Creating displays is a bit like putting on makeup. Although not strictly necessary, it can make a room look wonderful, and it is often the easiest way to create a new look. As with cosmetics, we use displays to make a dramatic visual statement. By placing a picture where it creates a focal point makes the most of the room's good points allowing you to draw attention to a mantelpiece arrangement above the fireplace.
Much of the skill needed to display objects lies in making them look as though they belong where they have been placed, rather than as thought they have been found lying around. Displays are seen as part of a larger whole, so the objects work better if they relate to each other. Most of us have held a picture on a wall only to find that it is either too large or too small. You may also notice how painting a wall or the interior of a display cabinet can suddenly bring the objects on the shelf to life.
The simple act of grouping similar or related objects also increases their impact. Not everyone has a passion for collecting and displays often need to be created out of rather muddled groups of objects.
Take for example a set of pictures in different shapes and sizes can lend a sense of unity if you hang them as a group on a wall. If they still look lost and out of place, you could try hanging them above a piece of low furniture. If the pictures are linked by color, it can be fun to emphasize this with matching frames, although you do run the risk of making the framing more important than the images.
Rather than lining objects up like soldiers, try forming them into groups that display strong contrasts of scale, form, and material.
In many ways, the hardest part of creating displays is knowing when to stop. The line that divides collections and clutter is a fine one. Your displays can quickly turn to clutter. Keep in mind that having a place for your eye to rest is important. When this happens, the time has come to rethink a display or do some serious weeding out.
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