Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Form Creates Character in Your Home

Use Simple Forms
Form is the shape of furnishings and accessories within the interior. Different types of form produce rooms with different characters. For example, organic shapes and curved lines suggest softness and slow movement ideal for a restful space. The use of predominantly rectangular shapes and straight lines creates a serene and uncluttered space. However, triangular forms and diagonal lines can produce feelings of dynamic movement and speed.

While there are no explicit rules involving the use of form, a good general guideline is to go with simplicity. Enrichment of shapes with carving or ornamentation can be beautiful as long as the decorations do not detract from the basic shape of the piece of furniture or accessory. If the shapes are kept simple, furniture from different periods can be very successfully combined, as long as their forms complement each other. This makes it easy to combine pieces you already own with new pieces to create a unified interior.

Published by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.

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