delicate one. Just visualize a blown glass vase and a
terracotta pot of the same size.
- Number
- A
group of several like objects in different sizes grouped
together creates 'weight.' Think of an assortment of silver
candlesticks.
- Light
- A
dark corner has more 'weight' than one filled with light.
If you
want to prove this to yourself, gather together a group of
assorted objects and use a tabletop/mantel and try out different
scenarios. Be sure you have different sizes, colors, textures
and shapes. You can put a larger framed picture against one
end and a slightly smaller one in front of it. On the other
end of your table put a heavy pot. Do the same thing with
a matching pot at each end. Try pairing the picture group
with an assortment of candles in candlesticks. Each time you
create an arrangement, step back and look at it. In fact,
if you have a digital camera, take a picture of it. If you
do this for a while you will start to get a feel for balance.
You can actually give the illusion that the tabletop is tilted
slightly by throwing off the visual balance. The same effect
can occur in your room arrangements. If you doubt this, close
your eyes and try to 'see' a room in which you felt physically
uncomfortable or slightly disoriented even though there was
no obvious reason. A room in which the heavy items are all
on one side of the room, almost feels as though the floor
tilts. Once you have a feel for balance you can start to create
a harmonious home. Stand in the doorway of any room in your
house that you feel isn’t 'right.' What do you see? Does the
burgundy chair stick out like there is a spotlight on it?
Does the entertainment center overwhelm the room? Do you have
a TV and a fireplace battling for focal point? Do your easy
chairs look like they were made for children next to your
mammoth sofa? Does your fireplace mantel look like you are
setting up for a tag sale? Your room is out of balance. Move
the furniture around and try different arrangements until
you have one that works. Unless you have a room that is just
for show like a Victorian parlor, you need to be able to use
the room comfortably. Once the practical set-up is done, look
at the room from different angles. If the room is out of balance
use color and accessories, plants and pictures, groups of
like objects, light and volume to create an illusion of balance.
Try grouping the accessories on your mantels and tabletops.
Balance the entertainment center on one side of the fireplace
with a tall plant or group of plants on the other. Note:
avoid having the tops of everything at the same height. You
might as well draw a line around your room. Repeat the
color of the chair in pillows, throws, lampshades or the matting
around a group of pictures. You really will be amazed at the
difference it makes. We may all be born craving balance but
except for the lucky few, we have to learn to achieve it.
There is a myriad of books on the subject and it can help
to read them and look at the pictures, but the best way to
get a feel for balance is 'hands on.' Experiment with portable
objects until you get a feel for what works and then enjoy
creating your harmonious home.
Indra
A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles
is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers
& Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
The company’s creed is to provide its clients with the ultimate
life management experience. In addition to its shopping and
concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly
e-zine and conducts workshops on wardrobe, entertaining and
decorating. For more information about the author and ON THE
GO 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net
Content for this article was provided by Suzanne Copenhaver,
Design Consultant to ON THE GO 4 U. Suzanne has years of experience
decorating in less than ideal situations and always provides
us with tons of insight. © 2005 Indra Books for ON THE GO
4 U
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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