The Heavy-Bottomed Room

Finding the formula for a balanced space

By Nan Harris

When you enter your living room, is there a feeling of heaviness that you cannot explain? Something seems unbalanced but you can’t quite put your finger on the reason why. Perhaps your space is heavy-bottomed. A heavy-bottomed room can feel unfinished and aesthetically unpleasant. It is likely that you have a “weight problem” because all the visually heavy items in the space are filling only the lowest portion of the room. After all, the largest pieces in any room are furnishings like the sofa, tables, chairs and rugs located in the areas closest to the floor, while the mid and upper parts of the room naturally have lighter weight items such as lamps, artwork and window areas. As we look up to the ceiling area, there may be a lonely light fixture or possibly just a bare white ceiling.

To achieve a comfortable balance in the typical eight or nine foot ceiling room, think 1/3, 1/3, 1/3! You want to picture the space in thirds and distribute the weight of the room so that it appears visually equal. The bottom third will naturally have the weightiest pieces because furniture and rugs, by their nature, contain heaviness of physical presence and/or texture and color. Moving up to the middle third of the space, you will want to create a balance with the lower third by choosing one or two tall furniture pieces, artwork groupings, lamps and shelving that lend substance to the mid section of the space. The use of window treatments and crown moulding can top off the space and balance the weight of the room.

Wall treatments are also part of the equation. The use of vertical wall stripes, even a subtle tone-on-tone wash of color, is one idea that can help draw the eye upward and give a lift to the space. Texture or color on a very high ceiling helps to bring the room visually into proportion.

Room balance includes the choice and use of color. To balance the color in the room, spread it throughout the space. As an example, a deep brown sofa can be balanced with a dark, chunky drapery rod placed high above the window trim, containing fabrics that pick up the chocolate hues of the sofa. If red is your color, splash it throughout the space in pillows, lamp shades, artwork and décor items.

Balance is the key to a pleasing, comfortable and cohesive space!

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Nan Harris, Design Consultant and Décor Stylist, is the owner of Decorative Expressions, LLC in Geneva, IL, specializing in affordable home décor solutions for everyday living.
Phone: 630-715-3771
e-mail: decor2please@yahoo.com
http://www.decorativeexpressions.net/