By Connie Deamond

Have you spent a lot of time and money decorating your home only to think that something is amiss? This is a comment heard frequently from homeowners  They finish decorating a room and still it doesn’t “feel right”. They sometimes think they need to buy more furniture or get rid of some things they already have placed in the room. In some instances, this may be the case; but, more often than not, the problem is balance.
Balance makes a room look put together; it gives you a good feeling when entering the room and is pleasing visually. Balance is creating not so much with the amount of furniture you have within a room, but with the scale and proportions of them. Proper placement also comes into play including accessories. Window treatments are often overlooked in this equation. Yes, the proportion and scale of the window treatments is just as important as the other objects in the room. If the room is “well put together,” but the window treatments are not of the correct weight and dimensions or are not installed properly, the whole room will seem a “little off”.

There are three types of balance. The two we are most familiar with are symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical is more traditional and formal and, for most people, the easiest to accomplish. An example of symmetrical is a sofa with matching end tables and matching lamps on the tables. Asymmetrical is less formal and creates a more pleasing effect. An example of asymmetrical is a sofa with a table and lamp on one side and a tall plant on the other side.

If a room is very large, create several separate areas. The main conversation area may be on one end of the room, and a game/craft area could be at the other end. In a small space, placing a sofa diagonally can make the room seem larger.

Be careful to choose pieces of furniture that are complimentary to each other. Don’t mix delicate furniture with bulky pieces, and keep the backs of sofas and chairs at approximately the same height.

Accessories play an important role in balancing a room. Too many can make a room look messy and cluttered, while too few can make it feel cold and uninviting. Here are some guidelines for accessorizing:

When placing artwork over a sofa or large table, cover 2/3 – 3/5 of the width above the sofa or table. You can accomplish this with one piece of artwork or a grouping. Have no more than one artwork grouping in a room. You may hang a grouping of three or more on one wall, a pair on another wall. All other artwork should be hung singly. Tabletop accessories can be placed alone or as groupings. A group of three is very pleasing, but the items should share something in common.

Create a flow from one object to another. Too much space between objects makes them look disconnected. Too little space between them makes them look crowded. Play around with them until you get a pleasing balance.

Window treatments are often overlooked as part of a room. They can be the crowning jewels of a room. Why take such care in the planning of your room, purchase the appropriate furnishings, carefully position and place everything and then leave the window treatments to whatever you can find hanging on the racks at the local department store?

Yes, custom window treatments are more expensive then store bought, but maybe not as expensive as you think. A custom window treatment is proportioned and scaled to the rest of the room and specifically to the window where it will hang. Even where and how it will be mounted/installed is taken into consideration. They are made specifically to enhance your room and help create that perfect balance.
A well balanced room, whether it is decorated formally or informally, creates a feeling of harmony and tranquility.  It just takes some planning to bring it all together to have that perfect room that “feels right.”

Connie Deamond, owner of Interior Creations, has been helping homeowners for nearly twenty years create interiors that fit their lifestyles. Her goal is to provide clients with fine products and superior service so that decorating their homes is an enjoyable experience.

She believes that the most important aspect of a designer/client relationship is communication so that “we together create a haven away from everyday stresses…a beautiful, balanced space that you love returning to at the end of each day.”

Connie is a certified professional decorator and is a member of Decorators Alliance of North America, Window Coverings Association of America and the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce.

Contact information:
Phone: 302-239-5806
Email:  conniedeamond@verizon.net
Website:  www.conniedeamond.com

Testimonial:
“Connie helped me with color selections, color corrections, placement of accessories, decorating ideas and window coverings. The whole experience was fun and exciting for me! Her expertise and attention and follow-up were so professional. Anyone using Connie’s services will be extremely happy with her service and knowledge.”        ~ Allisyn Ruggieri, Newark, DE