Decorating
Credenza Credentials: How to Put Your Life on Display
Follow these six rules to successfully style your sideboard your way
Our homes are an extension of ourselves, and the items we put in them are an extension of our experiences. Every item we proudly display in our homes carries a story, memory, or feeling within them and should be displayed appropriately. Now, if you’re anything like me, you can’t pass up a single opportunity to purchase a new trinket on your travels. Not only do I have an unhealthy addiction to ceramics, but I also like collecting all sorts of other items that happen to catch my eye. I’ve always had a fascination with ‘stuff’; creating new collections and curating those items is something I enjoy doing, and is also a really simple way to change the atmosphere around my home.
Most of the time, when I’m arranging things, I’ll go with my gut as to what works and what doesn’t. But I will always follow a general set of rules for groupings that give maximum impact and interest. Read on for a few of the rules I live by to help guide you in creating the perfect sideboard collection of your own life experiences.
Most of the time, when I’m arranging things, I’ll go with my gut as to what works and what doesn’t. But I will always follow a general set of rules for groupings that give maximum impact and interest. Read on for a few of the rules I live by to help guide you in creating the perfect sideboard collection of your own life experiences.
As a super minimal sideboard, this almost disappears to the wall. The interest is in the composition of the items on the surface. The bright orange grabs your attention and brings focus to the entire sideboard. Just because it’s minimal, doesn’t mean that it is soulless! Perhaps you have a collection of same-coloured trinkets you picked up while travelling? It’s time to gather them together for display.
Rule 2: Vary item heights
Choosing items that are different in height, shape and dimension is a great way to create an interesting composition on your sideboard.
If the items you want to use are a similar height, try adding some books underneath them to give you the extra height you need to play with.
Choosing items that are different in height, shape and dimension is a great way to create an interesting composition on your sideboard.
If the items you want to use are a similar height, try adding some books underneath them to give you the extra height you need to play with.
Flowers are another great way to bring in some height to your compositions, even if only temporarily. For added longevity, choose plant species that maintain their beauty once they have dried out. I adore dried botanicals, such as proteas, which look just as amazing once they’ve dried out as they do freshly cut.
Rule 3: Layer it up
Perhaps you don’t have room for hanging art on your walls? Stacking and layering smaller sized artworks on the sideboard is a great way to bring depth and interest into your setting.
If you’re going to go down this path, try not to overwhelm the frames by putting items in front of them.
Perhaps you don’t have room for hanging art on your walls? Stacking and layering smaller sized artworks on the sideboard is a great way to bring depth and interest into your setting.
If you’re going to go down this path, try not to overwhelm the frames by putting items in front of them.
Rule 4: Offset with artwork
Artwork and sideboards go hand in hand like cheese and … well, everything.
If you have a large-scale artwork that you’re wanting to feature, try offsetting it with the sideboard to create a little more interest. Here the frame and the sideboard material help unify these two items, while still maintaining their individuality.
Artwork and sideboards go hand in hand like cheese and … well, everything.
If you have a large-scale artwork that you’re wanting to feature, try offsetting it with the sideboard to create a little more interest. Here the frame and the sideboard material help unify these two items, while still maintaining their individuality.
Rule 5: Justify your bits
Sideboard styling is often a balancing act. I am a big fan of justifying items to one side to balance out the other side.
This sideboard arrangement employs all of the basic techniques of scale, layering and varying height of items to create a really beautiful composition. The extra interesting dimension is added because these items are so nicely justified to balance the mass of the television on the other side.
Sideboard styling is often a balancing act. I am a big fan of justifying items to one side to balance out the other side.
This sideboard arrangement employs all of the basic techniques of scale, layering and varying height of items to create a really beautiful composition. The extra interesting dimension is added because these items are so nicely justified to balance the mass of the television on the other side.
Rule 6: Consider scale
If you’re going to adopt a less is more agenda in your styling, make sure the items you’re choosing to show off can handle their surroundings. This plant is just about the right size for the context of the setting – if it were any smaller, it would be lost. Any bigger, and it would overwhelm the rest of the furniture and furnishings.
If you’re going to adopt a less is more agenda in your styling, make sure the items you’re choosing to show off can handle their surroundings. This plant is just about the right size for the context of the setting – if it were any smaller, it would be lost. Any bigger, and it would overwhelm the rest of the furniture and furnishings.
It goes the other way, too! Just because something is small doesn’t mean you should disregard it completely. Small-scale wooden landmarks have been used to create an interesting composition on the sideboard.
The scale of the items could have been easily lost in the context of the surroundings, but they have been justified by the glass case over the top of them, which makes them seem like one larger item altogether.
The scale of the items could have been easily lost in the context of the surroundings, but they have been justified by the glass case over the top of them, which makes them seem like one larger item altogether.
Don’t be afraid to be out there and try different things – you’ll never know what works and what doesn’t if you don’t first give it a go!
YOUR SAY
Do you love to collect and curate your items at home? Share your successes in the Comments.
MORE
Easy Ways to Make a Wall Vignette for Your Home
9 Tips to Style a Shelf Like a Stylist
6 Tactics to Help You Discover Your Personal Decorating Style
YOUR SAY
Do you love to collect and curate your items at home? Share your successes in the Comments.
MORE
Easy Ways to Make a Wall Vignette for Your Home
9 Tips to Style a Shelf Like a Stylist
6 Tactics to Help You Discover Your Personal Decorating Style
Limiting colour is a great way to draw interest into a particular element on your sideboard .
What works so well here is the boldness of the artwork on the wall, which references the yellow item on the sideboard to tie them together, but allows each one to stand out in its own right.