Proportion and Scale in Decorating: By Lezah

Have you ever walked into someone's house, looked at the furniture and thought to yourself, something's just not right here - but you can't put your finger on what is so displeasing to the eye.

If you have had that experience, chances are you were looking at someone who had a problem with scale and proportion - often one of the most difficult of all design challenges.  Here are some quick and easy rules to apply next time you are out shopping for furniture or other home decor items:

        coffee tables - the rule of thumb with coffee tables it that they should be 1/2 to 2/3 the span of the sofa - no more, no less.
        end tables - the height of end tables should be about 2 inches below the arm of the chair or sofa
        wall art (paintings, etc.): art work should be the same height as the sofa, and 1/2 to 2/3 the length
        chandelier - the width (diameter) of any chandelier should be about 2 feet narrower than the length of the table over which it is suspended.



Photo courtesy of http://www.pacimports.com/rosewood/longlifeliving.jpg