Design basics: the rule of three in decor

A harmoniously designed space is based on certain rules that designers and decorators follow in order to make the interior look balanced and aesthetic. We intend to reveal for you the secret of the successful decoration of any surface in the room, be it a shelf of a rack, a tabletop of a console, a chest of drawers or a coffee table.

There are some rules to which almost all the work of experienced specialists is subject, and one of them is «rule of three». Its meaning lies in the ratio of shapes, colors and sizes of objects collected in a composition of three, for example: a book, a vase, a statuette. It is believed that in this way we more easily perceive the information picture..

Let’s consider examples of successful arrangement of objects into a single composition.

Right:

The coffee table is decorated with three objects (a lantern, a vase of flowers and a decorative dish) of different shapes and sizes in relation to each other (large, smaller, smallest). In this composition, objects look balanced, which cannot be said about the following example with the console.

Not true:

The composition on the console cannot be called successful, because none of the «rules of three» not observed: objects almost do not differ in color, size and shape, forming identical rectangles.

How to combine decor items in the interior

In order for the compositions that decorate the space of the room to look harmonious and interesting, it is important to use at least two of the three rules when composing them, namely:

Items of different sizes

The photo below shows a composition of decorative vessels of a similar shape, but obviously of different sizes, as well as accessories of different colors (white, cream, turquoise) inside each.

By the same principle, living trees are combined on the dining table: the shape of the pots is similar, but their shade and plant height are different.

Objects of different shapes

A composition for decorating a table or chest of drawers can be made up of three objects of completely different shapes, as in the photo below. Here you see a mix of objects such as a framed photo (square), a table lamp (cylinder), and a stack of books with a statuette (triangle). In relation to each other, objects are of different sizes, but the color scheme is common for all (gold, black, white).

Colorful decor

You can create a harmonious composition from any decorative items dear to your heart or just bizarre and unusual. You can combine three items of completely different colors and different shapes, with a slight difference in their sizes.

Perfection will be achieved by the one who manages to combine the decor, according to «rule of three» at the same time, it might look like this:

The console is decorated with items of different heights and widths The mirror, vases and tray have different shapes White, red and gold are combined in one composition

Three groups

Do not be upset if you need to arrange a large number of decorative accessories beautifully, but you do not know how to do it correctly.

To form an integral composition of numerous objects, you must first divide them into three equal groups, different in color, shape or size, and then, each of them should be disbanded again according to the same principle..

As an example, we will describe the option shown in the photo below:

the composition is represented by three groups of objects of different sizes and shapes: vases, a picture in a frame, a lamp and a bowl; the group on the left side consists of vases of different shapes, colors and sizes; the group on the right is represented by a tall lamp, a lower bowl, and a tray (all objects of different colors and shapes )