Something you will see me harp about over and over is the issue of balance.
Balance is when characteristics possess the same weight as each other, often through judicious compromising, giving from one side and taking from the other, until equilibrium is achieved.
So, what does this mean to you? Why do we care about balance?
The human mind is constantly in search of balance. We perceive most things in relation to each other; there is no up without down, no black without white, and when there is more of one than the other, the imbalance of it tends to throw us off. We might not know why we're restless or lethargic or just generally uncomfortable, but we know something's off and we don't like it.
Many's the time I've seen someone come to MaleLivingSpace wondering why their home doesn't feel 'right' despite their spending a lot of time and effort and money on creating the perfect environment. So often, it's because there's a marked lack of balance in some way, which they don't consciously take note of but which subconsciously they're aware of and don't like.
In those cases, my advice is usually "it's too straight and right-angled, add some rounded and curved shapes" or "everything is low to the ground, there's no height" or "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHY IS EVERYTHING BROWN? NO MORE BROWN."
A home design is successful when it achieves balance in most (if not all) of the ways listed above and thus satisfies the innate human desire for equanimity. Here are some of the hallmarks of a well-balanced design:
light/dark - the space has roughly equal quantities of lightness and darkness. There's a decent amount of dark color but also a decent amount of light color.
light/heavy - some items are very solid, for example a dresser without legs that rests directly on the floor: just a big square. And some items are the same general size, but lacking that solidity, for example a desk that's just a slim metal frame with a thin top, no sides or back.
bright/muted - there's as much saturated color as there is muted color and/or neutrals.
cool/warm - there are roughly the same quantities of warm color as there are cool.
tall/short - maybe there's a tall item on one side of the room, like a bookcase that reaches to the ceiling, and on the other side of the room, a pair of low stools-- they're shorter, but there's two of them to make up the difference.
wide/narrow - that tall bookcase is also narrow, but there's a sectional that stretches across the room.
solid/transparent - a big steamer trunk serves as a coffee table, but a console table is a sheet of clear glass.
matte/glossy or sparkly - the walls are painted in flat emulsion and the sofa is upholstered in velvet, but the floor is polished to a high sheen, and a lamp base is crystal.
straight/curved - the rug is rectangular but the barrel chairs are rounded, and there's a curvy pattern in the curtain fabric.
sharp/obtuse - there are sharp angles but also wide/curved ones. Some of the plants have pointy leaves but some have rounded leaves.
hard/soft - there are hard surfaces but there are also curtains and throw blankets, squishy pillows, a tufted ottoman, and a few fluffy plants.
smooth/textured - the glass dining table is countered by the nubby, rough-spun linen upholstering the dining chairs and a woven seagrass area rug.
regularity/irregularity - the curtain pattern is a very organized ikat print, but a few of the throw pillows are a shibori print, and some of the art is by Kandinsky and Matisse.
There's no sense of anything being 'too much' or 'not enough'. The brain registers and appreciates the balance presented to it.
Conclusion
Keeping a mental list of these characteristics, and trying to keep any of them from overwhelming its opposite, will contribute greatly to a room that looks and feels welcoming, comfortable, and timeless.
Comments