Like interior designers, stagers and decorators need to incorporate key principles of interior design when they are working to bring a space together. The 7 key principles are:
Balance
Unity
Rhythm
Emphasis
Contrast
Scale/Proportion
Details
All of these play an important role in design, but today we are going to focus on BALANCE.
Very quickly defined, balance (in interior design) is the harmonious arrangement of items in a room. It is used to visually stabilize a space. The goal of incorporating balance is to ensure that no single element in a room overpowers another in terms of visual weight or dominance. If balance is not obtained, a room can feel awkward and uncomfortable. For stagers, it is important to make visually appealing settings where a potential buyer feels comfortable and the rooms are balanced.
There are three different types of balance:
Symmetrical
Asymmetrical
Radial
Symmetrical balance is obtained when both sides of the space are weighted identically. This is commonly used when staging bedrooms. Often the end tables on both sides of the bed are identical, lamps on the end tables the same, each side of the bedding similar. If you were to cut the room down the centre, both sides would appear alike. Here are a few of our staging projects showing symmetrical balance:
Asymmetric balance is the idea that even if two sides of a space are not exactly the same, they will appear balanced. This type of balance is often seen in a living room. Half of the room msy contain a couch, while the other half contains two chairs. The sides are different, yet work together very well. Here are two examples from our vacant stages:
Radial balance is a type of symmetry that surrounds one central point. As a result, radial balance is usually created using round items, ex: round tables. Dining room radial balance is the most common where the table is the central point and additional items create a circular way of balance. Radial balance from one of our stages:
Balance surrounds us everywhere and has become a central point within design. It is important to use this element to strengthen a space to make it visually appealing, welcoming, and overall organized!
To learn more about my staging services, contact julie.b@flairstyleco.com
