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Sized Right - The Importance Of Scale And Proportion
If you’ve ever walked into a room and felt immediately uncomfortable, it’s probably because something was out of proportion. Often when rooms aren’t designed right, the effect is a kind of discomfort that you can’t put your finger on. The problem could be with scale. This interior design principle is one of the founding guidelines to creating a room that “works,” as designers often say.
Understanding scale
Scale is a word that refers to how the sizes of furnishings and windows, for example, are sized in relationship to the room. Today’s homes often have much larger proportions than homes built even ten years ago. So, small two-inch trim around doorways or a tiny side table next to a beefy sofa would look silly in a six thousand square foot house. A good example of this is the nursery tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Even Goldilocks knew to keep going to the right bed and the right chair so she’d be more comfortable. Too many houses suffer from Goldilocks Syndrome – either something is too big or too small or they have a hard time getting the size “just right.” But when size, or scale, is correct, the room feels good. Learning some of the basics of scale and proportion will help you keep you from feeling like Alice in Wonderland in your own home.
My scale dilemma
My home was a good example of scale problems. Because I like to take “before” pictures, I snapped a few of them around the house right after we moved in. I’d planned on replacing the nightstand tables and dresser at some point, but when I saw the pictures of the furniture in the room, the scale of the nightstands looked comical. After taking the picture of my bedroom, I made it my priority to scout out some new nightstands and dresser. Once I found the right ones, the change was dramatic. Of course, I also added new accessories, bedding, and shutters on the windows.
Size no-no’s
Could you be committing a scale or sizing sin? It’s possible. There are some areas where it’s more noticeable than others. On the too-small side, light fixtures, bedside tables, little pictures and artwork, and micro-accessories top the list. When these items are too small, the room feels annoying to you. On the too-large size side, sofas and chairs are usually the culprits. For a while, furniture manufacturers were making sofas and chairs with enormous arms. Thankfully, this trend slowed stopped. When items are too large, you feel claustrophobic and hemmed in.
My own no-no’s
Interestingly, the pictures I hung above my bed after moving into our home bothered me, too. My eye was always drawn to them when I walked into the room because they were too small and out of scale. Notice the pictures above the bed from both photographs. They show what a difference changing the scale of the accessories in the room can make. Now, I’m comfortable in the room and don’t immediately look at anything when I walk in. And, that’s your cue, too. If you find that your eye is drawn to some part of your room or house, chances are it’s because something about it is “off.” Take a photograph and you might just see with a picture what your eyes can’t tell you. The camera never lies, as the saying goes, and it tells the honest truth about your home, too. It’s also the fastest way to identify whether the items in your room are the correct scale for the room. Whether it’s clothing or furniture, correct size means a good fit and greater comfort overall.
Kathryn Weber is a home and decorating columnist who publishes the Real Home E-Zine. She welcomes your comments and questions. For more information, go to http://www.kathryn-weber.com or email questions to Kathryn@kathryn-weber.com
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