Decorating
Why Womanly Curves Feel So Good
Circles and curved furnishings and design can give your home a look and feel that's utterly irresistible
In great relationships, male and female attributes balance each other out to become a harmonious whole. The same is true in a home that just feels good to live in – the masculine lines and angles have their place, but the more feminine curves can soften those harsh edges.
The principles of feng shui also support the idea of introducing some shapely curves into your home – round tables and other circular elements allow the energy to flow and create a more dynamic environment. A round dinner table, for example, is said to promote a more active dining experience where people engage and chat with one another more than they would sitting around the more sedate rectangular version (although these tables tend to make people linger for longer). Round furnishings are also said to encourage productivity and wealth (a round mirror, rug or light fitting is the same shape as a coin).
Regardless of how you feel about feng shui, round shapes in the home can give it a gentleness that’s as kind on the eyes as it is soothing to the soul, and may be the missing ingredient that gives a room the balance it’s lacking.
The principles of feng shui also support the idea of introducing some shapely curves into your home – round tables and other circular elements allow the energy to flow and create a more dynamic environment. A round dinner table, for example, is said to promote a more active dining experience where people engage and chat with one another more than they would sitting around the more sedate rectangular version (although these tables tend to make people linger for longer). Round furnishings are also said to encourage productivity and wealth (a round mirror, rug or light fitting is the same shape as a coin).
Regardless of how you feel about feng shui, round shapes in the home can give it a gentleness that’s as kind on the eyes as it is soothing to the soul, and may be the missing ingredient that gives a room the balance it’s lacking.
Look how the simple addition of a round ottoman softens the hard, angular lines in the rest of this vast living space. Think of symmetrical, angular lines as masculine, and asymmetrical, curved lines as feminine. Sometimes you need more of one or the other to help a space feel balanced. In this case, the ottoman adds some femininity to what could be too masculine a space.
Not only does a round coffee table save knees (and small children) from the painful bumps inevitable with sharp corners, it also encourages connection and conversation – just what a living room should be all about.
Artwork: Sounds Like Home
Artwork: Sounds Like Home
Just as a round dining table can make for more active and animated conversation, a round rug can multiply the effect. A round rug in a square room also serves to soften all those hard edges. In this Sydney apartment, designer Greg Natale says he turned an old three-bedder into a contemporary, livable home with the help of “timelessly chic layering of finishes and pieces in a monochrome palette offset by soft colours and gilts”. The blend of vintage and contemporary pieces also contributed to the overall effect. The rounded chairs, which Natale reupholstered for this project, are the perfect match for the table and rug beneath.
This ’70s inspired shag pile and white leather conversation pit is in the parent’s retreat of a penthouse apartment in Melbourne. Indulgent? Maybe. Fun? Definitely. When the homeowners welcomed their twin girls into the world, they had to adjust from a lifestyle that allowed them to go out whenever they liked to one as parents. They decided to turn their apartment into an urban playground that was as fun for them and their daughters as it was for their visiting friends.
The timber ceiling feature accentuates the circular seating area, as do the hanging macrame-inspired curtains.
The timber ceiling feature accentuates the circular seating area, as do the hanging macrame-inspired curtains.
Why limit yourself to one round rug when you can have more? Round rugs woven from natural fibres such as jute, hemp, cotton and wool are an enduring trend and there’s no denying the energy and movement they bring to this living room. The trick in making a round element work is to echo it elsewhere in the room – the coffee table, in this case.
The round mirror gives this bathroom an edge it would otherwise lack, and brings to the fore the other geometric shapes of the room. I love that the penny tiles manage to echo the mirror so effectively.
In the kitchen, stools and light fittings can calm a space that’s full of hard surfaces and sharp angles.
Helios pendant lights; Bentwood Pub stools
Helios pendant lights; Bentwood Pub stools
The same impact is true here, thanks to the simple addition of a round mirror. It also amplifies the light and space of the room.
If you don’t fancy the reflective nature of a mirror in your living room, why not round off the area with an eye-catching artwork. Same same but different.
The end of a hallway can be a dead space that’s hard to fix. Not so with a round window at one end. It’s the focal point this hallway needs to come to life, and the shapely pendant light means the window doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Copper shade pendant
Read more: How to Make Your Hallway Work Its Socks Off
Copper shade pendant
Read more: How to Make Your Hallway Work Its Socks Off
Don’t forget about the garden when you’re looking with fresh eyes at the shapes around your home. The unexpected roundness added to this Arthur Lathouris garden in the Blue Mountains of NSW adds interest in much the same way as pops of colour can.
Your backyard might be square or rectangular, but that doesn’t mean your lawn has to be. How much more invigorating is this circular design?
And in this backyard, a rounded wall doubles as seating around a round table. Brilliant!
YOUR SAY
Could your house do with some feminine curves? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
How to Get Curves in All the Right Spaces
Lift Walls and More With Dramatic Shapes and Standout Patterns
8 Popular Decorating Styles and How to Bring Them Home
YOUR SAY
Could your house do with some feminine curves? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
How to Get Curves in All the Right Spaces
Lift Walls and More With Dramatic Shapes and Standout Patterns
8 Popular Decorating Styles and How to Bring Them Home