If you’re anything like us, your home is your haven. It’s a place where you can relax and feel comfortable. But it’s also a reflection of your style. So when it comes to accessories, it’s important to find a balance between form and function. Here are some tips on arranging accessories in your home to look great and work well for you.
Use A Tray
Using a tray, like on a coffee table or console table, is a great way to add another dimension to a flat surface area and provide a place to contain grouped items that may otherwise look disorderly. Be sure to group items of different heights and different textures. Adding an organic element to your tray, such as a small plant, can bring your grouping life and colour.
Decorative Boxes
Decorative boxes (such as a vintage jewellery box or a canvas- or fabric-covered box) are another great and attractive way to add style while hiding remote controls, keys, and other unsightly items lying around our homes. So not only will using this tip help declutter your space, but you’ll probably be less likely to misplace these items again.
Visual Triangles
A helpful trick all designers love to use is the creation of Visual Triangles. This concept helps you to visualise a proportionate and eye-pleasing arrangement. It’s a technique that is especially helpful when styling mantels or shelves. Here are some key components to keep in mind when creating a Visual Triangle:
Stagger objects by height to create either a symmetrical or asymmetrical triangle. For example, try using a large frame or mirror in the centre of a mantel to anchor your grouping. Then, layer your other decorative accessories, remembering to stagger them by size to create your visual triangle.
Avoid grouping similar-sized objects together. It is a design no-no because doing it will make your grouping appear boxy and lack visual interest.
Avoid long, zig-zagging, or jagged arrangements (also known as Mountain-Ranging). Instead, start your grouping with the tallest item in the middle, then stagger your items by height, again trying to create a Visual Triangle. Placing bigger objects toward the back and smaller ones in front also helps add visual interest to your triangle.
If your decor looks haphazard, try arranging it in a visual triangle. The simplest way to start decorating in visual triangles is to place your tallest object in the centre at the triangle’s peak. Next, put the second tallest off to one side, the third tallest to the other, and keep tapering out to the sides.
Once you get a little more adventurous with your arrangements, you can try an asymmetrical triangle where the tallest object is off to one side, and the rest of the objects taper down in height order.
Creating visual triangles is especially helpful when decorating shallow display spaces like mantels, bookshelves, or single-sided arrangements like a buffet or dresser top.
Varying Heights
The key here is to avoid putting two objects of the same height beside each other, as mentioned previously. Instead, group items of varying heights to make things visually pleasing. One of our favourite tricks is using books to help elevate objects.
This tip also applies to your walls, which we often forget to accessorise. Try hanging your artwork, frames, or mirrors in visually striking patterns using varying heights and shapes on your wall to make a bold statement.
Groups Of 3 Or The Rule Of 3
It is a guideline more than a rule, but it simply means that items arranged in odd numbers are more visually appealing and effective than groupings of even-numbered objects. The number three seems to be the “magic” number, but other odd-numbered groupings of five or seven items can work nicely. Another important tip when creating your groupings of odd-numbered items is to try and mix vertical and horizontal objects and mix texturally different items. Again, your goal is to create visual interest in your decorative arrangement.
Objects look better when grouped in odd numbers, and groupings of three are the most eye-pleasing. You can display a solo object if it’s a large statement piece. If you have a large area to style, you can use groupings of five, seven, or nine objects.
But three looks the best. So why not keep it simple?! My favourite way to apply the Rule of Three is to group two coordinating objects that are different heights with a contrasting decorative object. For example, the two mercury glass mushrooms below contrast nicely with the squirrel figurine.
Books
Whether you are arranging a bookshelf or using a stack of books to help elevate or add visual interest to another surface in your home, remember to mix it up by arranging your books horizontally and vertically. For example, stacking three books together with a small decorative item on top, near a section of books placed vertically, creates a much more eye-pleasing arrangement than merely placing all of your books in a long, vertical line across the shelf.
Remember, accessories are the finishing touches added to your space – they should work together with your furniture to personalise your home. We know these guidelines will help you arrange your accessories most effectively. With our home design tips and tricks, we hope you can now fill any blank or cluttered surfaces with visually-pleasing arrangements that will make your home look like you professionally decorated it.
Balance The Books
Books are a crucial decorating accessory — they create a sense of longevity and are also interesting visually. They can be a design element of a room and work well interspersed with accessories. Sorting out your shelves to maximise your books is a great activity for a rainy day.
Arrange books by colour, which creates an artistic element.
Create a rhythm and sense of order on your shelves by using a mix of books interspersed with decorative items.
Use books as graphic, colourful pedestals to give framed photos and other treasured objects a lift.
If you have alcoves on either side of a fireplace with shelves, use books on every other shelf together with ornaments and groups of photos on the other shelves. For symmetry, you could mirror your arrangement from one side on the other side of the fireplace.
Eye Rhythm For Interest
Use height and scale to guide the eye. For example, in the photo below, the mirror adds vertical interest to the collection on the table. The eye travels naturally from the mirror to the lamp, then steps down to the items on the tray and back up again to the pillar candles.
Multiples Of One Item
Multiples of a single item and make an impact. For example, on this mantelpiece in a bedroom, I have placed a group of vintage bottles in front of a painting. Farrow & Ball’s ‘Teresa’s Green’ painted walls complement the green bottles.
Making The Most Of Your Tabletops
Coffee tables or ottomans offer a lot of space to display books, decorative pieces and flowers/plants. You can use trays to group similar items, e.g. candles (below). To enhance a stack of books, place one or two small items on top of the books.
Style Your Accessories
Artwork
A table of accessories teamed with a piece of wall art can work well. Ensure you hang the art 20-30 cm above the table (no higher) and that some of the items displayed overlap the artwork as this ensures the connection between them.
Make sure you have items to give height, e.g. lamps or a piece of sculpture, and then add other items of materials and colours that harmonise well or follow a theme.
Flowers And Plants
Flowers and plants are important as part of a display as they add life. I love succulents (below) as they have a wonderful architectural quality.
Candles
Candles are useful for creating an atmosphere. In the photo below, I have created a shelf of various vintage candlesticks together with tealight holders and two succulents in pots. When the candles are lit, they create a real focal point of soft candlelight.
We are all guilty of leaving an item or items in one spot and never moving it. Try making a fresh look, moving items around the room, and teaming them up with other items. Rotate items regularly – pull items out of cupboards that haven’t had an airing in a while and put away other items.
Wow, Them At The Welcome
Don’t forget your entrance hall as it’s important to introduce visitors to your home and your personality as soon as they come through the front door. Add a table lamp to create a pool of light and a few chosen items to complement it on a small table.
Showcasing A Collection
If you collect certain items, e.g. jugs, a type of china, etc., don’t scatter them around a room — the eye cannot focus and enjoy any one item.
Pick a selection of items from your collection of a similar size or hue. For example, in the photo below, there is a collection of globes on top of the cabinet and a collection of creamware inside the cabinet. Do you agree that the dark background in the second photo is a more effective way of displaying creamware? The small touches of green fern and the pears certainly warm the display.
Work Your Magic In A Wall Display.
I love how this large quantity of similar items has been showcased in a basic storage unit. Each cubicle has been cleverly styled to repeat the colours to create an impact. You will also notice that in each cubicle, tall objects have been placed at the back with smaller ones in front. You could apply the same concept to several longwall shelves.
You can also use one long shelf to display a number of the same items as in the photo with old watering cans. The eye is drawn to these items as they beautifully contrast the white walls and units. You could display plates or jugs in a kitchen or even soft toys in a child’s room.
Variation
There are three things you should always vary when you’re mixing and matching decor: height, shape, and texture.
For height, unless the objects are identical height, they should all be different heights. Again, you want to vary the height of the decorative items you display together.
Grounding And Anchoring
The secret to reducing visual clutter on any surface is to reduce the number of footprints on the surface. You do that with grounding and anchoring.
Grounding creates order and a visual connection to the surface your décor is sitting on. Grounding your decor will give it a more finished appearance and make the arrangement look intentional. Do you know how you use a rug to define a seating arrangement and ground the furniture? The same principle applies to grounding your décor.
When in doubt, put a tray under it. It is a must on coffee tables and ottomans. It looks nice, but it also makes the décor easy to move when you want to put your feet up. Trays also work wonders in clutter-prone places like kitchens and bathrooms.
Not every decorative grouping needs to be grounded, but if you feel a grouping looks random or disjointed, try putting it on a tray or another horizontal layer. It might just be the finishing touch the arrangement needs.
Grounding your groupings helps anchor items, so they’re not just floating around. Everything has a place to go back to. For example, when I put the jars of coffee beans and the coffee grinder on a tray in my kitchen, suddenly the countertop clutter became a coffee bar.
Breaking Planes
One of the biggest decorating mistakes is forgetting to bust out of the vertical and horizontal planes. If all you have is tall vases and candlesticks or flat trays and books, your decorating won’t ever look done because you only address the vertical and horizontal planes.
How do you break the planes? With objects that you can’t categorise as vertical or horizontal. Allow me to introduce you to what I like to call “plane breakers.”
The dresser top in my studio used to lack dimension. I wasn’t breaking any of the other styling secrets I shared with you, but the arrangement looked boring. It looked like something was missing. So to bring this space to life, I had to mix it up and bust out of the vertical and horizontal planes.
The plane breaker on my re-styled dresser top is the fan. The round shape of the fan creates movement because it bridges the horizontal and vertical planes.
When looking for plane breakers, you want decorative objects with an organic or abstract shape, like spheres, urchins, stars, planets, animal figurines, sculptures, lanterns, or bells.
The Rule Of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is a photography guideline to improve the composition of an image. It divides the photograph into thirds vertically and horizontally, creating a grid. You might have seen a grid-like this on the back of your camera.
A strong visual composition is where the subject or focal point is on one of the vertical or horizontal lines. The strongest composition is when the subject is at one of the intersections of these lines.
To apply this concept to decorating, I want you to try to break the habit of centring everything. We naturally want to centre things, but that can look boring. Of course, you don’t have to have everything off-centre either, but you should always try it when you’re styling.
Layering
One of the things that I think separates professionally decorated spaces from amateur spaces is layering. Layering helps create a separation between two surfaces. A layer between the furniture piece and your decor can help ground a decorative grouping. Putting a tray under objects is one simple way to layer.
In this example, the faux fur spilling under the pillows adds another layer and gives the arrangement more depth. Even the blankets inside the basket, and the fact that the basket is sitting next to the bench, create more visual layers.
You can also layer on vertical surfaces. What takes a mantel from boring to beautiful is layering. It’s easy to get trapped in a pattern of lining everything up on a mantel because the surface is shallow. Instead, try layering flat pieces behind other objects for more interest and depth to make your mantel decor look better.
Picture frames, art, mirrors, decorative screens, and trays are great vertical layers. Use them leaning against the wall to add a vertical layer on a nightstand, picture ledge, or on the top of a dresser.
Conclusion
Accessories can pull a room together and give it that finished look, but only if they’re arranged in the right way. We’ve put together some tips to help you figure out how to arrange accessories in your home so that you can achieve the look you want. If you follow these guidelines, your accessories will be sure to impress guests and make your home feel more like a sanctuary.
FAQs
How Do Interior Designers Arrange Objects?
Harmonise objects of different shapes and sizes with an asymmetrical arrangement. For example, balance a tall, large object with several smaller ones. Nestle the items together to increase the arrangement’s visual weight and overlap shapes to create layers. Choose items from the same colour palette to unify unrelated objects.
What Is Grouping In Interior Design?
It is important to create furniture groupings where size and shape mimic each other, creating an integrated look. You can adjust the room’s visual height and scale with other various-sized objects, but furniture should be similar in size/scale/shape when grouped.
What Are Decorative Accessories?
These accessories include curtains, sofa sets, cushions, tablecloths and decorative craft products, decorative wrought iron, etc. These items are commonly used in indoor furnishings and layouts and can include cloth items, paintings, and plants.
What Is The First Thing To Decorate A Room?
Decorating a room is a little bit like getting yourself dressed, in that the order of things matters. Outfitting, for most people, goes something like this: undergarments first, followed by layers of clothes, accessories, shoes, maybe a coat.
Which Room Should You Decorate First?
When decorating your first home, start with the bedroom. When decorating your first home, start with the bedroom.