Grouping Smaller Items...

...for a Bigger Impact

Last week we talked about hanging wall decor. I mentioned that larger spaces need larger items or a grouping of smaller items. Today, I want to offer tips on building a cohesive collection of elements on a wall.

1. Pick at least one coordinating element to unify your grouping.

::Purchase or paint all frames a single color. (It isn't necessary to use the same style if they match in color or tone.)


::Use all sepia-tone or black & white photos in a picture grouping.

::Create a collage of single colored items. For example: all white plates, frames, and candle sconces.

::Repeating a single element can create a bold graphic display.

2. Find ways to physically connect or contain smaller items.

::Use a shelf (photo ledge/gallery shelf) to display photo frames or plates.

::Pin memorabilia to a large framed cork board.

::Hang an over-sized empty wooden frame around a selection of diminutive decor.

::Connect several items with a length of ribbon hung either horizontally or vertically.

::Hang items (using twine, ribbon, wire...) from a long coat rack or wooden peg rack.

::This brings me to my favorite tip of the day...

Do you have a room that is crying out for a bold splash of paint, but you are too nervous to cover all the walls? Do you have an area or wall with no clear beginning or end? Do you want to create an instant focal point?

Paint a square (circle, rectangle) on the wall to contain your grouping. This can be a splash of color on a neutral-colored wall, a color slightly more intense than the base coat, a contrasting color, or even a simple neutral color.

I recommend painting an area just larger than the grouping you intend to highlight. If you want the freedom to change around your decor, keep the remaining can of paint handy for easy touch-ups and nail hole patches.

If you want to emphasize the area, attach simple (or not so simple) wooden trim in a frame around the painted square.

In our previous home I desperately wanted to paint our hallway an interesting color (it was boring white), but there was no place to end the paint before heading into the kitchen. I painted a large rectangle (it almost filled one wall), hung four picture ledges floor to ceiling within the space, and painted a quote to define the theme.

3. Be aware of your 'white space.'

::Keep a relatively even amount of wall space in between each element. You want your decor to be neither too far apart (so as to seem disconnected), nor too close together (creating a crowded, uncomfortable feeling).

::Avoid creating areas of boxed-in empty wall space in your layout.

4. Choose a unifying theme.

::Themes have a way of establishing instant atmosphere in a room. Straw hats and wooden oars: relaxing boat house. Metal watering cans and vintage botanical prints: garden cottage. Salvaged architectural pieces and industrial sculpture: urban loft. Elvis records and a CocaCola sign: retro diner.

::Consider defining your theme with a quote, lettering, or sign. For example, you might paint the word Nest within a grouping of bird-themed articles.

5. Experiment with placement.

::Set your items on the floor or on a large table so that you can see how they all fit together. When you've arranged everything to your satisfaction, take the center-most item and hang it in the center of your wall space, about eye level. Hang each item, working from the center out.

::Alternately, use pieces of paper cut to the same size as the items you'll be using in your grouping so that you can easily move things around to find the right arrangement. Use tape or poster putty to attach them to the wall. When you are ready to start hanging, put the corresponding paper up to the back of each item to mark where your nail holes need to be. Adhere the papers to the wall, pound your nails through them, tear the papers off, and you are ready to put up the finished product.

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I'll be exploring these tips in greater depth individually in the coming months (with photographs!). Let me know if you have any questions or are interested in a specific how-to and I will try to address them as I cover each topic.

Are there other decorating tips or how-to's that you would find helpful?