When in comes to objects in my home, I’m definitely a ‘more is more’ kind of person. I love to be surrounded by artworks, ceramics, mementos, gifts. Reminders of important people and times in my life. I find it to be very grounding – it’s the definition of home for me.
But to create a visually pleasing collection of home objects does take a bit of practice. Here’s a few tips and tricks that you can apply to the objects on display in your home.
This first image is a great example of one of the easiest ways to put together a display. Simply find all the objects in your home in a particular colour and group them together. I kid you not – it’s as easy as that! Your blue candlesticks, blue ceramics, blue glassware and blue painting will suddenly have real design-cred when displayed together.
This second image is a piece of perfection for me – these are absolutely my kind of colours, furniture and quirky objects. Yet the way they’ve been pulled together is very simple and easy to replicate. Start with a sideboard and an artwork hung in the middle above. Collect together a group of objects that each relate to the colours in the artwork. Then arrange them across the top of the sideboard with the taller objects on the outside. Add in some form of natural element – flowers, foliage – to add visual vitality. Sideboards are also a great spot to put an extra chair or lamp, particularly if they’re as decorative in their own right as these are.
But you don’t need to be a ‘maximalist’ to enjoy having home objects on display. A simple mantle is a great display spot. And remember, objects don’t need to be perfectly symmetrical but they do need to look balanced. This image also shows a great way to display smaller objects. See that creature in the bookshelf? You’ll be amazed at how good small objects can look if you simply place them on a pile of books. This trick works just as well on coffee tables and sideboards as it does on bookshelves.
And lastly, it’s important to remember that you can display absolutely anything. The only rule is that each object is something of meaning and delight for you. Branches, boxes, curios, kids’ creations, shells, glassware, photographs ……. Displaying any object with care and consideration immediately elevates the object’s perceived value. In the end, value only really exists in the eye of the beholder. And you’re the only beholder that matters!
More info on the designers of these four rooms via the links below.
3. Studio Peake
4. YSG Studio