Page 141 - South Mississippi Living - February, 2025

SASSY BIRD INTERIORS
211 Main St. Bay St. Louis
228.344.3181 www.sassybirdinteriors.com
Proportion, often used interchangeably with scale, is how objects relate to each other. Let’s talk about both together and let us make it simple. Big rooms need bigger objects. Small rooms need smaller objects. Rooms with higher ceilings need taller pieces and rooms with lower ceilings need lower slung pieces. If everything is the same size, there is no focal point or a place for the eye to begin exploring.
Too much variation in sizes and heights can be chaotic. Carefully paired pieces can draw us into a space and instill a feeling of connection. The space is pleasing, and everything seems to work together. When a room is off balance, we
know something is not right, even if we cannot put a finger on the problem. So, the scale of the rug matters. The scale of the core furniture matters. And the scale
of the art on the wall matters. Scale matters more than size. It is how these pieces compare to the space and each other that will make all the difference between fabulous and a near miss.
There is a rule of thumb designers intuitively use when approaching a space. It is the Golden Ratio. It
is thinking in one-third and two-thirds measurements. For example, your coffee table should roughly be two- thirds the length of your sofa. An end table looks best if it is about one-third the size of your sofa. Your rug and furnishings should not occupy more than two-thirds of available floor space. Leave one-third of the floor space open for movement and flow and to avoid the feeling of overcrowding.
Knowing this guiding framework can be extremely helpful, but we will admit there are times rules need to be broken. Exceptional design is an art, not a science. There are times you can do it all by the book and still something
just does not look like you want it to. Consult an interior designer. Test your ideas. Step back and play with the elements. You certainly do not want to get rid of a favorite piece just because it does not fit a rule.
Start with the larger, more important pieces. Keep scale in mind and tweak your design as many times as you need to. Get the basics in place and then add your favorite color and patterns to continue the intimate conversation you want your home to have. You will know when it feels right. Something inside of you will click and you will know you are in love.
Holly Harrison has been a licensed interior designer for over 35 years. Shannon Stage has spent nearly 20 years in the giftware industry. Together they own Sassy Bird Interiors in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
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