The Art of Arranging

What every guest room needs! Water, lotion, a candle, and a flashlight on the nightstand arranged on a tray!

Tea time! Cute containers never go to waste at my parents' ranch house

One of the main things I notice when combing through a client’s home before listing it is the knick-knack problem. Maybe you have picked up something beautiful on an overseas trip, inherited a piece from grandma, or been given something special but you don’t know how to show it off. So instead of looking special, it just looks random.

I confess this is not my strong point. I vacillate between wanting to be a complete minimalist (rebelling against my mother) to scouring vintage shops in order to style my home. My mom, on the other hand, is an arranging expert. It amazes me that between her own home and two others, she still antiques and finds special places for special things. Not only does she still have a clay sculpture I made in high school sitting in her living room like a prized possession, but she now is making space for her granddaughter’s gifts! While my mom turns to me to declutter her house, I turn to her to arrange and style my house. The photos are a couple examples from my parents’ ranch home.  Ranch style may not be your thing, but the ideas of arranging are present. Here are some pointers I have picked up from Mom through the years:

• Trays cannot be underestimated. They automatically contain and create order to what may look random without the tray.
• Think in threes (or odd numbers) when displaying items.
• Size matters. Don’t let the beautiful piece you just hauled all over Europe look lonely on a table! If it is a smaller item, make sure it goes in a smaller space. Don’t let your stuff be lonely!