When decorating a room in your home, having a good understanding of scale can be important because it can make or break the room’s design. If you do not already know, scale is the visual representation of space and how it relates to the size of the room, and it’s objects. Just think. The size of a couch in the living room is relative to the size of the end table that sits beside it. If the sofa is complementary to the other furniture used in the room, it can throw the entire design off balance. If setting visual harmony is vital to you, here is how you can use scale appropriately:
When Bigger is Better
In the design world, experts push the fact that bigger is better. However, bigger is only better when the walls are long or large. Often, when working with such generous space, you may be tempted to fill it with furniture or create a gallery with pictures and artwork on the walls. This is not always the best idea. When working with expansive walls, a single statement piece of artwork can be ideal for the amount of visual space that you seek to occupy.
Does It Overpower The Space
Whether you are picking out artwork or furniture, you should analyze whether the element really works with the colors used in the room and how it relates to the other accessories and furniture. For example, a large beautiful piece of artwork may look great on your walls, but its boisterous scale could compete with the furnishing used in the room or overwhelm the smaller objects in front of it.
Selecting The Right Size Seating
Just because the room is small does not mean the furniture has to be the little as well. Even a sectional sofa can look great in a smaller room, depending on how you use the space. When determining the right scale of seating, you will need to think about the complementary pieces in the room such as the coffee table, side table, and lamps.
For larger seating options like a big sofa or a sectional, you can scale it by opting for smaller, less busy accent chairs. On the other hand, if you have a loveseat-sized sofa, then you should consider scaling it up by choosing broader accent pieces.
We hope you learned a little something about scale and its role in room design. For more expert tips and tricks, be sure to check back weekly. Thanks for reading!