I’m back with another decorating 101 post.
I know. This is probably stuff you learned in utero…but some of us have extra large heads that take extra long to marinate information. So just bare with me & feel free to mock my cranium size at any time. I’ve heard it all. It’s like Sputnik; spherical but quite pointy at parts! (name that movie)
Anyhoo…back to decorating.
Last time we talked about putting together decor for a console table…specifically a certain combination that seems to be a favorite for Pottery Barn masters..the concept was dubbed the ‘Short Tall Combo’. We reviewed how there seemed to be a trend with how the pros had two groups – a tall group and a short group.
We talked about leaving space on either side of the arrangement.
And I told you my theory about the width ratio…75% of the total width of the decor items would be the short group…25% of the total width of the decor items being the tall group.
So now I want to add another concept to our decorating 101 book.
It’s want I like to call clusters.
Let’s for example take a long gander at this console table:
Now stop looking at the specifics…like that amazing vase and the decorators ability to work peach colored walls like a neutral. I want you to look at the table top.
I noticed that in every table top, within the short & tall groups there are clusters.
To be more specific…there are clusters of three objects…or clusters of three clusters.
This is what I like to call 1-2-3 clusters. And they are the star of this post…hence the title 🙂
Each group has three objects creating a cluster of decor items. The left hand cluster is the vase of flowers, the large picture and the little stack of books with a wooden bowl. The right hand cluster is the three bowls of various sizes.
The various sizes is an important feature. Each cluster has three different heights…one tall, one medium, and one short…and when we group them together they are creating flow.
This variety of heights allows our eye to transition easily from short to medium to tall back to short again – creating a circular flow…which in aesthetics is very important. It’s why God made boobs round…I’m sure of it. If the girls were square, boys probably wouldn’t like em so much 🙂
The point is – It’s important that when creating even small clusters, our objects are all varied in height.
So now that we have ‘clusters’ under our decorating belt…let’s combine that concept with a twist of jalepeno. That’s right…we are gonna get spicy. But before I just blurt it out – let’s first take a pop quiz….
WHAT DO THESE 3 PHOTOS HAVE IN COMMON WHEN IT COMES TO DECORATING IN CLUSTERS?
The answer I am looking for is BOOKS.
One of the clusters in each of the three photos is books.
Take another look:
Now how does a stack of books relate to our cluster theory but add a spicy kick? Well, its a group of objects…and if you allow your eye to outline the shape of a stack of books – it does still create a circle…with some jagged edges just like my head….and they are still a group in each photo that holds true to our short-tall theory….and well, they are good for you. Readers make leaders people.
Basically what I am saying is that a group of books can take the place of a 123 cluster. When you combine the books with another cluster of decor objects – it can be a very pleasing combination….let’s call it the BOOK CLUSTER COMBO.
Now let’s review…we went over clusters. We went over the short-tall combo. And we went over the book cluster combo. Let’s see these bad boys in action:
So now…how do you take this home and put it into play? How do you apply this theory to real-life decorating? How does this help you?
Frankly…I don’t know.
I just know that it helped me. Take for instance my living room console table. I first created a stack of books with one of my little birdies on top.
Then, I knew that the other side would require a ‘123 cluster’…so I grabbed two vases – one with faux artichokes and one with faux lilys and a photo frame. Each one has various heights and I put them together on the other side to get my Book-Cluster Combo.
Looks pretty good to me!
But why stop there?!?
I didn’t.
I put the theory to test on my coffee table where I also created another 123 cluster…within a removable tray…afterall, Jeremy & I use this as our dining space on most nights.
It just so happens that now our after-dinner mints (now vase filler) are readily available for taco night. Dontcha just love it when decorating meets function?! Let’s just say “Eso es caliente!” together like a Spanish Paris. (Mom, that means “That’s hot!”)
So you can imagine how excited I was to have this concept in my decorating arsenal. I went around the house saying “One. Two. Three!” and moving things about until I had accomplished ‘flow’ in all my little spaces. But you pros probably already knew this one, didn’t ya? You probably are thinking…Katie, seriously….this is a juvenile decorating concept…in which I reply….I told you…this giant head is to blame. And when that excuse runs out, I whip out the pregnancy card. It works everytime.
Seriously though…am I the last person on earth to realize this? Surely, there are more folks out there like me! Please tell me I am not alone. Or maybe you learned a different decorating concept recently and can’t wait to share it! Blurt it out. Immediately. It’ll make us all feel better. As for those of us that gleaned a tiny shmidge from this little decorating analysis, I would like to challenge you to look at your side tables or your console tables or even your coffee table to see if the ‘cluster’ theory can help you create a little more flow in your space. And remember – books are your friend…in more ways than one.
So I Married an Ax Murderer! LOVE IT! Oddly enough, we even brought it with us on our honeymoon to watch.
I love your decorating lessons, so fun!
I recently learned (and probably already should have known) that wainscoting can go at shoulder height to make a room appear taller. Plus it’s less boring than the traditional chair rail, and depending on what you do, you can put pictures on the rail too!
This is a really good lesson! I don’t think you’re the last to figure it out at all. I think a lot of us may see arrangements we like in magazines or somewhere, but not necessarily recognize the patterns in them, like you did (with a mathematical formula, no less!) I’m definitely going to try out your theories. Thanks for articulating this so well and making it easy to follow.
It’s like an orange on a toothpick!
– So I Married an Axe Murderer
I’m so glad you covered clusters in this post — I’ve been struggling with them myself. Maybe I’ll go grab some books and get busy decorating.
You are so not alone, Katie! In these couple of posts you have helped me put my finger on WHY it is that I like the way console tables look in catalogs. Who doesn’t try to replicate a well-decorated console table. These little themes that you have picked up on now make it seem so simple. How come I didn’t think of these things before!?
umm doesn’t necessarily have to be 3 – just keep it at an odd number, never even.
Jo
I am truly thanking you, Katie! My mother in law had taught me years ago to put things in clusters of three, but I had never noticed the short/tall, 75/25 thing until you illustrated it. You have made decorating 95% easier for me!
Hi Jo –
It’s funny – because my mom always told me odd number things…but she never showed me how to vary the height to create flow…probably just slipped her mind….ya know with raising four kids and homeschooling and running her own business and all, I am sure she meant to mention it 🙂 But you are right – odd numbers work best…I call it the 123 cluster because in my opinion this is the first and easiest way to learn the concept of GOING WITH THE FLOW.
Thanks for the reminder though – I am sure it will come into play later down the line – like in a decorating 201 post 🙂
XO – kb
great post. i’m loving these tutorials. i am also an avid goodwill shopper, and little did i know that i already do 123 clusters and book clusters!
Oh, Katie, you are so my favorite right now! I love these aha moments you’re putting into math equations for us to work with. What made me laugh was one of the photos: https://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj424/allbowerpower/Bower%20Power/Decorating%20Consoles/img87l.jpg the cluster is of the last 3 things I bought my mom as presents in the last year! A glass milk container, a lantern and a cake stand. No joke! I’m going to have to beg to go to her house to use them together now!
I always go by 3’s in all of my decor items, and all my furniture has to have a match or else my brain can’t function. Remember when I took your last short tall combo post and put it in action? If not, here’s a reminder: http://lh6.ggpht.com/_tbxrVJTBfhY/S008nljSt3I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/NBXryFyJVHA/s1600-h/IMG_1620%5B4%5D.jpg
Yep, it’s in 3’s on one side, varying heights! And if you want to get into technicalities, cause I really AM that crazy… there are 3 flowers in the hippo.
One more. This post of my Christmas decorations has 4 examples of my OCDness of 3’s: http://iheartminiblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/deck-halls.html
I lied. ONE more. Thanksgiving 3’s: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_tbxrVJTBfhY/SwXW3uFKmVI/AAAAAAAAAVU/j3pwGKp7XEk/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG
It’s an addiction. Though a healthy one, right? I can’t stop the madness! Please keep the equations coming!
The girl that comments as “Jo” always makes me re-read the comment! LOL! Cause it’s not me and I think.. did i comment that earlier???
Thanks for the helpful tips!
do you think that this is somehow connected to “feng-shui”? also, there is a concept that is encapsulated in a mathematical area known as “fibonacci (sp?) proportion. maybe that is what oyu are seeing, too?
do you think that this is somehow connected to “feng-shui”? also, there is a concept that is encapsulated in a mathematical area known as “fibonacci (sp?) proportion. maybe that is what you are seeing, too?
Love it. I hate math, but I get the concept. Thanks!
I see Hooter Hiders on your wishlist – good call! I nursed with my Bebe au Lait (same company – love it!) all the time! I even had a second one for when the first was in the wash! 🙂 awesome choice!!!
You are not the last to learn that! I didn’t know….but will definitely be looking around the apt know for 1 2 3 clusters! I want to go home right now to check if I have any already 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
I learned a slight variation… as long as it is an odd number in the cluster, it will be more pleasing. I do 5’s often. Varied heights is key.
Fun tip!
Thank you! There are more of us like you (minus the giant head….I do have the Leno chin though!). My husband thinks I’m nuts because every time he comes home from the road at the end of the week (he’s not a trucker…although there’s nothing wrong with that…just in sales), I’ve rearranged our entryway table. We’re (hopefully) buying our first home soon, so these tips are VERY much appreciated!
As a design novice, I love this! Thank you. Keep them coming. I don’t care how basic they are.
Yay! Thanks for sharing… I did not know this, but it does explain my love for things in groups of three…hmmm…
Thanks again!
It’s why God made boobs round….I’m sure of it.
Readers make leaders people.
Both of these statements easily make this my fav blog post of the week, even without the fab clustering advice. Classic.
Eww! I love it! I always look at decorating blogs and such and think “Why don’t I decorate like that??” You are a great teaching! So glad I found your blog. More lessons please!
I am loving all these hints! It puts some reason about why some groupings work while others don’t. Keep it coming!
I used to be on a team that decorated model homes. We used to call your “cluster” theme “pyramids.” It helped to think of groupings in 3D instead of 2D. So a long, short pyramid and a taller, skinny pyramid would make up the top of …say a console table. Great catch! Love your blog. I have been following it for about a month now.
This has nothing to do with decorating; I just wanted to tell you to RUN, not walk, to your nearest Children’s Place because just about all of their items from their fall/winter lines have been marked down to $2.99. Pants, shirts, sweaters, everything! My son is 15 months old and wears 18 month clothes so I bought scads of 3T for next winter. Literally, scads. The total pre-sale price was $161, but I spent a mere $40. $40! For 6 long sleeve polos (I love a collar on a little boy), 2 half zip sweaters, 2 thermal shirts, 2 corduroy pants, and 2 pairs of jeans. Thought you might appreciate the tip being that you’re such a frugalista and all. 😉
Thanks Grace…I gotta go run & google Children’s Place locations!
XO – kB
First of all you’re funny. Second, you’re educational. If only all of my teachers had been this good!
Thanks for the tutorial!
I had someone tell me that clusters need to be of an odd number.
And I love that in the last photo I can see a lil’ bit o’ dust by the candlesticks. It’s like “Katie has dust on her furniture AND has created a fab home….I have dust, thus I will be able create a fab home”. Faulty logic, yes, but o-so-accessible-and-inspiring
Oh m4891 – you have no idea. We are the masters of having a dusty home…I credit it to the constant sanding or the fact that I would rather blog than whip out the Swiffer Duster. In fact, I was gonna mention it in the post…but then I thought “why mention the obvious?!?!” Either way, I am glad that our dusty console makes you smile…if you ever need more dusty shots, I could always send you a photo of our fan blades….it’s like a dust bunny farm up there.
XO – Kb
This post = super helpful. I don’t always have the time I’d like to have to scour design sites and magazines and catalogs and study things like table arrangements, and that’s possibly the area where I need some serious help. So this, and your 1-2-3 post have been maybe my fave posts of all time from you 🙂 Thanks!
PS – I did the same thing with my coffee table, making a whole arrangement inside a tray so I could whip it off the tabletop (every night) when I eat my dinner at it. 🙂
So very cool! And who knew it was that simple of a concept?
So, would the 1-2-3 also apply to bookcases, more specifically, like the Ikea Expedit? I have one and have been struggling to get decor and function at a balance with it. Just thought I’d ask!
I don’t comment much, but I have to tell you I’ve enjoyed reading your blog for quite some time now. It’s informative and entertaining all in one!
Thank you for your very thorough console table “clinic”. Since I haven’t seen any lamps on these tables, I have a question: What do you do when you NEED to have a lamp on it and the outlet is underneath the table top for everyone to see? The cable is a little bit of an eyesore… can you suggest any ideas for concealing it? Thanks so much!!
Hi Ana,
I would suggest that you do one of two things for lamp placement:
1. place the lamp in the center and do two small clusters on either side.
2. place the lamp on the side closest to the outlet and do one cluster on the opposite side.
And here are some ways to hide that cord:
1. if it’s long enough run the cord along the backside of the table and down a leg and then along your floor up to the outlet
2. if you have a console with a lower level shelf, place a large object to block the cord such as an oversized vase, picture frame stacks or books
3. if you have no lower level & the cord isn’t long enough, consider placing a large basket or woven box underneath and stack some books on top
Hope this helps!~
XO – k
Katie, where did you find the image of the console table with the peach colored walls and amazing vase? I am kind of in love with that striped rug and am hoping I can find out where it is from. Thank you!
Hi Amy – the image is from Pottery Barn. Here is the link.
XO – KB
Thank you Katie Bower for another inspiring post ~ I hit up my console table ($20 at a garage sale, woot!) after your first 75/25 post, but it was still struggling. Now I know what I need to do! Keep the tutorials coming, they are fab! And I have to laugh, we have almost the same thing going on on our coffee table, white tray (from GW!) that we painted and a whole stack of books from the thrift store. Books really are my friend…I even turned some out so that the white pages were showing and stacked them on our nightstand Pottery Barn style for free & easy decor. Ok, I’ve rambled enough gotta go make lil’ man some dinosaur egg oatmeal 😉
I am so happy you provide us with these decorating how-tos. I am in the remedial class when it comes to accessorizing and I didn’t know anything about the short-tall combo or clusters. Thanks for this; I’ll definitely put it to work in my casa.
I knew there was something that drew your eye to this but never knew how to do it right. THANK YOU because it takes a while for these things to sink into my head, too!!!
This post totally inspired me!
If you want to check out my attempts at adding some little book stacks to my decor, plus a daring (ha!) tall/short with book cluster combo, I posted some pics: http://lifeisartislife.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/baby-decorating-vignettes/
And gave you a proper shout-out, of course. Thanks for the lesson and the inspiration!!
I love breaking down artistic concepts into simple math! I’m not as adept at it as you are though, so I love reading stuff like this. Cool!
Do a little reading on the Golden Mean and the Rule of Thirds. 🙂
Now I understand why my mother’s house makes so much more sense than mine! I think we instinctively know it, but can’t say why we know this. Now I know! My only problem is that we have our own Short/Tall Combo (a 2 year old and a 1 year old) whose idea of a 1-2-3 is to have all 3 items…on the floor. So, my “pretties” are mostly put away for now. Maybe when they’re older. I’m holding out hope for our oldest. He loves to move his little bed and his sisters crib (laminate wood floors) during nap time and rearrange the furniture! Maybe he’ll appreciate good decor! 🙂
Quick question Katie, where did you get that white tray from on your coffee table? I have been looking all over for one! Also is there a way to get to the previous post on your blog (if I’m not looking at the current one but say one from a prior month)? Keep up the good work! I love your blogging! And what works out even better is that I am pregnant also… due June 7th!
Hi Val –
I got the tray at Target last Christmas. And if you go to the archive dropdown menu then you can see all the past posts organized by month of post date or you can go to the home page and below the most recent post there is a list of at least five of the previous blog posts.
CONGRATULATIONS on your pregnancy!
XO – Katie
I’ve been enjoying reading through your blog, and the fact that you quote “So I Married An Axe Murderer” is the icing on the cake. Thanks for the great ideas, inspiration, and honesty. It’s so nice to know that there are others out there who make the same mistakes or who find joy in quoting old movies. I wish I had a blog I could steer you towards, but all I have is a fb page. If you are so inclined, please feel free to check it out.
I knew the concept of displaying in a group with 3 things, but seriously girl, you have shed a whole new light on the whys and wheres. I love it…and I found you on Pinterest. Thanks so much for detailing it out.