Last week I wrote about scale in awkward or small rooms. This week I'm talking about the close relative, balance.

Balance doesn't have to be a precarious monster in small rooms. It's not anything to be intimidated by and, I would go so far as to say that it could be just what you need in your small or awkward room.

If something is feeling "off" around one of your rooms, I'd venture to predict that that "something" could be balance.

It very well may be the space is excessively weighty on one end and you need to redistribute that visual weight on the other end.

It helps to think of any space in your home as an equation. Stick with me here, I'm not going to go all mathy here, but I do need to reference it to make my point.

Simply put, what you do to one side needs to balance the other side. That doesn't mean it has to match. It means it must balance. In other words, the visual weight should distribute evenly.

For my purposes here, I'm going to concentrate on using your wall height because that's one of the most frequent things I've encountered when talking to frustrated homeowners who reach out to me.

It’s common to see small and tricky rooms where everything is the same height all around the room. Or there's an inconsistent distribution of height and a lack of balance. 9 times out of ten that's the exact thing that makes the room feel off.

If you can’t exactly figure out what could be making your room feel off, perhaps one of these ideas can spark some clarity for you.

Let's talk about 10 ways to add height and balance to small or awkward rooms.

Give Your Plants a Boost

A simple way to add some immediate height is with plants.

Let’s say you have some open space on either side of a picture window. It looks odd, but there might not be enough space to place a piece of furniture like a chair or sofa. You could use the space to display some plants.

Perhaps a couple of tall plants in pots to balance both sides. If one side is slightly smaller, add in a tiered plant stand where you can place smaller potted plants at different heights to add balance to both sides.

Using plants is a great way to balance those awkward spaces because they have organic shapes. Even “matching” the plants on both sides will still be slightly different and that’s okay. You will have visual balance regardless.

Hang Those Curtains High!

This is one of the most used ways to add height and balance to a wall.

Adding drapes or curtains, not only adds height to a room, the installation of panels on either side of a window can make the window look wider – especially important if the window is dinky on a big wall OR, if the window is off center.

Adding the fullness of a curtain panel will give you a background layer that will balance a big wall and add depth to whatever is in front of it. That could be a table, or a sofa, or a console.

So, what this does is it brings your eye up and adds fullness to your wall while also providing depth and texture.

Add Dimension to a Wall

Here’s an idea for a blank wall that need something in the height department… Add in dimension.

This could be wall paneling or board and batten.

A dimension detail like this will add that height to an awkward wall.

Just make sure to balance it on the opposite side. You don’t have to repeat the installation on the other side. Instead, place a tall shelf to add height and balance to the other side.

Or maybe you can install the paneled wall detail opposite something that is already on the opposite wall, like a large fireplace that goes floor to ceiling or a wall of tall windows. If there’s a visual cue that adds balance, it will look amazing!

Add a Tall Etagere, My Favorite!

You’re probably so sick of hearing me talk about open etageres as on of my FAVORITE things to add to tricky, small or awkward rooms. But, bear with me one more time…(Okay it’s probably going to come up a few more times…)

Anyway, etageres are fantastic tall items that will give you height.

I love them because they’re open and they don’t feel heavy.

They come in EVERY style imaginable and, if you have the space, you can stand 2 or 3 together and they won’t feel oppressive or like they’re eating up all your space.

Best of all, even just one etagere will give you an interesting tall place to display your favorite things. My only advice is to edit your stuff and stick to a few items – 1 to 3 things- on each shelf. You’ll be able to see immediately when things are getting too crowded on any etagere.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Yep! Mirrors.

I love to use them to add balance on many walls.

You can mirror an entire wall to add height to a space.

This is great for small rooms because it will make the room look twice as big. But it will also double the trouble in a room too, so it’s important to only reflect what you want to see more of.

If you’re room is messy or cluttered, this wall install will enhance that. But if your space is tidy, you’ll enjoy that reflection.

You can use a floor mirror to add height to a spot that needs a tall embellishment.

You can cluster some round, rectangular or other geometric shaped mirrors together to add some visual interest and balance to an awkward corner.

I like to recommend that you go big with mirrors – and I recommend this for art as well – Using bigger mirrors gives a small(ish) wall some interest.

You may be tempted to place a small mirror on a small wall. Don’t do it! They look dinky and the effect will backfire.

This is especially true for all these home décor stores that sell the 3 small mirrors in a pack. Ugh! Forget those. They’re uninteresting and are only space fillers… If you get anything from this post, always go for impact rather than a space filler.

Vary the Height of Your Seating

If all your upholstered furniture is the same height, you’re missing a HUGE opportunity to add some height and balance to your room.

This is so important in small rooms.

One of my favorite small space battle cries is “if you can’t go wide, go tall!” This perfectly applies to furniture.

Back in the day, you may recall that every “formal” living room or sitting room, had a tall back chair or a pair of tall back chairs. Just tune in to any episode of Downton Abbey or The Gilded Age and you’ll see.

The thing that decorators of that era – and many others- got right was varying the height of upholstered pieces.

It’s a classic look, 2 tall back, wing chairs flanking a fireplace. It conjures up all the warm feelings of reading by the fire, sipping cocoa on a cold winter night.

This technique works because you see a variation in the lines around the room. Not everything is one height. There’s inflection and noticeable interest.

Maybe you have a sofa with a tall back and the chair or chairs are slightly lower backs… The point is, don’t overlook the opportunity to add some height with your upholstered pieces.

Variation in height is dynamic and interesting.

Bring Light up High

I’m not only talking about ceiling lights – although recessed lights, done right can add some lovely visual balance to a room. What I’m referring to here is adding accent lights to walls.

One idea is to add some LED light strips to that etagere I kept going on about a few paragraphs ago. This will illuminate the treasures you display and it will add a layer of light between the etagere and the wall.

You could place picture lights above art on the wall. This will help bring a lovely glow to a small wall and will create ambiance as well.

You can illuminate the back of art or wall sculpture to create depth. I love this idea for tall wall art or sculptures. This will certainly add some interest and drama on a wall.

It’s okay to bring attention to small walls or tricky corners because even if there isn’t a ton of room on those walls, they can still be interesting and important aspects of a well layered room.

Remember to:

Give Your Plants a Boost

Add some immediate height is with plants. Even “matching” the plants on both sides will still be slightly different because they’re organic, and that’s okay. You will have visual balance regardless.

Hang Those Curtains High!

This will bring your eye up and add fullness to your wall while also providing depth and texture.

Add Dimension to a Wall

Wall paneling or board and batten. Just make sure to add something on the opposite side that will balance what you install.

Add a Tall Etagere

They come in EVERY style imaginable and, if you have the space, you can stand 2 or 3 together and they won’t feel oppressive or like they’re eating up all your space.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

I like to recommend that you go big with mirrors – and I recommend this for art as well – Using bigger mirrors gives a small(ish) wall some interest.

Vary the Height of Your Seating

varying the height of upholstered pieces, it works because you see a variation in the lines around the room. Not everything is one height. There’s inflection and noticeable interest.

Bring Light up High

Adding accent lights to walls will certainly add some drama, inflection and interest.

Up Next

The truth is small furniture in small rooms can often make the room feel unbalanced. Just like weights and measurements, the furniture in a small room must fill the space appropriately to feel balanced. If your small room feels off, it’s probably because the furniture is too small.

Let me see!

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I write about small space design and decorating, sustainable furniture options, positive self care and a variety of do-it-yourself home décor.

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“Michael Helwig was top-notch, very professional and responsive to my needs. He allowed me time to explore ideas and try out a variety of combinations until we found the perfect fit. Michael provided detailed information and offered beautiful ideas to make my dream living room become a reality. The furniture he sourced has totally transformed my living room space. Everyone that has seen my new living room has one word, WOW! A special thank you to Michael for a wonderful experience.”

— Karen B.

“Michael was very knowledgeable and guided us, with great patience and good humor, through the process of designing our dining room and helping us find the perfect sleeper sofa. He offered really helpful advice when we asked questions - which was often - but at no time did we ever feel pushed. He helped me when I felt like I couldn’t make one more decision. When my new furniture finally arrived I realized everything down to the pillows was perfect. I couldn’t be happier!”

— Sarah H.

Michael is Principal designer and blogger at Michael Helwig Interiors in beautiful Buffalo, New York. Since 2011, he’s a space planning expert, offering online interior e-design services for folks living in small homes, or for those with awkward and tricky layouts. He’s a frequent expert contributor to many National media publications and news outlets on topics related to decorating, interior design, diy projects, and more. Michael happily shares his experience to help folks avoid expensive mistakes and decorating disappointments. You can follow him on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook @interiorsmh.

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