It’s widely known in interiors that maintaining balance is central to achieving an effectively designed space. From balancing colors to the heights of decor items, keeping balance front of mind in all your interior schemes is key.
And while balance is often talked about, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to know how exactly to apply it to your home decor ideas. To help understand how to create balance in interior design, we’re turning to the expertise of interior expert Jordan Samson.
‘If something in your home is feeling just a little bit off, this is probably why,’ explains Jordan. ‘Balance is the secret sauce to any well-designed space.’
How to create a balanced interior scheme
1. Decide on a symmetric or asymmetric look
(Image credit: Joshua Smith Inc / Tim Lenz)
The first step towards creating balance throughout your interior schemes is to consider the placement of furniture and decor, whether that be a symmetrical or asymmetrical layout. While decorating with symmetry will create an aligned, structured feel, asymmetric layouts can still look balanced by thoughtfully positioning furniture items.
‘Either a symmetrical layout… where your furniture and decor almost mirror each other or asymmetrical where everything is seemingly thrown together yet still achieves balance through carefully placed items,’ says Jordan. Decide on which look you want to create as a starting point before considering how balance can be achieved.
2. Contrast furniture weight, color and texture
(Image credit: LAYERED Rugs)
The next step in achieving balance is to contrast different furniture styles. While some furniture pieces are incredibly bulky and heavy, others are a lot lighter and more delicate. By including both throughout your interior schemes – of contrasting colors and materials too – your space will have a nice level of juxtaposition and won’t feel weighed down by pieces that command a lot of space.
‘We also need to think about visual weight like pairing bulky seating with a coffee table lighter in both design and material,’ explains Jordan. ‘In a dark saturated room with dark furniture, incorporate lighter armchairs.’
‘We can also achieve balance with contrast like a smooth leather sofa paired with a textured rug. Or a colorful pattern rug paired with solid neutral colors. Or with contrasting silhouettes like pairing angular furniture with softer rounded edges.’
3. Consider scale and proportion
(Image credit: Future)
‘We also need to think about scale and proportion,’ says Jordan. This is a crucial step in any room and it’s all about working to the specific proportions of your space. It’s about adequately filling well-sized spaces with large enough pieces and likewise not overpowering a small room with pieces that are too big.
Jordan suggests how balance can be added by considering proportion and scale in interior design: ‘Choosing furniture large enough for the room, art that fills two-thirds the space below, and a large enough rug with at least the front feet of all your furniture on it.’
The same applies to the height of your decor pieces, too. For a scheme that feels balanced, make sure to include items of varying heights rather than everything being at the same level. To do so, Jordan suggests incorporating ‘contrasting heights using floor lamps, poufs, and decor to keep the eye moving around the space.’
For more help with your home decor, we’ve rounded up the fundamental interior design rules to follow to ensure your space feels balanced in every room.