With fall in full swing, we're used to layering sweaters, blazers and jackets, but have you ever considered layering in your home? There's an art to how we select product for our clients' spaces and it's rarely one note. Two of the 7 basic principles of interior design are balance and harmony. While we don't consider ourselves experts on design, or agree that all design applies to organizing, we are constantly inspired by these two concepts when product planning a space.
A space with a lot of shelving can start to feel heavy with too much of the same bin or basket repeated. But, too much variation can create visual clutter. It's definitely a bit of a juggling act. Here's how we find balance and harmony when product planning.
Material
Layer your materials. Whether it's woven, fabric, metal or plastic, commit to that one material across a single shelf. In the event that you have a lot of width, consider adding in a central focal point to break up the row, while keeping it symmetrical.
Opacity
Each layer should consist of materials that match in opacity with your heaviest looking and most opaque bins or baskets on the bottom. This gives your space a nice base layer. If your space has lower drawers, your base is set. Turntables, risers, canisters, and other transparent bins work well on the same shelf because they store visually similar items. Place these "lighter" layers near the eye-line and on upper shelves.
Height
A layer in any form should be uniform in height or thickness. The same goes for organizing. Avoid mixing variations in basket size on the same shelf and stack or stagger canisters to match the height of neighboring categories. Don't forget height when placing your labels too. Keep their placement as consistent as possible across products.
Symmetry
In the same way we balance the top and bottom of a space, we also like to balance each side. There's something really calming about creating perfect symmetry with products, but don't be afraid to play around with asymmetry. That is, if you can step outside your type-a box a little. Easier said than done- we know.
xx,
the NEAT team
