Proportions and scale critical when decorating small spaces
When it comes to interior design, you've got to get the size of your ideas right.
Nothing is worse than when a clueless homeowner sets out to do a do-it-yourself project and copies a design feature from a photo without giving proper thought to the size of the room. The fact that the designer's home is sized differently than the home in the photo slips right by, leading to disastrous consequences.
While internet sites like Pinterest and Houzz are amazing and packed with design inspiration, many people get in deep trouble when they ignore proportions and scale in a room. You cannot copy the proportions of a fireplace in a room with a 14-foot-high ceiling and squeeze it into a room with an 8-foot-high ceiling. It will be ridiculous.
While this sounds like an obvious consideration, you would be surprised by how many clients I've encountered holding their design wish lists — with dozens of photos from the internet — in hand. When I point out the fact that their kitchen is three times smaller than the one in the photo and it won't fit a big island, they look at me like a deer in the headlights.
I once designed a fireplace for a room with a ceiling height of only 7 feet 6 inches. My client kept showing me a photo of an enormous Tuscan-style fireplace in a McMansion. She could not seem to understand that her fantasy fireplace would not work in her room, even after I proved it with a tape measure, and despite seeing her builder's painful expression when seeing the photo.
This photo demonstrates a keen awareness of space in a room — a perfect design. There was no wishful thinking or ignoring the facts when designing this room. The end result is comfortable and attractive. The stone fireplace is a triumph because it is built to fit the wall space. The stones are sized just right so the facade isn't overbearing. The homeowner may have wanted a long hearth for guests to sit on, but this design respects the ceiling height and window placement. The warm, wide-plank walnut floors and the organic tones of the stone tie the room together.
In the design world, the relationship of any individual object or feature to an entire space is called “scale.”
In most cases, the size of an object or feature is also compared to the size of the people living in the space. Whether you're discerning the correct size of a kitchen island or sectional sofa, always scale to the room first, and then test according to your physical size.
If you are working with a room that's pretty small but has 14-foot-high ceilings, for example, you won't want everything in the space to be 30 inches high, otherwise the room won't feel harmonious or cozy. To properly accommodate the space, you might install a tall mirror over the fireplace or push a tall secretary desk against one wall. Hanging art on one wall may achieve a better balance than hanging small pieces low on multiple walls.
If you are planning a den in a small room for a large man, two large armchairs may fit better than a little sofa and two small chairs. Otherwise he will feel awkward in the space, and the room will look peculiar.
Design must be based on spatial realities; it should not be a timid attempt to reproduce a photo that caught your eye.
• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.
© 2016, Creators Syndicate