Similar Shape at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

All plants fall into one of a number of basic shape categories, the plants in each category fulfilling a similar role in the overall scheme. There is the tall upright shape of fastigiate trees and conifers which leads the eye upward and commands attention, especially when used repeatedly in a group or row. The effect is the same whatever the scale. Low rounded shapes or domes are equally arresting, but in a more earthbound way. They sit heavily upon the ground and fix the eye. Fans or fountain shapes offer a softer touch, lifting the eye but in a gentler, lighter way than a conifer. A more extreme version of this effect is the weeping shape, less visually static than the sphere and less busy than the fountain.

Halls are often long and narrow, so choose furniture with a similar shape. This stylish oak bench is perfect. It's chunky enough to feel countrified, but doesn't eat into the hall's space too much. Use it to sit on when you're taking off shoes, and stash baskets below it to store post and papers.

THIS INFLUENCES design considerably. Few plots are symmetrical, but that really does not matter. An L-shape or a triangle can even offer more design potential than a rectangle. Perhaps the most difficult shape of all is a square, particularly when it is too small to subdivide as in many yards in front. A design for an awkward shape needs to be carefully thought out. A long thin area, for example, can be divided into contrasting sections with barriers across its width, but by leaving a narrow view running through from one end to the other you create an additional sight line. Furthermore, by placing an ornamental feature like a statue or seat at the far end, you gain the full benefit from the site's length while the screens minimize the disadvantages of its shape.