Decor Portfolio

In design terms, scale and proportion are closely related.  Scale is generally an indication of the size of the object, especially as they relate to each other, to people, and to the spaces they occupy.  Proportion is an expression of the comparative relationship between a part (or parts) and the whole. An enormous dining table squeezed into a tiny dining space is out of scale with the size of the room and perhaps out of proportion with the nearby furnishings. 

A child s chair may look out of scale and lost alongside the living room sofa but perfectly at home in the child s bedroom among smaller objects. That s not to say you can t introduce an object that s out of scale to make an object that’s out of scale to make a decorative statement.  An overstuffed chair can make a small space seem more intimate, or a diminutive chair in the company of standardized furnishings can serve as an interesting foil to the eye. Rooms and their furnishings seem in proper scale when they fit psychologically and physically the people who use them; they seem in good proportion when they express unity and feel balanced. 

In a successfully decorated room, the seating relates well to the other furnishings and is to accommodate the people who use the room; the windows and their coverings seem to take up the right amount of wall space; and the artwork over the fireplace mantel looks just right whether you view it from a sitting or a standing position.  Achieving scale thats appropriate for you and your spaces may take some practice; your intuition can help give you guidance.