Design Basics-Balance

Posted: March 5, 2010 by erin under Design Elements

Balance is VERY important in a great room design!  It gives the person in the space a sense of calm and peace.  There are two different types of balance:

Asymmetrical Balance and Symmetrical Balance.

Symmetrical Balance is very balanced and even in nature.  It has a sense of symmetry and many times is much like a mirror image.  If you take half the room and mirror it, it will look the exact same! Symmetrical balance is very easy to design and is great for a beginner!

Asymmetrical Balance is just that, asymmetrical.  It uses different elements of design like color, texture, and size variations to appear balanced, even though it’s not a symmetrical mirror image. Asymmetrical balance is a little more difficult to balance out but can be done with a little practice.

Here are some examples and my explanations of how they are balanced:

This one is almost symmetrical, but not quite, therefore I’m labeling it Asymmetrical.  The left side has three different similar colored objects (picture frame, small yellow vase, small yellow bowl) that balance out the two darker objects (green frame, pine cone) of the right side.

This is a great example of asymmetrical balance.  In this photo the artwork on the mantle is not symmetrical.  The white and black accessories, though they take up much more space than the orange arrangement, are balanced well.  By choosing the white candlestick, it blends into the wall and feels less visually heavy than it really is.  Even the furniture is asymmetrically balanced.  The large white sofa balances well with the smaller, darker wood chairs and end table.

This (besides the little purple orchid) is a great example of symmetrical balance.  It’s perfectly balanced between the matching end tables, lamps, and single pillow to add a nice focal point.

Great example of asymmetrical balance (and a great arrangement for a wall with a slanted ceiling line!)  The large sculptures on the dresser on the left seem to balance that side well and are balanced well with the white lamp coming down into the space.  The white lamp actually seems more visually heavy in the space because of the high contrast between the light lamp and the dark wall paint.

This is another great example of asymmetrically placed accessories on the mantle.  Imagine the mantle with just the circular mirror and the two picture frames.  It’s not balanced with just that!  By adding the dark book holders and small accessories in front of the gray framed picture it’s visually balancing the darker frame and print.

Hope you enjoyed the lesson!  (Click on the photo to be taken directly to the source.  There are more examples of asymmetric vs. symmetrical design.  It’s a lot easier to see symmetrical, but sometimes the asymmetrical designs can be less obvious.)

Tags: balance, Tutorial

A New Door

Posted: March 4, 2010 by deb under Housewares

Have I told you how much I love twitter?  Sometimes I make my best discoveries there.  I stumbled upon Crestview Doors this last week and immediately feel in love.  Look at these beautiful doors.

Don’t you just want to run out and replace your front door now?

Tags: front door

Spring Decor Roundup

Posted: March 3, 2010 by erin under Pretty Stuff

Who’s ready for spring?  I know I am!  Here’s some lovely spring finds to get you in the mood (and maybe hint to mother nature that it’s about time!)

1. Fabric Covered Push Pins from PaperPumpkin on Etsy.

2. Pear shaped Terrarium by Doodlebirdie on Etsy.

3. Dessert Plates from HopeJohnson on Etsy.

4. Hummingbird Thomas Paul lamp from Design Public.

5. Nest pillow from Pottery Barn.

Tags: etsy, spring

DIY Furniture-Knock Off Wood

Posted: March 2, 2010 by erin under Tutorial

I’ve been following this blog for a while and just LOVE it!  It’s put together by Ana and called Knock Off Wood.  She takes things she sees in stores like Pottery Barn, West Elm, Land of Nod, and other stores, and makes the plans and a shopping list of supplies so you can make your own pieces for WAY less!  Here are some examples of her plans and finished project!  Be sure to go over and check out her awesome site!

This hutch as seen in Canadian House and Home was the inspiration for the plans for the hutch below!

This is what the finished piece will look like, go here to see the full list of instructions, supplies and everything else you need to get started!

These are some of my favorite shelves from Pottery Barn Kids, but at a hefty price tag of $900, not always affordable!

Ana shares the plans and finished shelves with us…and the best part is that she spent only $60!  She’s a genius!!

Worried about not being able to build these pieces?  Check out her newly created Flickr Gallery to see what people just like you have been building with her plans!  I can’t wait to get back into a house so I have a garage to build some new furniture in!

Enjoy!

Tags: DIY, furniture, Tutorial

Monday Redesign: Nursery

Posted: March 1, 2010 by deb under Space Redesigns

Is it Monday already again? Seriously!  Where do the weekends go?  I hope you had an enjoyable one and were able to spend time with family and friends, or take a break, or get some projects done around the house.   Or do whatever you love to do on your weekends.  We spent the weekend with family and friends and resting after all the craziness that’s been going on around us.  Traveling really takes it out of me and I seem to pay for it for weeks.  Anyone else?  Today I thought I would share a little bit of fun and a little bit of serene in this nursery redesign.

And now for a break down of the goodies.

1. It all started with this cute polka dot bedding that I found at Land of Nod {which is Crate & Barrel’s kids line– they have cute, cute stuff!!}  This bedding has a more boy feel to it so I started planning the room to lean a little more boy.
2. I love having inspiring pieces that have some educational value on the wall of a nursery.  I found this ABC wall art over at Etsy– and it comes in many different colors so it would work for any room.
3. I really love this rug and am tempted to buy it for my son’s room.  It doesn’t have a cheesy nursery feel to it, and should be able to grow with you over time.
4. And of course your need a great glider in the nursery for those late nights.  I love the high back on this chair and it’s clean look.
5. And you may recognize this light from an earlier post.  I can easily say I’ve fallen in love with it.  I love the color pop it adds to the room.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this fun nursery design.  What fun things have you been working on lately?

Tags: Fun, Modern, nursery