When laying out or accessorizing a space, a designer always keeps the elements and principles of design in mind. These are the basis, or building blocks, of design. They help achieve a space that is visually appealing and just plain “feels right.” Most successful spaces incorporate a many different elements and/or principles.
Over the next few weeks I will share and break down a few of these elements and principles with you in hopes that it will help inspire you in arranging your own home!
First up: the principle of Balance (more specifically – Symmetry).
Achieving balance is basically making sure that one side of a room doesn’t feel ‘heavier’ than the other, that not all your furniture or accessories are placed on one side of the room leaving the other side empty. You want your room to be visually balanced.
Symmetry is a more specific version of balance. If you were to draw a line down the middle of a room, each side would mirror the other, look the same. Dictionary.com describes it like this: the correspondence in size, form, and arrangement of parts on opposite sides of a plane, line, or point; regularity of form or arrangement in terms of like, reciprocal, or corresponding parts.
When used properly, symmetry can make for a dynamic space or a bold statement. It creates consistency and is pleasing to your eye. But be careful in using it as it also has the possibility to come across as rigid and uninviting. It’s all about what you are going for in your own space.
Check out some of these images of symmetrical spaces and let me know your thoughts on this principle!
image via Heincker Design
image via House Beautiful
image via DecorPad
image from Vogue via Apartment Therapy
Symmetry is just one way of achieving Balance in a space. Keep it in mind when styling your home for a cohesive look. Stay tuned as we explore other ways too!
DawnT
Dawn is a commercial interior designer who has worked on the East Coast before recently returning to her home state of Oklahoma. She is also growing as a photographer who loves to capture family moments, and is learning to sew and craft accoutrements to incorporate into photo shoots and celebrations for her friends. A volunteer for the youth at her church, an avid reader and Oreo dunker, Dawn believes a home should be artistic, personal and functional for the owners. She has recently purchased her first home and is looking forward to working on a Before and After process of her own!
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I LOVE symmetry! Great post!!!
[...] you didn’t see that coming! It is also known as Informal Balance. Did you read the last Power Of post about Symmetry? So if symmetry is a mirror image on either side of a plane, then asymmetry is not the same on [...]