Circles and curves bring balance to homes

When selecting our home décor, how much is sub-conscious and how much is preplanning? Perhaps that depends on your personality. Some go by their gut feeling rather than trying to follow overseas designers’ whims - who are they anyway? Purveyors of products?

What the international designing fraternity tell you, you actually already know instinctively: circles and curves are handy to balance out the straight lines of walls, doors, tiles and windows.

We know in our heart of hearts that we want to soften the many horizontal and vertical lines that come with modern-day architecture. Perhaps it is a legacy from our days in less rigid wattle and daub houses.

Stand still a moment and observe your feelings evoked by the level planes around you. Those kitchen cupboards: stark, strong, masculine?


Allow your eyes to find natural, organic shapes such as plants or arches or curtains billowing in the breeze: softer, feminine, comforting?

“Humans are naturally drawn to curves,” writes Linda Zoffer, designer from North Carolina. “They represent our own bodies and give us a sense of comfort and security. But people don’t generally think about curves when it comes to pulling a room together. At the heart of all design are the concepts of space, line, form, light, colour, texture and pattern. A comfortable and balanced space has a sense of harmony, contrast and unity. And what form is often lacking? The curve. Curves pull the eye around a room.”

“Shapes are a powerful way to communicate,” says Steven Bradley, designer and author from Colorado. He points out that curves are uneven, offering rhythm and movement, happiness, pleasure and generosity.

Anabelle Bernard Fournier, writer and blogger from Canada, reckons “circles relate to love, community and family, they bind people together, but they can also restrict and keep things out. We see circles as perfection, unity and harmony. They are usually a feminine shape that we see as soft and comforting. Circles enhance the flow of energy,” Fournier elaborates. When next choosing furnishings with rounded edges or track lighting in a wavy form, know that it is
your inner self, seeking balance and comfort. Trust your instinct.

Christine Stoman