Proper Proportions in Home Design
Stefani Thatcher 
Let's explore the role of proportions in home design and how they can make (or break!) the look of your new home.
PRINCIPLES AND ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
I’m going to venture a guess here that most people have AT LEAST heard of the phrase “Principles and Elements of Design.”
For educated designers and artists, these are THE FUNDAMENTALS taught in every art and design class we have ever taken. They are like the 10 Commandments of Art and Design. As stated here, the Principles and Elements are “the foundation of the language we use” when discussing art and design and help determine the success of the work at hand.
(Curious to see a few simple examples and tutorials of what constitutes the Principles and Elements of Art and Design? Check out the Berkeley Library (UC Berkeley) and the Iowa State University Extension office websites.
CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?
Okay, okay. Aside from one home being significantly larger in overall square footage, how easy is it to see that the second photo is actually a playhouse?!
What?!
Yep, those are not full-height walls (granted they are very close), windows, or doors. Using the trampoline as a frame of reference helps us to know how close the scale actually is.
Often, my high-end clients ask for a more grand scale in certain areas of the home - specifically, the great room, the front door and foyer, etc. And, on more than one occasion, the homeowners’ feedback when they see the layout or the elevations borders on frustration. Like, “Stefani, we really want these wall and ceiling heights to be much taller and the windows to be a lot bigger. Can you please work that into the design?”
That is when I have to drop a virtual person into their design to show them a frame of reference for the overall scale.
WHEN PROPORTIONS WORK
How do you know when you have the right proportions? Well, without completely nerding out and going into the mathematics of it all, generally speaking, when nothing looks out of place or the wrong scale. That’s a good starting point. Further refinement may still be necessary.
I often have clients “remind” me that they want bigger columns, taller ceiling heights, a larger front door, etc. Those things still look average sizes to them. What they don’t realize is that without that virtual person or some other point of reference for the scale, a basic 2D drawing can be difficult to read the proportions and scale.
Check out the image above. Without a person (or other reference to scale and sizing) next to it, it could be representing a doll house or a sprawling 20,000 square foot European estate.
At risk of oversimplifying the rules of proportions, I find myself frequently saying, “Bigger homes need bigger elements. Remember, we wouldn’t put an RV kitchen in a Vanderbilt mansion!”
ELEMENTS TO SIZE UP/DOWN
Listed below are common features I focus on scaling in proportion to the overall square footage of the home:
- Windows and doors
- Ceiling heights
- Hallway and stairway widths
- Individual room sizes
- Kitchen features and sizing
- Features: such as fireplaces, islands, soffits, fascias, other exterior details
- Garage sizes
- Bathroom sizes
- Porches, patios, and decks
The downside to all of this proportion-matching is that “option creep” begins to work its way into the design of the home. This is when I like to have a Dave Ramsey “heart-of-a-teacher” professional moment. As I listen to feedback from the clients, I like to follow up with a brief explanation on the rule of scale and proportions so they understand the nuances of each decision made in the overall home design.
CLOSING
Proportions play a vital role in the cohesive end result of quality home design. Even the smallest element or feature needs attention during the design process.
Interested in learning more about how to level up your home design skills? Learn more at www.squarefootsuperhero.com or @squarefootsuperhero on IG, FB, Pinterest, and YouTube.
