• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
  • Contact

Here’s the #1 Tip to Making an Arrangement Look Great

January 5, 2015

The key to make a great looking sideboard arrangement, or any arrangement for that matter, I think, is to find balance in arranging. There are tons of other rules of arranging to be observed… and broken, but balance is really key.

Let’s run through the steps to make an arrangement on this sideboard and see just what balance does to make it look visually appealing:

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Here is the built-in sideboard, original to our newly renovated 100 year old house.

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

First thing I start with, is the big center piece, which in this case is this large birdcage. This birdcage is quite large. I love that even though it is big, with the open wire walls, it allows the mirror mounted behind it to bounce light around. However, just because it is the biggest piece of the composition, it’s not necessarily the focal point… keep reading…

Next, some light and freshness…

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

I have used these faux amaryllis flowering bulbs from Target in so many arrangements. They have so much going for them… fresh white, natural texture, and height.

Here’s the first balancing tip…

See how there are 2 amaryllis on the left and only 1 on the right? That weighs the left a little more, pulling your eye there to start, and the way they’re arranged on the left, from the front to the back, your eye reads it from the far left front to the back left corner of the birdcage and then off to the front right.

But I’m not happy with just the plain painted top of the sideboard in this layout, so after I went to search for something interesting, I decided on this:

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

It is actually a piece of landscape burlap, with a very open, textural weave. (here you can see how I used some of this burlap for a tablescape in our former house)

This burlap piece helps ‘tie’ all the pieces that make this arrangement into one unified group.

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

The burlap is laid loosely, slightly bunched, for a very casual effect.

Now just to fill in the arrangement a little, without getting it too busy with a lot of small things.

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

OK, so remember what I said about breaking the rules? You must be willing to adjust as you’re making an arrangement.

Yup, I changed it up so that the 2 potted amaryllis bulbs are now on the right, but to compensate and still start your eye on the left, I added an even taller yellow orchid, that I placed in a champagne bucket. (I bought the pair at an estate sale in Maine last summer. I just loved it for it’s shape and color) Then to compliment the champagne bucket, I placed it’s mate, an ice bucket slightly in front and right of the champagne bucket.

So now, my very subtle accent color is yellow. Do you see how it’s balanced and flows throughout the arrangement?

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

First the tall yellow orchids on the left, the very subtle yellow centers of the amaryllis, and then the Villeroy and Boch bowl on the right front has yellow accents.

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

It is this balance of color that gives flow and what makes an arrangement almost have movement, pulling your eye around it. Besides balancing the yellow in the composition, do you also notice the white balanced and flowing from the silver pieces to the amaryllis and candles in the back and around to the other side curling up and ending at the Villeroy and Boch bowl in the front? And the way that all the pieces are arranged to almost hug the small white bowl?

Balance in Arranging SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Aha! Thus the smallest piece, the white Villeroy and Boch bowl is the focal piece of the whole composition on the sideboard, isn’t it?

Now there are certainly other aspects one could note in this very basic arrangement, such as groups of 3 are for some reason pleasing to the eye. Note 3 amaryllis, 3 objects on each side of the birdcage, and 3 main groups, (the yellow orchid group being 1, the birdcage being 2 and the pair of amaryllis and bowl on right being the third)

And how about texture, and certainly juxtaposition… look at the contrast from the humble landscaper’s burlap to the fine Villeroy and Boch bowl sitting on it! (I love, love, love juxtapostion in decorating!!)

I could go on and on, in fact, the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words, comes to mind when I think of practically that many things to help explain my thoughts when constructing an arrangement such as in this picture. But for now, much is explained and hopefully intriguing you to do some arranging with just thinking about balancing.

You can find more tips on arrangements and vignettes I’ve written about here:  Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures

If you liked this tip and would like to see more household tips I’ve written about, check out the DIY, Tutorial & Tips Page here.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Please feel free to follow and share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook, Pinterest, Flipboard, Bloglovin, YouTube and Instagram! I appreciate you reading along.

Yay!! We were featured at: My Repurposed Life  This post is found at these other blogsites: A Stroll Thru Life, Between Naps on the Porch Tablescapes,  A Bowl Full of Lemons, Catch as Catch Can, French Country Cottage, DIY Showoff, Coastal Charm, My Romantic Home, DIY Showoff, I Should be Mopping, Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Nest, Between Naps on the Porch, DIY by Design, Serenity Now, Uncommon Design, Funky Junk Interiors, Home Stories A to Z

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brianne says

    March 22, 2018 at 12:21 am

    Would u mind sharing where u got the hardware for this buffet/sideboard piece?? My husband is building me something similar and I love the vintage looking hardware!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      March 22, 2018 at 7:07 am

      Thank you Brianne, I too liked the vintage look to it. I found it at Menards. I know they still have that hardware, because I just saw it in there yesterday. If you’re not located by a Menards, they do have a website and thou could track it down that way hopefully. If you still can’t find it, let me know… I am in Menards frequently (like almost every day, with the house renovation we’re doing) and can find info for you.

      Reply
  2. Amanda says

    October 10, 2016 at 2:03 pm

    I love the color the wood is painted! Would you mind sharing the paint color!?

    Reply
    • Liz says

      October 10, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      https://simpledecoratingtips.com/2016/02/17/paint-colors-for-our-100-year-old-house/

      The buffet in the dining room is a Hirshfield’s color “Iron Horse”.

      Reply
  3. Bev says

    January 9, 2015 at 6:21 am

    Love the way this looks and thanks for the great tip and demonstration!

    Reply
  4. Sandra Garth says

    January 6, 2015 at 4:45 pm

    I feel as though I should have paid for that lesson it was great!

    Reply
    • HomeToCottage.com says

      January 6, 2015 at 5:24 pm

      Oh my gosh Sandra, that is so sweet of you to say. Thank you for popping over here. Liz

      Reply
  5. Kim @ Cozinest says

    January 6, 2015 at 9:55 am

    You did a beautiful job! This is simply gorgeous! I use the time of packing away Christmas to re-accessorize my house. It gives me a totally new look with old things every January.

    Reply
  6. Pinky at Designs by Pinky says

    January 5, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    BEAUTIFUL piece and arrange,ent. LOVE the burlap on there. I tried several times to find the amaryllis at Target.com but couldn’t. Can you send me a link??? Thanks so much!!!!!

    Reply
    • HomeToCottage.com says

      January 5, 2015 at 2:29 pm

      Thank you Pinky. So I bought these amaryllis several years ago at Target.com. I’m sorry, but I bet it was close to 10 years ago, I wonder if they are now discontinued? And actually, they may have just been offered for that particular season even. Good luck finding something similar. Liz

      Reply
  7. Donnamae says

    January 5, 2015 at 8:19 am

    Good advice…it looks lovely! Funny thing…after I took down my Chtistmas decorations and tried to put back what I had there….i couldn’t remember what I had on my dining buffet! ( I had forgotten to take pictures!). So I had to start over, retrieve what I thought would look good from various hiding places, and I’m still playing with it three days later. I guess I’ll get it, but I’m also trying for a more uncluttered look! It’s not as easy as it looks. That’s such a perfect spot for your birdcage! 😉

    Reply
    • HomeToCottage.com says

      January 5, 2015 at 2:24 pm

      Oh my gosh, me too Donnamae! I totally forgot how I had the shelves and tabletops before Christmas decor changed them all too. Oh well, it’s fun to re-create them and see all the special knick-knacks in a new light.

      Reply

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Our Whole House Renovation: Mid-Century into Colonial Revival Cottage Style

SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating the Basement Apartment
Wall Mounted Pot Rack
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Cedar Closet Lining
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to tips Window Well Installation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com we had to cut down 13 trees
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating a Whole House is a Lot
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Door & Window Decisions
Creating a Built-In Faux Fireplace
Incorporating Vintage & New Light Fixtures SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com From a Tub to a Shower
Dining Room Progress SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Bathroom Renovation Done
Tiling the 2nd bath floor
Repurposing Vintage Screen Door
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Basement Apartment Progress
Main Floor Completion Celebration Giveaway SimpleDecoratingTips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Renovating Update Post
How to Install an Interior Storm Window SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Fireplace Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Simple DIY Curtain
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Adding a Front Porch
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How I Made Curtains without a Sewing Machine
Before and After Living Room Renovation
Antique Inspired Kitchen Island
Vintage Window Awning Redo SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Re-Thinking the Living Room Furniture Plan
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Luxury Vinyl Planks
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Surface Mounted Suspended Ceiling
front porch addition mostly done SimpleDecoratingTips.com
hall closet into library simpledecoratingtips.com
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Progress Report on our Whole House Renovation
SimpleDecoratingTips.com How to Change a Door Lock
SimpleDecoratingTips.com Repurposing Cabinets
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
Before and After Front Entry Renovation SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Front Entry Portiere

Footer

Shop Decor Steals

AntiqueFarmHouse

Have you noticed this site is faster?! It’s because I switched to SiteGround!!

Web Hosting

My Household Tips and Tutorials for You:

Packing & Moving Tips
how to install a floating shelf
how to naturally clean silver
Hang a Group of Pictures with even spacing
First Aid Remove Sticky Residue
DIY Natural Simmering Potpourri simpledecoratingtips
Five Ways Hardware made a Difference
7 Simple Hangers and How to Use Them
Make your own Natural Potpourri
How to Mount a Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
how to install a vintage ceiling light fixture simpledecoratingtips.com
DIY  natural sachets
How to Clean Spilled Wax
How to Avoid a Greasy Mess when Frying on the Stove
Plate Hanger
How to Remove Carpet Depressions
Housekeeping Naturally
How to Remove Pet Urine Stains
How to Hang a Wall Mounted Lamp
How to hang a window box SimpleDecoratingTips.com

Gardening Tips

before  after circular garden
DIY Hanging Terrarium
we had to cut down 13 trees
before  after front garden landscaping
1-in the garden with water walls and cloches
DIY Compost Bins
Creative-Planters
Potting Shed
snug-harbor-farm
DIY Window Well Installation
Tips on Forcing Bulbs Indoors
moving-a-screened-gazebo-onto-the-property
Ingenious Tips to DIY this Planter
raised bed container gardening title
Backyard Boat Pond
Window-Boxes-inside-a-2nd-story-porch
DIY Brick Edging
rooftop-garden
Transplanting Stella D'Oro Daylilies
How to Prune a Peegee Hydrangea
before and after front terraced garden
What-is-this?
Kid's Craft DIY Miniature Fairy Garden
Before and After Landscape and a DIY Pergola
2 pergolas  garden update
spring-planter-arrangement
How I re-did these Concrete Lions
Creating-an-Oasis-with-a-Water-Fountain
Humidity Tray for Orchids
Turtles and Window Boxes
DIY Simple Deer Proofing
Dry Stack Stone Planter
install this arbor and fence in one day
The-Beauty-of-Fences1
Growing Grass in a Vintage Scale
The-Story-of-a-Blue-Jay-Title-Page
Garden & Landscape Inspiration


Disclosure Policy: According to FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that some of the content of this blog may be a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Copyright

Sharing is great! Please feel free to share this blog with your friends, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest and Flipboard and Houzz and YouTube the more the merrier! I appreciate you stopping by. But please remember that all photos, images, text and content are owned by SimpleDecoratingTips.com. So anything you share, please be sure it always links back to my original post it came from. Please do not remove watermarks, crop or edit anything without written permission from me first.

Disclosure Policy: According to the FTC guidelines, I want you to be aware that this blog is a source of income and may occasionally incorporate endorsements or testimonials and shopping links. It is important to me to disclose this to you. The content of this blog is a source of income and therefore may be used to promote products, services, or other businesses. I will only choose to promote products/services/businesses that I feel will be beneficial to my readers. Products provided to me by my advertising partners for my review are given to me free of charge with no cost to myself. This does not ensure a positive review of the product in any way. While I hope to generate a small profit for my time and effort to create this blog, I hold myself to the highest standard of integrity. I appreciate my readers, and always make it my goal to deliver quality, honest material on this blog through each post. Thanks for reading along, Liz

Graphics Fairy

Graphics Fairy

Feedspot

Feedspot

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Blog
  • Reno Projects: House by House
    • Colonial Revival Cottage Reno (our current home)
    • Old House Reno (our last home)
    • Coastal Cottage in Maine
    • Aaron and Melissa’s 1970 Redo
    • Condo Renovation (a client’s home)
  • Details
    • Before & After
    • Holiday & Seasonal Decorating
    • Gardens
    • Details about House Parts
      • Interior Windows
      • Mantels
      • Details on Creating Tablescapes, Vignettes and Hanging Pictures
      • Lighting and Lamps
      • Closets and Storage
      • Furniture, Antiques & Accessories
    • Chalkboard Art and Hand Lettering Projects
    • Travel to Inspiring Places
  • DIY, Tutorials & Tips
  • My Favorite Shopping Links
  • e-Decorating Consultation
  • Contact
↞
↠
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.