The rule of thirds: in photography and in decoration

The rule of thirds is one of the most universal principles of visual composition. Used by photographers, painters, filmmakers, it states that the strong elements of a composition must be placed on the lines that divide the surface in thirds, rather than at the exact centre.

Mentally divide your surface into three horizontal and three vertical bands (like a noughts and crosses grid). The main elements are placed on the lines or at the intersections, never at the exact centre.

This rule applies in interior design at multiple scales. On a rectangular coffee table. On a console. On a wall (the main artwork in a gallery wall). On a shelf.

On a coffee table. Mentally visualise your table divided in thirds. Place the main object (art book, plant, sculpture) on one of the intersections, at one third from the edge. Other objects distribute on the other lines, never at the exact centre.

On a console. Divide the length in thirds. Main object (lamp, vase) at one third from one edge. Other objects (book, small bowl) distributed on the remaining thirds.

On a large gallery wall. The centre of gravity of the composition falls at 1/3 or 2/3 of the width, not at the centre. The asymmetric composition follows the rule of thirds, more dynamic than pure symmetry.

On a long shelf. Divide in three sections. Each section contains a "scene" (books + decorative object). The left, middle and right sections can vary in density, height and material.

The error to avoid: the exact centre. Placing an object precisely at the centre of a surface looks symmetrical and frozen. Offset it slightly, and the composition comes alive.

Exception: deliberate symmetry. As with the odd-number rule (07.1), there are cases where symmetry is the intended effect: two symmetrical bedside tables around a bed (rule 03.5), two facing armchairs, a large mirror centred on a wall. In these cases, the rule of thirds does not apply.

Professional interior photographers systematically apply the rule of thirds in their framings. Rooms that "photograph well" are almost always those that unconsciously respect this rule.

Pierre Yovanovitch works the rule of thirds at every scale, from the placement of furniture in the room to the position of objects on a console. It is an implicit signature of his interiors.