Principle Four

Look at this room. It has stunning architectural details, ornate finishes and classic furniture. The colors are soft and cozy. The french doors are gorgeous.

But does something seem... off? Do you feel like the bed is not in scale or proportion with the room?

To me, it looks like a miniature bed. The ceilings are at least 14' high, so the main focal point (the bed) should have relatively the same scale. If the bed were bigger, maybe a taller four-poster bed, or even a canopy bed, it would be more in tune with everything else going on in the room.

The principle of scale and proportion does not only apply to furniture within the whole room, but it also should be considered within each individual piece of furniture (Are all the parts of the piece in proportion with the piece as a whole?), or even in hanging art, (Are the spaces in between each piece of art equally and appropriately spaced?)

There's something called the Golden Section or mean. It's a principle used from the time of the ancient Greeks to describe the most perfect, beautiful relationship between dimensions --- 3:5:8: 13 or 62%. Think of dividing a line in half, and then dividing the half into 2/3, that is the magical point.

For example, imagine you have just hung a curtain panel and you want to add a tie back. Which one feels best to you?

Top tie back?

Middle tie- back?

Lower tie back?

Did the first two seem a little strange? In the third image, the lower tie back is placed at 2/3 of the half. For some reason, this proportion is traditionally the most eye pleasing.

In essence, remembering to consider the golden mean (scale and proportion) in all aspects of your space is crucial for good design. It will help all the other elements come together and really shine.

* Note on Curtains -- use tie backs sparingly, they can cause your room to look...dare I say it...like Grandma's. But of course, if Grandma's house is your taste, by all means, go for it.

I'm sorry. That's probably a little too harsh...But really, just use them sparingly and if they match the style you're going for. If you are going for some type of classic historical style (such as in the above picture), use them. If you're going for a more modern, contemporary, transitional, up to date style, please do not use tie backs they are just NOT necessary and will probably take away from your room.