A room that is designed with symmetry is a room that is in a state of equilibrium.  Every ying has it yang.  A sofa in the centre of a seating arrangement, flanked by two end tables, coffee table and a pair of chairs. Matched and a sense of harmony.  Whereas balance being a room with deliberate lack of symmetry.  Not matched but feeling coordinated.   It took me a long time to realize about myself that when it comes to my own personal space and décor, I prefer a room to look balanced without being symmetrical.  Case in point – my living room.  This room took me 3 sofas, actually 2 sofas and then finally a sectional sofa to realize that the room functions better and feels best when it is not decorated symmetrically.  The wall between my living/dining room had been removed creating one large open room.  On the long wall is the fireplace. Where it used to once sit centered in the living room the fireplace now sits at what feels like the end of the long wall.  When I placed my sofa/furniture symmetrically on the fireplace the living room occupied a small space of the overall room.  The living room felt small and there was too much space allotted to the dining area.  I decided that the solution to this problem was to decorate asymmetrically around the fireplace and a sectional sofa allowed that to happen.  My living room has been enlarged and occupies more of the space in the living/dining room.  After this lengthy and $$$$ exercise I realized that I preferred my rooms when they were not symmetrical but rather balanced.  I like my ‘vignettes’ mismatched and I favour items in odd numbers.  I feel the asymmetrical ‘tension’ created makes the space more appealing to me.  

                All images via Modmissy