I was inspired to share a design rule of thumb with all of you today based on a question I received from a faithful reader. Her challenge is how to decorate a room with high ceilings (we’re talking two stories here) so that everything doesn’t look so small and lonesome.

The key is scale and balance and keeping it in check. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in this situation therefore consider the following design rule of thumb … the rule of thirds. Essentially, the “rule” or theory is that the design of the space will be more visually interesting by dividing the space into thirds vertically and/or horizontally. Once you have done this important items within the space should be placed within the thirds.

Using this design rule of thumb and applying it to a room with high ceilings is fairly simple. To create the proper scale and sense of space think of the height of the wall in thirds and decorate the bottom third of the wall/space. For example, if your ceiling height is 20 feet then decorate to approximately the 6 foot 6 inch point.

What not to do:

• Hang individual pictures and art above eye level. People still occupy the space and you should NEVER have to look up to appreciate a picture, piece of art, or other wall art. For tips on hanging pictures check out my 10 decorating tips.
• Decorate with a lot of small items. Cluttering up the space will only amplify that the scale is off kilter.

If your wall art such as paintings, mirrors, and decorative pieces look dwarfed then choose large scale items or use multiple mid to larger size pieces to create an art wall. This is your opportunity to go big with a statement piece or get creatively extravagant with multiple items to create an art wall (inspired idea: a wall of framed mirrors all uniquely framed and shaped)

The rule of thirds can also apply to the width of your wall space. If your furniture items look dwarfed then think of the width of the wall in thirds and fill the thirds with your furniture, art, or other accessories.  To create a symmetrical balance in the space try equally placing design elements in each third much like this space below.