This month we are focusing on organization. A New Year sometimes needs new surroundings, or just less stuff. These are just the basics to get you started. For more in depth information, check out my Seven Layers of Organization book. It is available at larger bookstores and libraries. Remember, you can do it!
Seven Layers of Organization
Layer 6: Arrange & Display
This is the fun part. Now it’s time to blend storage containers with decorative objects for maximum visual impact. The art of display comes into play as principles of uniformity and symmetry add balance and drama to your home.
Let the fun begin! The art of display is purely about what pleases your eye. If you think it looks cool, then it does! I will warn you, however, that this layer is never really finished. I have built-in bookshelves and find myself at least once a week rearranging—playing, really.
Remember you are creative! If you can get dressed, style your hair, and drive a car in a busy traffic, you are not only creative but also more that qualified to make decorating decisions in your home. So, banish the thought that you cannot make your home pleasing.
Let start.
Arranging
This is simply to think in logical order. You got six baskets and six shelves, what do you do? It’s entirely up to you. Whatever pleases your eyes, the more options you try the more fun you’ll have (or the more nuts it will make you).
Next.
Display
Some of the best clues come from the retail business, where the art of display is referred to as merchandising. In fact, the best way to get ideas is to visit your favorite stores and observe how they organize and merchandise. Good merchandising is simply good storytelling. And now that you (I hope) have kept only the stuff that tells your story, this should be a breeze.
There is a lot to cover in this layer, but here are some quick overviews.
Power in Numbers: Clustering like things together gives them importance and design panache they wouldn’t have on their own.
Power in Color: Color is the great unifier. It can make unrelated objects relate, so it’s an easy and inexpensive way to create a great still life. It’s also a nifty way to organize a collection.
Lifts and Levels: A potluck at Aunt Marge’s looks like this: several covered dishes lined up on a table. A buffet at the Four Seasons hotel presents food on elevations with cool stuff tucked here and there. The former is about eating; the latter is an event.
Grouping by Theme: What’s your story? Why do you have what you have? How can you tell the story of how you are connected to it? Here’s an example: a vintage shoe, a propped up vintage purse and a hat on a wire stand (for height), behind them an old post card from a Paris fashion-shoot of the 1900s. It tells a story.
Furniture Placement. You will create more seating, especially in smaller spaces, by placing sofas and chairs in conversation groups in the center of the room. A larger coffee table will anchor the setting. Use an area rug to visually define the seating area.
