A Golden Guide to Interior Design

How the golden ratio can help create a designer space

Found throughout nature in the whorls of a pinecone, the petals of a flower, or swirls of a seashell, the golden ratio is a design principle routed in a mathematical sequence. This design principle has been employed for thousands of years. It can be found in famous artwork, such as Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the architecture of Notre Dame and Parthenon. For interior and aspiring designers alike, the golden ratio can be a reliable tool for achieving balance through color proportions, furniture placement, and complementary accent pieces. Symmetry or intentional asymmetry is vital in designing a room to attain cohesive functionality and visual appeal. Using the golden ratio allows the design to feel organic and pleasing to the eye.

For practical application, the ratio is simplified to 60:40 or, more commonly called, the 60/30/10 rule. Understanding and using the ratio as a guide for different aspects of interior design can help you create a perfectly curated, cohesive, and comfortable environment.

The golden ratio can be found throughout nature in the petals of flowers, whorls of a pinecone, or swirls of a seashell.

Creating a balanced Room Layout

The golden ratio helps achieve a balanced room layout by assessing the floor space covered by furniture. Striking the right balance means that nearly 60% of your room will have furniture on it, with 40% being clear. Contrary to the belief that geometric designs only involve sharp lines, circles, and arcs play a crucial role in adding intrigue to interior spaces. With their inherent sense of order and stability, squares can be represented through key furniture pieces like a dining table, bed, or sideboard.

Striking the right balance means that nearly 60% of your room will have furniture on it, with 40% being clear.

Circles, symbolizing unity and infinity, bring harmony to a room and can be mixed with bold geometric shapes for visual interest. For example, try curved dining chairs like our Auburn, Pasadena, or Aria to complement a table with hard angles like the Eastward, Edo, or Trestle table. On the other hand, more linear chairs like the Edo or Eastward bring structure to round tables like the Georgetown Pedestal Table, Round Ring, or Studio Table.

Choosing furniture

Besides proper measurements, the golden ratio can guide your furniture selection by providing a proportional framework that aligns with the principles of balance and visual harmony. It allows designers and homeowners to make informed choices about the size, placement, and coordination of furniture within a space.

Using the golden ratio to align with the room’s architecture can help create a balanced and visually pleasing room composition.

When selecting furniture, it’s essential to consider the proportions of the entire room. The golden ratio of a room, which involves its height, width, and length, can influence furniture selection to achieve overall visual balance. Using the 60/40 rule, you can ensure the room is not overcrowded with furniture and attain a cohesive and dynamic design by combining various sizes of furniture, such as sofas, beds, side tables, and dressers.

The vertical Studio Dresser gives visual height and helps offset the bed, giving the room a balanced feeling.

art & accessories

Applying the golden ratio when accessorizing your home will help you create a clean and thoughtfully curated space that feels well-proportioned. When hanging artwork, consider the rule of thirds. Select pieces that are one or two-thirds the size of the wall to give visual balance. For gallery walls, select pieces that are proportionate to one another and leave 60% of the wall blank to provide it with a balanced feeling. Consider the overall surface area when accessorizing side tables, coffee tables, and sideboards—allocating a more significant percentage to things like trays, books, and lamps, with a smaller percentage saved for smaller decorative items to maintain a clean and balanced look.

Understanding the golden ratio allows for its effective incorporation into various interior design elements, resulting in well-balanced and visually appealing spaces. Whether considering color schemes, patterns, furniture layout, or art display, the golden ratio is a valuable tool for achieving harmony and proportionality in design.

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