| Keep collections together! | | | | what you don't like will only serve to bother you |
| Any collection from fine porcelain pieces like lladro, | | | | regularly. Give away the white elephants and |
| to friends and family in photo frames, to ceramic | | | | explain that you shared it because it meant so |
| rabbits, to art glass is always best displayed en | | | | much! Free yourself of things without positive |
| masse. A collection loses its importance when | | | | meaning. |
| scattered on several tabletops or around a room | | | | Shadowbox for miniatures! |
| or home. | | | | When you have a collection of many tiny objects, |
| Use the dynamic of three! | | | | such as thimbles, teaspoons, golf balls or the like, |
| Particularly when dressing a cocktail/coffee table | | | | it is most effective to shadowbox these |
| or console table, it is always best to consider | | | | elements. There are resources that supply |
| using three elements. In the case of a cocktail | | | | custom shadow boxes just for these collectibles. |
| coffee table, a pair of books, a tall object, and a | | | | This will enable you to showcase the collection |
| low round bowl, tray or arrangement provides | | | | without it being lost in a bookcase or tabletop. |
| good balance. On a console table consider a lamp | | | | Dress kitchen cabinet tops! |
| on one end, greenery, and an art object or pair | | | | Do dress kitchen cabinet tops with accessories |
| of them. | | | | and greenery. Certainly one of the best to use is |
| Know your proportions! | | | | a collection of decorative pottery, ceramics, or |
| Be sure to mix heights and sizes of elements. It | | | | plates and bowls. These need to be large enough |
| creates visual interest to have tall paired with | | | | to be seen and often can be propped with easels |
| shorter, and wider, paired with slimmer objects. | | | | and stands. Be sure to create an interesting visual |
| For example, a decorative box, paired with two | | | | balance with tall bottle type shapes and rounder |
| bottles answers this design tenet well. | | | | or oblong platters. These items are for decoration |
| Fun with photo frames! | | | | and not use as it would be too troublesome to |
| Keep candid shots in color in either gold, black or | | | | climb up and down when dishware is needed. |
| colorful frames. Keep your black and whites in | | | | Other easy collections for the top of cabinets |
| silver or black. Group like frames together so that | | | | includes cookie jars, masks on stands, ceramic |
| it is the pictures that get truly noticed, not the | | | | fruit, glass bottles with herbs and peppers, |
| frames. | | | | majolica, and such. |
| Bookends are essential! | | | | Greenery adds life! |
| Bookends serve not only a useful function of | | | | Greenery is essential in every room and really |
| holding up books, but also a decorative function | | | | adds interest, texture and life to bookcases, on |
| and attention needs to be given as to the size, | | | | top of cabinets, and in dead corners. The |
| proportion, finish, and style. It may be easy to | | | | permanent silk variety is often easiest and can be |
| get those L shaped pieces from Office Depot, but | | | | cleaned by monthly spraying with silk plant |
| certainly not very interesting. Also consider using | | | | cleaner, no wiping needed. If you want to use live, |
| one end on one shelf and the other several | | | | be sure to take good care of it. There is nothing |
| shelves apart. Mixing will allow a more collected, | | | | sadder than a house full of dead or dying plants. |
| less staged look. | | | | Greenery is meant to mean greenery, not |
| Don't layer! | | | | necessarily florals. One floral per room or a pair is |
| In book cases particularly, bring the edge of the | | | | fine, but multiple simply looks overdone and |
| book spines to the front edge of the shelf. Do | | | | cluttered. |
| not push them back and put collectibles in front of | | | | Light it up! |
| the book spines. In addition, when you have a low | | | | Add lighting to your bookcases, above kitchen |
| piece of artwork, don't place candles, collectibles | | | | cabinets, below kitchen cabinets, in display niches |
| and more in front of it, it becomes visually | | | | and to highlight collections and artwork. The best |
| overwhelming. | | | | light source is halogen as it is the purest and |
| Clutter is chaos! | | | | whitest. If on a budget consider holiday lights or |
| It isn't necessary to display everything you own! | | | | rope lighting tacked out of view but providing a |
| Be selective, and group like items together. Clutter | | | | soft glow. |
| only means you are not discerning and nothing is | | | | Mix elements and texture! |
| special. Negative space is critical to be able to | | | | While it is easy to get enamored with a single |
| enjoy the positive inspiration of pieces we love. | | | | material, such as porcelain, or glass, it is infinitely |
| Make it meaningful! | | | | more interesting if you mix your elements. |
| If you don't like it, don't showcase it. It doesn't | | | | Juxtaposing a sleek glass piece with a coarser |
| matter if it was a gift from you mother-in-law, | | | | textured hand crafted ceramic boosts visual and |
| sister, spouse, best friend, or neighbor. Displaying | | | | tactile texture and intrigue. |