REPETITION Repeating visual elements such as line, color, shape, texture and image unifies an arrangement as well as creates a rhythm. The clear vases with Thai grass and wild ginger emphasize the length of the marble-top table.
Whenever Interior designer Sigvard “Jigs” Adefuin visits a home, he can’t help but notice the visual faux pas committed by the inhabitants. Like, placing a floor lamp in a corner; displaying lamp shades with plastic covers; or leaving the lampshade closures exposed.
SIMILAR SETS Objects blend when they share traits such as the material. The lamp, urn and container are made of wood. The arrangement is made interesting because of the varying heights.
It’s also common to see a small painting over a huge sofa or a large painting over a tiny chair; floating a rug in the middle of the room, or placing them in an awkward angle.
Some put their crystal or glass lamps on a glass top table. “The lamps vanish. Since you paid for them, you want more visibility,” he says.
Wall décor is placed on top of the doorway which makes them not only seem out of place, but out of sight especially of short people.
Adefuin shudders at time-warped blunders such as plastic doilies and matching toilet covers and bathroom rugs.
“They are also breeding ground for bacteria,” he says.
On artificial flowers: “They not only look fake but they also propagate dust and mites. When I was in the US, HGTV said using plastic plants was considered an interior designer’s nightmare. There are indoor plants that require minimum maintenance.”
Every interior designer will have his or her own art of display. Adefuin gives basic tips that reflect his personal style.
VISUAL TRIANGLE Place the tallest element in the center, graduating to the smallest item. Following the rule of grouping like objects, these vases are close in shape and are made of the same wood with wenge finish with a distressed surface for accent.CONTRASTING HEIGHT Vertical objects play against horizontal ones such as these two brass candelabras placed alongside the glass bowls.BALANCING VISUAL WEIGHT Put the objects which are heavier, such as the ceramic and spherical vases toward the center and the lighter ones on the side. To give the objects more impact, prop them up, such as the silver ceramic pears on the glass tray and the silver globe on top of several books. A white phalaenopsis in contrasting black ceramic vase breathes life into the arrangement.BALANCED SYMMETRY A symmetrical arrangement —which has one side producing almost a mirror image of itself—lends formality to a room. The lighting fixture is placed offcenter to prevent monotony. Another tip: When displaying a painting over furniture, make sure it is proportional to the furniture. The center of the painting should be within the eye level of the homeowner—1.5 meters for shorter height and 1.65 meters for taller people.
