The Art of Display

We all have character flaws. Mine is that I go around creating perfect little worlds so I don't have to deal with the real world when it's not perfect or when I'm not in control. It's a pretty big issue that I'm becoming more and more aware of with each passing day, but for now I'm just going to roll with it.*

This morning, my real world was supposed to be in the garden, but I'm feeling a little stuck. Naturally I found something to distract me for the time being. Something that I have complete control of and that I don't have to spend more than 30 minutes doing. The end result being perfect (to me) and therefore bringing me great pleasure.

I brought this little bench (rummage sale find- $2!) inside today because the plants that were on it out on the deck have all withered away. I thought it would provide a nice area to display a few things that I have had stored in the closet since the end of winter. I like to put away my heavier colors in the summer months and then bring them out again once it starts to cool down (even though it's not quite cooling down...82 degrees in October is quite odd for Wisconsin). 

So since I did this, I thought I'd do a post on the art of display. I'm really into styling when it comes to interiors. Nice displays help me relax and rigid displays make me crazy. I like flow when it comes to styling so I came up with a list of ideas to help you along when you are creating your next display:


+Stick to a color palate. Mine is varying shades of browns, whites and greys.
+For interest within a palate, offer different finishes. I like to use metallics for this.
+Try to include a variety of textures. Textures help immensely. For example, the pottery piece that I have has horizontal lines. This helps keep your eyes moving. Same with the bee linocut- the sunburst pattern helps the display from feeling static. 
+Use your tallest item in the middle, usually behind everything. You can see that my white cabinet door is not in the middle when paired with the lantern, but it is in the middle if the lantern is treated as it's own thing. When you are working with 2 large items, try to use one on it's own and the other as an anchor for the rest of your items.

+Now that you have this established, work in a triangle. This takes some practice but you will learn the balance after you understand the general theory. 
+Layer your items- it creates much more interest and flow.
+Take a photo. This is always a huge help...it helps you to frame your display and focus on what could be different. It's a huge help when you get stuck- try it.

Other ideas for displaying objects:
+Display collections. If you collect old cameras and spread them throughout your house, try grouping them all together. This creates a much higher impact. 
+Change your displays seasonally- it helps your space feel fresh and you'll admire the pieces you've had around for awhile.
+Use a variety of sizes. I think this is often overlooked...you want to transition from your largest piece down to your smallest. Try not to leave a large gap between your big things and small things.

Ideally I would have liked my candelabra shifted to the right just a little bit, but I couldn't because the base is too big and it is up against something already. So I just deal with it.

Okay, so I'm presenting you with a challenge! I want you to create a new display in your home and email me your photos! I'd be happy to help anybody who has questions as well. I'll show them on the blog and link back to your blog once I have a few submissions. Deadline is October 17th edit: okay, does the 27th work better for you? Send me a link at erinscissorhands AT gmail DOT com.
  
*please note that i'm not trying to turn you all into perfectionists! haha, it may seem like i am after i talked about this being an issue for myself and then going onto persuade you guys to try it for yourself! i just thought it'd be a fun challenge for the week to try and get readers a little more involved. and PS- i know that there will be at least one person who raises a brow at my first paragraph but please know that i'm getting working on this issue and hope to be a little more accepting of imperfections one day. i don't normally share that sort of info but i often wonder if people who are very into design share this same perfectionist mindset? it only makes sense that we would...thoughts?