The art of arranging
There’s something therapeutic about the act of arranging, allowing your personality to shine via vignettes on shelves and tables, in corners and on walls. Building a look that’s ‘you’ won’t happen overnight, but follow these simple steps and you’ll ensure that rather than being a cluttered hot mess, the displays you curate will be cohesive and well thought-out.
1 .
Pick a hero piece. Identifying an anchor gives you a starting point for a composition. We began with the photographic prints, as we knew they were going to dominate in scale and they created a theme for the colour scheme.
2 .
Build with books. A shelf should be both beautiful and functional, so books are integral here. Stack them horizontally and vertically to avoid too-symmetrical rows of spines.
3 .
Add accessories. Limit your palette so individual pieces don’t compete for attention; remembering that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts will make your styling more sophisticated. Sit single dishes on top of stacked books, cluster objects of varying heights in trios and group like items to amplify the visual effect of the collection through repetition.
4 .
Go green. Flowers add instant life to any scene. Infuse your home with the fragrant freshness of cut or potted blooms, or try oversized foliage for a more dramatic, lush look.
5 .
Step back and critique. Termed ‘negative space’, the gaps you leave between your objects are equally as important as the pieces themselves. Sometimes when an arrangement’s just not working, all it needs is for you to subtract an element from the equation.
If you're not already a collector, consider keeping an eye out for crystals, shells, stones, vintage candleholders, handmade pottery, cut glass, botanical art, antique implements or birds’ nests. The possibilities are virtually endless.
