Balance Using The Rule of Three

Interior decor can be tricky if you don't have a degree. There are so many of us who love to make our homes look beautiful, who really love the process, the creativity, the "newness".

How do you make a home balanced and gorgeous?  Here are a few points to help you.

Grouping items in threes creates a sense of balance. Yes, that is an odd number, so it seems like it would not feel balanced. However, in the standard rules of interior design (Feng Shui, and other methods), the rule of three creates that balance you seek.

Just like in the picture below. Grouping three bottles does a bit of magic, don't you think?

​Tip: Place the taller item in the back, shorter in the front. Altered widths and shapes really adds a lot to the presentation.

Let's get even more interesting.

Grouping three seemingly random things together will seriously kick your interior decorating game up a notch.

For instance, take a look at this coffee table. Notice the stacks of books? The three stacks of books. Each stack has the larger books on the bottom, smaller on top. Also on top of each stack of books is an interesting piece of decor.

As you see, you don't actually have an obvious rule of three going on. It just works.

Another example is the picture of the mantle below. There are multiple groups of three in this instance.

There are three candle sticks to the left, all varying in height.

There are three frames, not one the same, layered from largest to smallest.

There are three items to the far right. All of them are random. None of them are the same height.

Also notice that there is a bigger group of three. It's the left, middle and right.

Sure, there is the random laid down, tied group of foliage, which balances the red tones from left to right. Then, there is the balance of height with the added foliage in the vase at the right, to compensate for the frame height and bulk in the middle. AND, if you pay close attention, there are a number of other balance makers that create a beautiful presentation on this mantle.

Because we are talking about threes, here are three main tips to create this balance you seek within your interior decoration placement.

1. Color. Tie color into other parts of your room. It can be one subtle color, but be sure to tie it in.

2. Texture. Use texture appropriate for the space. Don't use a rough, country texture in a sophisticated space. This will cheapen the room.
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3. Size: Use size appropriate items. If you are just adding items for accent purposes, be sure that they don't overshadow the items you would like to hold emphasis. Also, be sure that the size does not take away from the functionality of the space.

​For more on methods of creating balance in your decor, try 7 Days To Master Feng Shui.