負空間，才是真正生活的地方 Negative Space is Where Life Happens

在你的居住空間中，壅擠和空虛的感覺從哪裡來？

在空間設計與軟裝風格中有一個概念——「正空間」（Positive Space）與「負空間」（Negative Space）。

簡單來說：

• 正空間： 指的是空間中「實」的部分。也就是家具、燈飾、掛畫、植物等具體的物件，它們是視覺的焦點，負責定義功能的實體。

• 負空間： 則是空間中「虛」的部分。也就是我們常說的「留白」——家具之間的通道、牆面上的空白、天花板與燈具之間的距離。

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在軟裝規劃中，很多人會誤以為「設計」就是要把正空間填滿，展現自己的品味。但真正厲害的空間設計，其實重點在於負空間。

老子在《道德經》中曾說：

「埏埴以為器，當其無，有器之用。鑿戶牖以為室，當其無，有室之用。」

這句話的意思是，我們揉和陶土做成器皿，正因為器皿中間是「空」的，它才能用來盛水；我們開鑿門窗建造房屋，正因為內部有「空」的地方，房屋才能供人居住。「有」給人帶來便利，但正是「無」發揮了它的作用。 建築與軟裝的真諦，往往就在於如何拿捏這份「虛實相生」。

實與虛的平衡，不僅僅是美學上的公式，更是生活的縮影。

我們的人生，不也常常被「正空間」塞滿嗎？沒完沒了的工作、推不掉的社交、塞滿行事曆的行程，還有那些捨不得丟掉的雜物與回憶。我們總以為擁有的越多、填得越滿，人生就越充實。

但是我們常忘記「負空間」，那些可以發呆的下午、失去了可以好好吃一頓飯的餘裕、失去了與自己對話的空白。

「斷捨離」的風潮之所以盛行，正是因為人們意識到，唯有主動創造「負空間」，人生那些真正重要的東西（正空間），才能重新被看見。

現在不妨挑選家裡的一面牆或一張桌子，試著在上面「拿走一樣東西，而不是補上一樣東西」，讓自己去感受那個被釋放出來的呼吸空間！ 

*pic source via internet

Where do the feelings of crowdedness and emptiness in your living space come from?

In interior design and home styling, there is a fundamental concept known as "Positive Space" and "Negative Space."

Simply put:

• Positive Space: Refers to the "solid" parts of a space. These are the concrete objects like furniture, lighting, paintings, and plants. They serve as visual focal points and define the practical functions of a room.

• Negative Space: Refers to the "void" or "empty" parts of a space—what we often call "white space." This includes the walkways between furniture, the blank areas on walls, and the distance between the ceiling and light fixtures.

In home styling, many people mistakenly believe that "design" means filling up every positive space to showcase their personal taste. However, truly masterful interior design actually places its core focus on negative space.

As Lao Tzu once wrote in the Tao Te Ching:

"We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want. We hammer wood for a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable. Therefore, while profit comes from what is there, usefulness comes from what is not."

This means that when we mold clay into a vessel, it is precisely because the center is "empty" that it can hold water. When we carve out doors and windows to build a house, it is because of the "empty" space inside that the house becomes habitable. What exists brings convenience, but it is the non-existence that creates the actual function. The true essence of architecture and interior styling often lies in how well one balances this "interplay between the solid and the void."

The balance between the solid and the void is not just an aesthetic formula; it is a microcosm of life itself.

Isn’t our life often crammed full of "positive space"? Endless work, unavoidable social obligations, itineraries packed to the brim, and all those items and memories we just can't bring ourselves to throw away. We always assume that the more we own and the fuller we pack it, the more fulfilling our life will be.

Yet, we often forget the "negative space"—those quiet afternoons spent daydreaming, the luxury of slowly enjoying a good meal, and the blank spaces needed to have an honest conversation with ourselves.

The reason the trend of Danshari (decluttering) has become so popular is precisely because people have realized that only by actively creating "negative space" can the things that truly matter in life (the positive space) be seen clearly once again.

Why not pick a wall or a table in your home right now? Try to "take one thing away instead of adding something new," and allow yourself to feel that newly released, breathable space!