When it comes to interior design, balance is everything. When a space is well-balanced, it is not only esthetically pleasing to the eye, but it also gives a certain internal sense of gratification.
Finding a satisfying balance when decorating a space can prove to be a challenging task. Such balance may be achieved -or missed- through different elements: lines, shapes, styles, colors, texture, pattern, light, proportion and materials.
Many designers find that the integration of both Yin and Yang elements has the power of creating a natural perception of balance, due to the relation between masculine and feminine energy.
Particularly interesting is the synergy between wood and metal in interior decor elements of any style, from the classical, the country to the more modern and contemporary. The warmth of the wood combined with the coldness of the metal creates a balanced blend of polar forces.
Wood is soft, even in its solidness. It has a natural charming quality that makes us feel cozy and comforted with its familiar, reassuring -almost maternal- vibe. It feels "alive" and embracing. Wood has a strong connection with our roots (no pun intended), with the origins of workmanship itself, evoking memories of the ancestral craftsmanship that has allowed man to build and create since the beginning of time.
And so does metal in a way, as its roughness subliminally reminds us of the strength and inventiveness of man, who have been able to forge and manipulate it to his desire and/or need over the centuries. Metal is powerful and attractive in a more masculine way than wood, but just as seductive.
The pairing between the two provides us with a great union of "real" materials: the uttermost natural one combined with the truly industrial one for a perfect matrimony of balance and wholesomeness.
