Two of almost any home furnishings adds soothing symmetry and balance.

It’s easy. Just add one home furnishing element, such as a throw pillow, picture or chair; then repeat.

With many home furnishings, two is better than one, and creates more than twice the impact in a room. Decorating in pairs will more than double the beauty of your home.

Pairs add a sense of symmetry, balance and organization to a space, which engages the eye and calms the soul. Pairs can make us feel at ease and stable.

Pairs don’t need to be exactly the same or perfectly balanced in their placement. Often the design works best when two items are a little bit different, such as identical armchairs with coordinating, but not matching, fabric or two pieces of wall art that are the same size and framed the same, but with different images.

Interior design elements that lend themselves to pairing include:

• Furniture, such as chairs, ottomans, end tables, even sofas
• Throw pillows and decorative towels
• Artwork hanging on walls or standing on tables
• Mirrors, lamps and light fixtures

Pairs add flexibility too. You can easily move them to change the function of a room for a party or other event. And if you buy new furniture, a pair of items is easier to re-arrange in the same room or settle harmoniously into another room. Even when you move, pairs of home elements are more flexible to fit into a new house and new decor.

The pairing concept can be applied to colors too. Selecting a color palette for your home with two complementary colors is an effective decorating strategy. For example

• Brown and Ivory
• Indian Red and Sage Green
• Black and White
• Chocolate Brown and Powder Blue

Let’s sum it up. One plus one is more than two in home fashions. Decorating in pairs makes a beautiful design statement.

Copyright Hunter Douglas