Bisymmetric Balance

There can be no pleasing harmony in a room unless the laws of balance are observed in the arrangement of the furniture and wall decorations. A room is only in balance when its furnishings are so arranged that there is an equalization between attractions. Balance may be divided into two general types - bisymmetric and occult. Bisymmetric balance is gained by a mechanical arrangement of like parts in like manner about a center. Occult balance is gained by aesthetic sense of proportion. The dining room is the one place in the house where bisymmetric balance is most important and where it may be used without danger of too great formality and stiffness. No matter how small the dining room may be, it always has greater charm when the furniture is arranged with dignity. To secure perfect bisymmetric form, the table should be placed in the exact center of the room and an imaginary line should then be drawn cutting the room into two equal parts. The chairs, serving tables, and buffets should then be arranged in like position on either side of the room, so that one piece of furniture balances another. This rule cannot be followed absolutely, of course, but adaptations may be made to conform to the architectural details. Where there are attractively curtained windows on one side of the room they may be balanced by an interesting buffet or a wall decoration placed opposite. Several chairs may be grouped formally to balance a large piece of furniture. In all adaptations and applications of this principle, however, it will be found that the simplest arrangements are the best. There is a greater sense of repose, of rest, in the dining room where there is to be found only the absolutely necessary pieces of furniture, formally arranged.

The Living Room And Occult Balance

The living room, on the other hand, is that room in the house where a fine sense of occult balance is needed to create an atmosphere of rest and charm, reflecting the individual tastes and interests of the various occupants of the room, but preserving at the same time a unity of meaning. The living room, of all rooms in the house, should never seem formal, and yet, if the laws of balance are not observed, the greatest confusion in the selection and arrangement of the furniture is bound to result.

Choice Of Furniture For The Living Room: Colonial And Sixteenth Century English

Colonial or sixteenth century English furniture is usually the most suitable for the living room. The modern colonial furniture of to-day is usually a quite faithful copy of the furniture made by our Puritan fathers. It was an adaptation and an outgrowth of the furniture made by Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton which was brought over to this country by the colonists. The Adam and Queen Anne styles were also adapted to the new use in the same way that the others were - by eliminating all unnecessary ornament and strengthening the lines and proportions so that they should fit into the plain and primitive life of the new world. For this reason colonial and sixteenth century furniture may easily be used in the same room. Their close relation in origin makes them fit in well together.