Furniture Layout & Home Decor Ideas: Balance vs. Symmetry

How to Decorate Using Balance & Symmetry

Creating a furniture layout or decorative display without balance or symmetry is like writing a blog post without drinking wine. While one requires a measuring tape and the other a straw, it’s all necessary to create a finished product with flow and purpose.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BALANCE & SYMMETRY?

BALANCE = One side has the same ‘visual weight’ as the other, although the pieces are different. This means neither side looks more overloaded or cluttered than the other.

SYMMETRY = The anal-retentive sister to balance where one side is the mirror image of the other.

In the above image, the artwork represents symmetry (even though the prints are different), and the buffet display represents balance.

• A balanced space can be a bit more casual and relaxed and is a fave of the ‘eclectic’ home as it allows more room for creativity and spontaneity (I definitely had to spell-check that one.)
• An arrangement with symmetry can often look a bit more formal, but it depends on the type of room decor used.

The two chairs are a GREAT example of symmetry in action

Why should symmetry and balance matter to you?

Knowing your preference will help when it comes to the following:

• Furniture placement/layout
• Accessorizing (mantel, bookcases, and more…)
• Lighting and artwork placement

Let’s hit a few key points regarding whether something looks balanced or symmetrical…

1. DARKER COLORS CARRY MORE VISUAL WEIGHT THAN LIGHTER COLORS

If you have a light-colored sofa and two dark accent chairs, the chairs have more visual weight than the sofa because they’re darker.

In this next living room, if there were two dark chairs on the left, the left side of the room would look heavier than the right—it wouldn’t be balanced. And while the dark accent chair could use a basket with a throw because it has a bit more weight, it’s doing a good job balancing this space from this angle.

However, look straight at the fireplace and remove one of the accent chairs. If you only had one dark chair and one light chair, the right side would seem drastically lighter and off-balance from the left.

2. DENSE OBJECTS CARRY MORE VISUAL WEIGHT THAN SHINY/REFLECTIVE ONES

Solid, non-shiny items don’t reflect light, so they carry more visual weight than reflective items that bounce light back into the room as they can appear ‘lighter.’

Consider the home decor on this next fireplace mantel and hearth…

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The display on the mantel is balanced because while there are different pieces from the left to right (with the mirror acting as a bridge/anchor in the middle) both sides have equal visual weight.

As for the hearth, notice how the two pieces on the hearth don’t look as heavy as they could because of their reflective glass. This gives them equal visual weight to the basket on the right.

In this living room (below), notice a few details…

• The two sofas are balanced because they’re the same. However, the sofa on the left carries more visual weight because it has two patterned cushions, whereas the other has just one in the center.
• Notice how the left side of the fireplace with the large plant feels a touch heavier than the right side. This said, it’s close enough to work.
• The mantel’s decor is balanced because the items are similar in weight but differ from left to right.

The accent chairs in this next open-concept living space are symmetrical as they’re exactly the same with the same accent cushion. They also share an equal amount of the accent table and lamp…

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Now, notice the decor on the coffee table. The white bowl on the left carries the same visual weight as the stack of books/decor piece on the right, even though they’re all different – this is a great example of balance.

In this next photo, the left side of the mantel has the same visual weight as the right side – even though the objects are all different. This shows balance. It’s also a great example of decorative triangles.

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In this next photo, the two chairs would represent symmetry if they a) were balanced evenly on the rug and b) both had the same toss cushion. Right now, they’re somewhat symmetrical but off-balance as their visual weight isn’t the same, although the pup adds a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. Hey, put HIM on the right-side chair, and you’d be that much closer to symmetry!

This next bedroom shows a beautifully symmetrical display…

• Side tables and lamps are the same (the book throws it a bit, but it’s a small detail)
• Toss cushions are perfectly symmetrical on both halves of the bed
• The throw adds a touch of whimsy to break up the more anal tendencies of this symmetrical display

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Originally written in 2016, updated in 2024