Welcome to our ongoing series, where we guide you through a bunch of design words you may hear in the world of interiors, but not quite understand. We’re not throwing out dictionary definitions here, this ain’t no lecture. We’re keeping it chill and light-hearted, and we’re moving on to the letter B.
Balance
Following from the subject of Asymmetry (link here), balance refers to the distribution of elements, based on their visual and perceived weight. Think of balance as a gravity system, with large dense objects or clusters being heavier than smaller pieces or groups appearing much lighter.
There are two main ways of balancing a space; asymmetrically or symmetrically. Of course, there’s also the complete disregard of balance completely, which leads to something being off-balance or discordant.
Bevelled
When talking about a bevelled edge, it’s most likely in relation to the finish on a material, such as glass, marble, or wood. It essentially defines an edge that has been cut in a way that it’s no longer running perpendicular to the faces of the piece.
You’ll often find examples of a bevelled edge on pieces such as dining and coffee tables, cabinets, and mirrors.
Boucle
To kick things off, it’s pronounced “boo-clay”. A word heard quite a bit at the moment, boucle fabric is having a moment across a range of major furniture brands. Boucle yarn contains loops, which differ greatly across various fabrics; loops can be large, long and loose, or small, short and tight. Boucle fabrics are quite spongey to the touch, and as a general rule of thumb, the larger the loop, the more texture the finished piece of fabric will have.