DWC Home | Magazine | Back Issues | November 2005 | Design Perspectives

More Articles by Karla J. Nielson  More Design Perspectives

Dignified Formality
An important place remains for interiors in which propriety is valued and the special things in life are appreciated.

by Karla J. Nielson, Allied ASID, WCAA

Many years ago a mature woman took some interior design classes from me and was in awe when we began to discuss informal or asymmetrical balance. She said that her original design training had been post World War II and at that time the only thing taught was formal balance, or symmetry. Symmetry or bisymmetry is the balance of objects on both sides of a centerline where each object is identical or nearly identical. Pairs of objects in perfect symmetry create a type of formal, or perfect balance, which was the only way of the world up until about the 1960s.

Interestingly, since then we often find formality has bowed out graciously in interior design in favor of more casual environments. Yet, it still has a place—an important place—in the creation of lovely rooms, upscale and prestigious and where one feels a sense of the important and where propriety is deemed of great worth.

WHY FORMAL BALANCE
When teaching university students about symmetry, I often use this classroom activity. It’s fun and I encourage you to explore it, as well. All class members sit up straight in their seats, square their shoulders and look forward. They position their feet and knees side by side and place each hand on its matching right or left front thigh. This puts them in a position of formal or symmetrical balance. Then I ask them to call out adjectives which describe the way they feel in this position — positive words first, please.

Their words are inspiring and the reasons why we should maintain some formality in our lives. A few examples are, “alert,” “dignified,” “attentive,” “awake,” “directed,” “balanced,” “aware,” “taller,” and “important.”

While these adjectives do not describe every room we create, they can describe rooms that are very special, where important things take place and where people feel more dignified and more keenly aware of their surroundings.

BROADER FORMALITY
A broader view of formality is much more than the placement of objects in symmetrical balance. Historically, formal rooms have elements that are more precious, more exquisitely beautiful and more costly than informal rooms. The room where treasured items can be placed is often a room where there is less traffic and more protection afforded to the finer possessions.

During the Victorian Era, this kind of room was termed a parlor. Today, it can be any room in which when one enters there is a feeling of the special, even the extraordinary. It is a feeling that elevates the spirit or soul. This feeling gives the viewer a greater sense of importance and dignity, resulting in elevated self worth. This is a boon in a culture that tends to devalue people through excessive criticism. A wise saying about formal interiors is this: “When we treat people as though they are worth the best, they tend to live up to our expectations.”

In a formal room, people instinctively use better manners, more gentility and more kindness.

Formal interiors need not be stuffy or intimidating, trite or museum-like. In fact, a well-decorated formal room is one that beckons the visitor, the guest or the owner to come and enjoy its loveliness, to stay and absorb the attention to detail and the precision that gives wonder to the viewer. A formal room is first and foremost a lovely place to be, and gives the occupant a sense of wonder and a feeling of sophistication.

CREATING FORMALITY WITH VERTICALITY
In addition to symmetrical balance, one of the elements useful in creating a formal room is verticality. This is accomplished through architecture, window and wall coverings, and the lines of furnishings and accessories.

Vertical lines pull the eye upwards, impressing the mind with soaring heights. Vertical lines make spaces seem taller. They lift the mind and the spirit and convey an appreciation for strength and dignity appropriate for entryways and formal living and dining areas. They also command attention and create a stage-like setting, filled with drama and wonder.

As formal rooms bespeak dignity, they also are gentile, mannerly and gracious. As tall vertical lines connect by gently curving arches and soft light bathes a ceiling, there is an element in formal rooms that gentlemen and ladies are welcomed here and that graciousness abounds. Softness in contrast to verticality is a balancing factor in well-designed formal rooms.

FORMALITY AND HIGH CONTRAST
Formal rooms are not ordinary; they are extraordinary. One of the ways they become memorable is through color and texture. Most formal interiors have elements of drama through high contrast of color. For example, a black and white marble checked floor was considered the most tasteful and formal settings for palaces and estates through the European Renaissance.

Today you still can create a stunning feeling of elegance through dramatically high contrast. High contrast elements must be sharp, precise and detailed. It is commanding and profound. In addition to black and white, the contrast that sets formal rooms apart may be a contrast of silver or chrome and deep value—a bit of shimmer set against a deeper value.

TEXTURE AND FORMALITY
Formal textures are those that evoke elegance. In fabrics, satin-based fabrics such as Jacquards work well, damask, brocade, brocatelle and lampas are formal. Also, velvets such as upholstery velvet, cut velvet, panné velvet, moquette (woven design with some plain weave background areas) are largely formal fabrics.

At the window, the ninon, chiffon and other smooth or refined sheers are more formal than those with texture. Traditionally, the Jacquard fabrics are installed as draperies over sheers and edged with passementerié or trimmings—fringe and rope ties with tassels, for example. Swagged top treatments and upholstered cornices are among the most prestigious and seem to be most appropriate if the style is lovely and conservative.

Smooth textures are mostly used in background applications. These include marble floors and walls and highly polished or lacquered wood furniture and floors. It may be that these fabric and background textures are considered formal in part because these textures generally are higher upkeep materials, so those who can afford their upkeep are on a higher social or financial plane. They also are reserved for rooms with little traffic, these fabrics would not hold up under much use. It is also because these textures are thrilling to behold. They are refined to the touch and to the eye. They are elegant and create a feeling of smooth sophistication.

Not all formal rooms, however, are all smooth textures. In fact, there is a trend toward utilizing smaller amounts of rustic, artifact or complex unique design in rooms that are high in formality. This keeps them from becoming too predictable and stiff. A bit of the unexpected brings relief and a bit of humor, a relief from the stringent qualities of a strictly formal interior.

An often-used phrase in balancing formality with livability is, “harmony is made of unity and variety.” Unity is an important principle of design. Unity is the key to making choices that are similar in effect—the same style of furnishings or a close-knit color scheme, for example. However, if everything matches, the effect is lost and the room becomes trite and uninteresting. In this case, variety gives back the punch or the excitement by adding elements that are unexpected and unique—they are interesting in themselves and also a great conversation piece or area of interest.

Formal interiors are critical to balancing and maintaining propriety in a culture. They establish a sense of propriety and acceptability. They serve to keep us trying to act the dignified part. Formal rooms help us understand that the truly special in life is worth savoring and appreciating.