Let’s be honest: decorating your home can be complicated. Too many accessories can make a home feel cluttered and unorganized, but too few decorations can make your home feel plain and lacking personality. How do you find the balance between the two? It’s easier than you think! We’ve got a few simple steps on how to bring balance and harmony into your living room. You’ll be making decisions in no time!
1. Decide on a Focal Point
Every room in your home, especially your living room, should have a focal point. This is the item the eyes are drawn to when you enter a room. It could be a light fixture, Frame TV, oversized art, custom coffee table, or something else. Choose which item you want your focal point to be and make sure it takes center stage.
The focal point is typically the largest item in the room. For artwork, we love using oversized prints that stand out and bring a lot of color and personality into the space. Check out our tips for using oversized art in your living room here:
Make a Statement: Large Art That’s Affordable
2. Use Symmetry and Asymmetry in Your Design
Symmetry is when objects are identical on either side of a room, like mirror images. Think about matching chairs, pillows, lamps, bookshelves, or sconces. We often buy these objects in sets of two. It makes a room feel balanced and organized. Some symmetry in a room is great, but it can feel boring if the entire room is symmetrical.
It’s important to also use some asymmetry to provide balance. This means that the objects are not the same, but carry an equal amount of visual weight. In the photo above, the house plant is balanced out by the table with the lamp and artwork. Although different shapes, they take up a similar amount of space.
If you love the look of a gallery wall but don’t feel confident putting one together, hanging a duo or trio is a great way to ensure visual balance, while still invoking a collected feel.
Shop Duos and Trios (Pictured below: Treetops I & II by Brittney Schulz)
3. Consider the Color Scheme
Each room should have a few common colors throughout the space. This helps the eyes gradually move around the room without having pieces that compete with each other. When selecting accessories, try to pull in colors from area rugs, pillows, and artwork. Not everything should match, but we recommend using colors that complement and play off of each other. In the image below, there are light wood tones in the picture frames, floor lamp, and basket on the mantle. The colors in the rug are similar to those in our Coastline print. There are also hints of red from the accent chair in some of the smaller artwork and pillows.
If you have an open floor plan, make sure to consider the surrounding spaces that are visible from the living room. Keeping your wall paint, molding, and flooring colors complimentary throughout the main floor can help connect the different spaces.
4. Add More Artwork!
The artwork you choose will help bring balance and harmony into your living room. There is plenty of room for artwork on walls, end tables, fireplace mantles, bookshelves, and in hallways.
It’s important to balance out statement art with some smaller pieces throughout the space. We love to layer large pieces on a mantle or credenza with smaller ones in front. Another option is to include a framed print on an easel below an oversized art print.
You can also do a gallery wall or picture ledge for maximum effect. These are fun ways to add a variety of prints. Use a common color scheme or do all black and white photos to keep it neutral. In the photo below, we used black, white, and light wood colored frames to add some variety without bringing in too much color.
5. Be Decisive
Too often we put off projects because we can’t make up our mind about the fabric, style, or color for a space. Sound familiar? Choosing paint colors, pillows, and other accessories can initially feel daunting, but there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to decor. Choose what you are initially drawn to, and if you don’t love it in a year, you can switch things around! That’s the beauty of accessories!
Balance and Harmony
Considering the color scheme, focal point, symmetry, and asymmetry of a room can help you make decisions that will help bring balance and harmony into your living room. When in doubt, add more artwork! Don’t stress too much about decision making that you put off decorating completely, just make a few small decisions today and you’ll be well on your way to designing a room you love!
For more design inspiration and styling ideas, find us on Instagram and TikTok. We love seeing how you style our prints in your space! Tag us @juniperprintshop on Instagram and use #myjuniper for a chance to be featured!
