Mid-sized transitional 3/4 beige tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile and beige floor alcove bathtub photo in Dallas with flat-panel cabinets, brown cabinets, a two-piece toilet, an undermount sink, quartz countertops, a hinged shower door and beige walls

Arc wallcovering is organic yet polished. Available in Navy, Black and Emerald (shown).
Home design - contemporary home design idea in San Diego

Large minimalist guest dark wood floor bedroom photo in Denver with no fireplace and gray walls

Stunning antique brass plumbing fixtures. Beautiful terra cotta tile on walls in light gray. Calacatta gold marble vanity. Gorgeous ceramic floor tile in hexagon shape. Curbless shower.

Photo of a scandinavian landscaping in Austin.

Inspiration for a large timeless enclosed carpeted and gray floor home theater remodel in Vancouver with brown walls and a projector screen

Trendy family room photo in New York

KATHERINA PERRY
Minimalist home design photo in New York

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless u-shaped vinyl floor and gray floor eat-in kitchen remodel in Baltimore with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Marble shower wall adds natural beauty to the bathroom space.

Close-up of the wrought iron.
Mid-sized mountain style porcelain tile and beige floor foyer photo in Phoenix with beige walls and a brown front door

Time for a new door.

Advice on interior design is available everywhere—from TV shows and websites to books, magazines and apps. We love seeing people become engaged in design and educated on the wide range of possibilities. But we hope you’ll proceed with caution. It’s not that style errors are a matter of life and death. It’s just that it’s easy to choose designs that aren’t necessarily reflective of your own personality and character. And since you’re typically stuck with your interior design decisions for years, styles that don’t quite fit can tend to grate on you. Interiors that give one person comfort may unleash chaos in someone else. This goes beyond favorite colors or hot trends, right to the heart of interior design, where you find questions of composition, balance, repetition, space and more. The goal is to find that unique combination of design elements that gives you comfort, support and balance. In one home, that perfect balance was struck through the use of symmetry. A pair of comfortable swivel chairs sit beneath matching indigo patterned paintings. Matching bookcases below the paintings contain similar, but not identical, arrangements of books, vases and bowls. Woods and bronzes help warm up the simple white bookcase shelving. Two matching poufs in front of the fireplace provide additional seating. The sofa is accented with a pair of pillows with a blue pattern that echoes the artwork. The effect of the symmetry is to achieve order and simplicity, which I promote at every opportunity. After all, your home interiors should be the setting or the backdrop of your life—not center stage. Antique bronze and blue are complementary colors. Together, they offer a rich palette of richness and depth, which brings out the beauty of wood and stone. In the home office, a unique, whitewash-stained wooden desk rests on metal, Sawhorse-inspired legs for a warm, rustic look. The black leather chair features a contemporary silhouette with an antique brass frame. An adjustable desk lamp has bronze accents. The bookcase combines a sleek, black metal frame with concrete shelves, for another unusual pairing. It’s kept uncluttered for an orderly, peaceful look. Items on the shelves include a bronze-accented lamp and a pair of high gloss-finished wooden bookends. The elegant artwork behind the desk is a simple midnight-blue and bronze with mottled white. Deep blues are again picked up in the rug, which adds a stately vibe with a modern pattern and satisfying texture. Within the framework of symmetry, the living room repeats the blue-and-bronze color scheme. A large midcentury brass clock above the fireplace keeps the natural stone visible, rather than hidden behind a painting or television, while its straight lines and color create a beautiful contrast. The sofa is a soft, neutral blue. The pattern on the round brass side table features echoes the darker blue-patterned rug, as well as the rug in the office, tying the rooms together. Indigo blue books adjacent to bronze vases on the shelves repeat the color scheme. The soapstone-topped coffee table echoes the shape of the fireplace. A pair of tall, matching floor lamps with long wooden bases, brass pulls and simple linen shades combine both the colors and symmetry found throughout the home.