The human mind gravitates towards symmetry but is intrigued by asymmetry. Set new rules with geometric designs in your home.
by Reyna Mathur
A few years ago, a study in the UK asked a group of men to study several photographs of women’s faces, and to rate the most attractive ones. In almost all cases, perfectly symmetrical faces – eyes set at almost the same distance from the bridge of the nose, the same lower jaw on both sides, perfectly aligned ears – were rated the most attractive.
Our eyes naturally gravitate towards order and symmetry, Hence, we are more comfortable with a space that has proportion in size and dimension. Geometric shapes are more attractive to us than amorphous ones. Symmetric designs and shapes give a sense of order and discipline, and are more preferred visually than asymmetric ones.
For those looking to add style and panache to their home, there are several ways to make symmetry in design rock a plain dwelling. There is no need to purchase expensive materials to bring about this change – you can get creative and let geometry work its magic on your home.
Tap the symmetry trend for your house:
1) Combine the beauty of geometry with the whimsy of colour. Pick a plain rubber doormat and draw geometric shapes like squares, rectangles and triangles on it in a design of your choice. Next, colour in certain overlapping sections created in the design with neon colours to create an eye-popping statement right at your doorstep.
2) Create an eccentric arrangement of identical glass vases of different sizes in a prominent corner of your living room. Arrange the vases in a straight line as per colour or descending size. To add a twist, place a single long stemmed flower in each such that the tops of each of the flowers are at the same height. This is a visually confusing but striking arrangement, and will make visitors steal glances at it from time to time.
3) Define the geometry of your TV set by embellishing its four corners with square paper cut-outs. Add depth to the design by sticking 3D pyramids (base on the TV) in the four corners. Or you can make concentric squares on each paper cut out and colour each square a different colour for an interesting optical effect.
4) Beautify a bare wall by marking a rectangle space with pencil in the centre of the wall. Further divide this rectangle into evenly spaced squares. Inside each square, place a painting or a photograph of the exact same size. Or you can get creative with poster colours and paint each square a different colour in even strokes.
5) Create your own symmetrical wallpaper or wall hanging, using long lengths of thick paper. Select the area for the wallpaper or wall hanging. Now cut out rectangular strips of thick handmade paper or coloured mount board, ensuring that they are the same length and width. Place them crisscross or intertwined over each other to create the pattern of your choice. Glue the overlapping parts firmly. Once the assembly is set, snip of the ends in a straight line and encase the edges in a picture frame or a length of sturdy cloth. Hang on a suitable wall.
6) Break the severity of your geometrically designed room with a table or chair of asymmetric form. For this to be visually appealing, the rest of the room must be completely symmetrically designed, preferably in monochrome. You can then give a fun twist to the room by placing a bright red or yellow chair on one side, or a shape-shifting couch of a bright hue.
(Pictures courtesy tomsplans.biz, www.guidinghome.com, decorideaz.com. Images used for representational purpose only)