A friend and I were talking about how to arrange a couple pieces of artwork on her walls when she asked me what rules I follow when making a composition. I realized that I rarely think about why things work together, I generally go by my gut and what I think looks good. I mean, I don’t even use a tape measure when hanging artwork, I do it all by eye.

I was reflecting on this conversation while drinking coffee in my living room this morning. It got me thinking about why I feel certain areas of the room worked better than others. The photo below is of a completed section of my living room. This area is dominated by a mid-century cabinet that I picked up at a antique fair. When I bought it I thought that the refinishing job was sloppy and had planned on having it restored to the original darker finish that can still be seen inside. It’s kind of grown on me though so we’ll see what, if anything happens to it in the next few years.

The light finish on the cabinet glows against the dark painted walls. The white trim adds a clean line and finishes off the room. The stacked Ikea Gilbert chairs are stored in the corner and provide extra seating. Their dark finish and chrome legs mirror other finishes in the room. I have always liked the look of mixing woods in a room, it adds interest. The paintings (by local artist Jonathan Clark) add necessary color and visual excitement while the plant on the left and the Japanese pottery vase add softness in shape and color.

Why this works: The stepped shape of the cabinet is mirrored in the arrangement of the two paintings and in the placement of the stacking chairs. The plant and antique vase break up the lines with their rounder more organic shapes. The effect is somewhat stark, but clean and inviting. Candles glowing in voltives placed on top of the cabinet at night look dead sexy. The entire composition is asymmetrical but works because the visually heavier cabinet is balanced by the lighter elements which also provide interest.