Love and Balance

The Valentine’s Day tablescape I created this year was the inspiration behind this room! With a neutral backdrop, it only takes a few small pieces to change the look according to seasons or holidays. A pillow, throw, and fresh flowers can completely change the look and feel of a room.

Now, lets talk balance & symmetry. Other than the bookcases, nothing about this room is symmetrical. I tend to gravitate toward symmetry, but sometimes you need to change things up a bit so the room doesn’t get too formal looking. Did you notice the brass table pushed to the right side of the sofa? Although it is not centered, it is balanced in the room! You don’t have to have exact items on either side of each other, whether it be a piece of furniture or accessories, and you don’t have to have the same number of items. Offsetting this table gives balance to the “blank space” inside the art grouping, and it also visually fills in the space on the right where you would maybe want to put another chair. If the table was centered in front of the sofa, the room would look “heavy” toward the left side of the room because of the pink chair and artwork.

Do you see how there is only one pillow on the left side of the sofa? This balances the table on the right. Visually it’s balanced, but asymmetrical.

Even though the art collage is the focal point, do you see how changing one thing allows your eye to travel around the room?

If I had a coffee table centered in front of the sofa, the art above would still be okay, but I would probably make the smaller top right picture a little more rectangular to fill some of the negative space. Are you ready to experiment with an asymmetrical look?

What items are you bringing in your home for a feeling of LOVE this Valentine’s!?

See more of my projects on Olioboard, or follow me on Pinterest for more inspiration.