Design Concept: Contrast (+ its deeper meaning)
I love contrast I realized pretty early on in my design career that it was one of my most favorite
design concepts to use.
I wanted to share with you what contrast is in regards to design, but also the underlying reasons why humans respond to it the way that we do.
There is a deeper meaning connected to this basic concept and I wanted to share with you these meanings so that when you are thinking about the design of your own environment you can feel a deeper connection to your choices based on what you love!
When you understand why you may be reacting a certain way to certain design concepts, you are empowered on a more personal level to use these concepts in your own space!
I love black. I always have. My favorite color is a dark midnight blue. I love the way that these dark colors vibrate off of a mostly neutral or white space.
Connecting contrast as a concept to its underlying spiritual meaning is a fun way, if you so choose, to express yourself in your environment.
Contrast is one of the most impactful design concepts. If you feel as though your space feels blah, if you understand contrast you can very quickly and simply inject some life and dynamism into your space, as easily as changing out one throw pillow!
Contrast is a fun way to explore opposites and see how trying something new may make you feel in your space.
Spaces without any contrast can sometimes look chic if done correctly, but often if there is a lack of contrast there often is a lack of dynamism and interest, and rooms can feel cold and lifeless.
1. First I want to share with you what contrast is in regards to design.
2. Why there is a deeper meaning behind it…
3. And finally how you can easily choose to use contrast in your space!
So what is contrast?..
According to dictionary.com contrast is “the state of being strikingly different from something else in juxtaposition or close association. "the day began cold and blustery, in contrast to almost two weeks of uninterrupted sunshine”.
Where this comes to play in design can be many different things…
The easiest example of contrast is the difference between black and white.
Or the visual play of complementary colors like blue and orange, that sit opposite from one another on the color wheel.
Or through texture the difference between something with a smooth texture and something rough.
Or through shape, the play between something that is linear or something that is organic in shape.
Style the difference between an antique piece and clean lined modern pieces.
Here are some examples of contrast in design at work below. When you look at these images think about how they are impacting you!
Anthropologie
little house of four
havenly
I’ve always know that there is always a deeper meaning behind contrast, just like everything.
This design concept dovetails perfectly with the concept of yinyang. The symbol itself is a beautiful illustration of contrast too.
“In Ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (/jɪn/ and /jɑːŋ, jæŋ/; Chinese: 陰陽 yīnyáng, lit. "dark-bright", "negative-positive") is a concept of dualism, describing how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they may give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another.“ -wikipedia
This concept illuminates the process of the play of opposites. Such as dark and light, night and day, female and male energy…
The yang side, the white side symbolizes concepts like:
Function
Motivation
Drive
Day
Movement
Hot
Sky
Sun
Fast
Dry
Energy
Expressive
Birth
Hard
Head
Left Brain
Logic
While the yin side, the black side symbolizes concepts like:
Meaning
Rest
Thought
Structure
Night
Cold
Earth
Moon
Slow
Humidity
Fluid
Calm
Death
Receptive
Soft
Heart
Right Brain
Creativity
In the yin yang symbol there is a light side and a dark side cradled next to one another, and completely within each side a circle of the opposite. The meaning of this symbol as a who illustrates how seemingly opposite concepts cannot exist without their opposite, and being intertwined with one another they make the other more of what each are.
Yin traditionally represents the divine feminine while yang energy represents the divine masculine. Each of these energies are present in everything and in each and every one of us. Because we are human beings we typically naturally fall to one side of the spectrum and feel more comfortable in our being expressing one side of this coin. Understand though that we are born completely whole and always have access to both of these energies no matter what.
These energies are not gendered and don’t have anything to do with your sex, or identity. Someone can identify as a male but feel more comfortable expressing feminine energy and yin traits. Same goes for the opposite!
It’s important I think for people to understand what energy they feel more comfortable expressing because usually the unconscious shadow aspects of ourselves are usually located in the energetic opposite and its important to be aware that these are the things that can bring us the most growth in our lives if we can start to lean into them.
I will use myself as an example. I’m an INFJ Myers Briggs personality type, 4w5 enneagram and an Empath.
It’s really easy for me to be emotional, creative and receptive. It has taken me most of my life to accept that I hold predominantly yin energy because these yin side is not always taught to be of as much worth as yang traits in the society I live in. Because I know that yin energy is my default setting I have realized that my biggest inadequacies and fears are expressed through yang energy. Such as being expressive, having motivation, and being driven.
I know when I focus on my inner yang I am truly pushing myself to be the best person I can be. (like by starting my own design business, or writing this blog! ah! haha)
When others come into my life easily expressing their yang I either am extremely attracted by them or triggered by them. Some people make me feel both. They are showing me my edges where I don’t feel like that complete yin yang within myself! They make me feel inadequate or they make me feel complete (both feelings that are false since no one can make you feel anything, it always comes from you and your own insecurities).
Think about what side of the coin you tend to express more, then think about who upsets you or challenges you. What energy are you more attracted to? I feel just like a magnet opposite energies often seek each other out in any kind of relationship. The trap of feeling like someone else is “other” than you often stems from the difference in these energies and it is so important for the world that we work on our own feelings inside so we stop projecting them onto others!
Cultures and Countries tend to express one energy over the other as well. The USA predominantly identifies with yang traits and countries like Japan identify with yin energy. The complete leaning into one way of being always manifests in troubles for that place in direct alignment with the energy that they deny, just like with individuals. People and places that deeply only identify with one side of themselves often more easily demonize the opposite energy, which always stems from a sense of lack of wholeness within, and has nothing to do with the opposite energy itself.
Think about the concepts that the yin yang represents: Day and Night, Light and Dark, Hot and Cold, Life and Death. Could any of these concepts even exist without the other? What would you call light without dark? Nothingness, a non-entity?
It literally ceases to exist without its opposite!
This is the most important part about the yin yang symbol in explaining this phenomenon:
Each side holds within it a circle of the opposite energy. Reminding us that if we do not hold reverence, respect and acknowledge the things that we deny within ourselves that we can not have balance in this world, actually everything would no longer be as it is without the opposite.
I think we all need to remember this concept while going about our lives in the world. How are we contributing to the discord within our own energy? How can we behave like we are the whole people we truly are within and show that person to the world?
“In good design we need contrast for interest, In the world we need contrast for meaning.” -me
Now let’s talk about how, knowing the meaning of contrast in our lives, we can express this through design in our environments!
One of the easiest ways to do this is to look around your space now. What stands out to you the most?
What kinds of shapes do you use again and again?
What materials do you use again and again? Wood, Metal, Fabric, Ceramic, Stone, is there too much?
What color dominates your space?
Is your space mostly light or dark?
What textures show up the most?
Do you only have new or only old things in your space?
However you answer these questions, try and inject some of that opposite energy, I promise it will completely change the vibe of your space! It will also help to illuminate and define those things in your room that you at first “over-used”. Allowing the things you really love and resonate with to pop more clearly. Allowing those edges to be defined helps these things to stand out! Just like day and night define each other.
Low Contrast
High Contrast
Take a look at the images above and see how a little bit of color and depth help to energize this space.
Let me know if you found this concept interesting! I would also love to hear how you all engage with these energies yourself if you are up for sharing!
Thank you so much for reading!
Let me know if you guys found these distinctions helpful. I would also love to hear how you identify with both of these energies and the special ways in which they show up in your life!
Thank you so much for reading!
• If you would like to read some of my own random journal entries go to •Musings•
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I would love to connect with you deeper!
Love,