Visual Weight 101: Creating Balance In Any Room

More thought goes into brilliant interior design than some people realize. Thankfully, professionals and other enthusiastic individuals can impressively take advantage of seemingly small details—whether it’s the addition of throw pillows to balance the look of the couch or an enticing fabric to create a more welcoming atmosphere. Today, we’re discussing how to understand and achieve visual balance in any space, which is easier said than done. Welcome to visual weight 101! Creating balance in any room should be relatively easy after this helpful crash course.

What Creates Visual Weight?

So, first and foremost, what creates visual weight in a living space? Well, it’s not the literal weight of décor. Instead, this topic covers factors such as colors, patterns, sizes, and distance. For instance, if one side of the couch has more pillows than the other, it has more visual weight. This example showcases how distance can influence visual weight, but if the pillows were a very dark color, they would create more weight aesthetically.

The typical rule of thumb is dark colors carry more weight than lighter ones. In the case of distance, the more you put on one side of the room, the more weight it has. Of course, the guideline for size is fairly straightforward; the larger the object, the heavier it is. Similarly, the more detailed or colorful patterns are, the more weight they visually carry. These are the basic guidelines for increasing or decreasing visual weight, and they’re yours to play with creatively.

For example, the aforementioned off-balance design isn't incorrect or bad if you’re trying to bring more attention to one side of the couch. Off-balance visual weight is a great tool for creating eye-catching focal points. On the other hand, ensuring each side of the room has equal visual weight creates a concise, harmonious appearance. So, let’s dive deeper into how you can achieve your preferred vision with visual weight.

How To Achieve Perfect Balance

Now that you have a better grasp of what makes visual weight, let’s move onto the next subject: achieving the perfect balance. Although this topic might sound redundant after reading the section above, as you’ll learn, there are many details to consider when adjusting the visual weight of any space you’re designing.

Considering Your Available Space

One of the reasons balancing visual weight requires a different approach from room to room is that each space has its own unique dimensions. For example, large rooms have ample space to play with, meaning you can fit more onto the walls and floor without overcrowding. However, you should hang less décor if you have a smaller space. Thankfully, balancing weight doesn’t involve scientific calculations. The only calculator you need for this task is your eyesight; if a wall is too barren or overcrowded, hopefully, you should realize right away.

Take this same approach to fill empty spaces on surfaces such as beds, tabletops, desktops, couches, and chairs. Making the most out of available space without creating loud and obnoxious layouts is a tricky balance to strike at first, but once you learn the ropes, it becomes second nature.

Considering What’s Missing

Once you learn the basics of visual weight, achieving perfect balance is as easy as examining the space and considering what’s missing. For instance, if the walls are too empty, you can hang up a couple of photos or throw a new, brilliant coat of paint on the wall. Additionally, if your couch doesn’t have that cozy quality, make the most out of cushion real estate by tossing a few throw pillows into the mix. When you’re looking at ample empty space, your options are nearly limitless.

In cases like this, considering the emotional weight of décor is also important. For example, when designing a personal living space, family photos can be placed on an empty desk or table or hung on a wall. Plus, picture frames are the perfect vehicles for intriguing colors and textures that can really help the room come alive.

Consider Everything Your Décor Adds

When you’re trying to achieve great visual weight, a single piece of décor is rarely the answer. For this reason, make sure you’re considering all the ways your decorations affect visual weight before committing to an idea. For instance, throw pillows add more visual weight thanks to their size, but the right fabric or color can add even more visual weight. Sometimes, you can achieve balance by remembering less is more. However, some cases require a bit more overhaul than others. Honing the ability to tell which approach is right for any given room is essential for those passionate about interior design.

The Perfect Palette Cleanser

Different colors influence visual weight immensely, with dark colors being heavier than lighter ones. The color white has a surprising advantage, which is making any room look larger. Various light colors can have this effect, but white is the strongest example. So, if you want to hang a collection of family photos or art on the wall but feel it adds too much visual weight to the room, consider placing them on a white surface, whether it’s a tabletop or a section of the wall. White is the perfect palette cleanser.

That way, you can balance out the heaviness of the décor with the expansive effect of the white surface. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should only design with white colors. Thankfully, white blends together beautifully with other neutrals such as beige, grey, and black. As a result, you can easily weave light and dark materials together, making use of both to perfectly achieve a balanced, cohesive vision.

Class Concludes

Hopefully, after reading through visual weight 101, creating balance in any room seems much more attainable. As you can see, tipping the visual scales can happen for a wide array of reasons, whether it’s due to the color, size, or placement of an object. If you need some stylish décor for balancing visual weight, visit our custom pillow shop to find an eclectic variety of throw pillow covers available. Now that you’re more aware of the nuances of achieving visual balance, you can find a room in your house that needs some design changes and put your knowledge to the test.