Display Dismay

An easy way to spruce up your digs is to showcase your collections, but figuring out how to display your stuff can be daunting. I learned the hard way that putting too many items together can produce a cluttered, junky look. The best way to show off, say, my head vase collection, is to group (no more than five) items of similar colour or theme together in odd numbers - the experts say even numbers can be too symmetrical and I tend to agree.

But what if you don't have a collection per se? First off collections needn't be hoity toity Lampe Berger or Faberge eggs. They can be cheap 'n easy and exist in your home without your even knowing it. I found a collection I didn't even know I had recently - and digging it up solved the dilemma of how to display three separate items I always had displaying separately. Once I figured out I had three jugs - two thrift store finds and one a gift - I threw 'em together and voila, instant display. It helped they had similar colours - the soft hues and florals I associate with the "Shappy Chic" look popularized by Rachel Ashwell bring some continuity to the tableau while the different heights make it more interesting visually (they also pop against the black book they're sitting on).

TIPS:
1). Take a peep around your place and see what you have. Pebbles you've collected from the beach; mounds of letters from old lovers; hardcover art books - anything can be a collection.

2). Displaying a collection needn't entail fancy shmancy contraptions you see on the reality TV home decor shows. It can be as simple as plopping three jugs on a pile of books, or stacking coffee table books in an unexpected place like the floor.

3). Don't be scared to showcase an odd ball that doesn't fit into your collection on its own. If it truly is unlike anything you have, it'll stand on its own as a statement piece if you create a backdrop that showcases it well.