Artful Arranging Made Easy
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Proportion is key to displaying collectibles.
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Show off your cherished collections with these design tips.
Ledge garden
Creating eye-pleasing arrangements of your favorite things may be easier than you think. Just follow our simple guidelines for surefire success.
Everyday glassware turns a window ledge into a lush garden and proves a design point: You can't go wrong if you group like objects into overlapping triangles. Place the tallest piece one-third of the way in from one side of your display area, then work down and out to create balance without boring symmetry. Instead of a flat lineup, stagger the glassware front-to-back to create a deep forest of green. |
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Balancing act |
| Balance in a composition creates a kind of calm that appeals to our sense of order. To tip the scale in favor of a harmonious display, think about each element's visual weight. Of same-sized items, those with bright or dark colors will dominate less intense items. Objects with more texture, bolder patterns, and unusual outlines also seem heavier to the eye. In this collection of dried flowers and tin, the large rectangular box on the bottom was placed first for emphasis and as a solid building block. A substantially sized canteen and flower-filled grater form its partners in the first eye-grabbing triangle. You could stop there. Or, mass for impact, filling in with smaller but more intricate items that complete the balancing act and lend interesting contrast to the large, smooth objects. |
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Rhythm section |
Balance
Rhythm keeps toes tapping and, when applied to design, keeps our eyes moving gracefully from one object to the next in a display. Start with a focal point. In this setting, an old photo set off with a wide mat captures attention. Above it, a wooden shelf forms a stage on which treasures can parade. The asymmetrical balace of the weightier bowl, doily, and pitcher on the right with the three trimmer pitchers at the left gets the rhythm started. The beat goes on, thanks to the use of repetition. Marching single-file, this chorus line of white ironware, with its progression of shapely handles and lips, carries the eye along. Even the negative space between the pitchers varies in width to keep this lively group from becoming static.
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