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Thursday 4 October 2012

Add Impact With Repetition

They say we have to hear something seven times for it to really sink in.  Decorators know you need to repeat an accent colour three times in a room for it to register in the mind as THE accent colour.  In my years of decorating show homes in seasonal themes, I found repetition gave the most impact.

When I decorated the little 28" long mantel in my library for Hallowe'en, I stuck with the witches and crows theme that was on the bookcases.

Dollarama had 8" tall crows for $2 each and I bought three of them. That's a lot of crow for a 28" space! ~


They are identical but setting them at different angles makes them seem different.  They're big enough to catch the eye.  I feel it has more presence that having a crow, a pumpkin and a ghost.  I tend to lean toward using uneven numbers in this kind of grouping, as well.

In the last post, I showed you how I made this print of a witch from an image I found on The Graphics Fairy. ~ 


I went back to her site for my lovely witch's baby picture, printed it out and tucked it in a silver, Georgian era frame.  Just so you don't think I'm super stingy, I will tell you that I pay dearly for the things that are pre Victorian.  If it comes from the era of one of Jane Austen's heroines, no price is too high for me!  Well, almost no price. ~


The toile wallpaper in this room is so busy that I have to be careful with accessories.  The electric fireplace gets a simple notebook and the paper wand I made last fall.  ~


To see how I made the wand click here.

Here it is all together. ~



I've used repetition in the dining room as well.  When Michael's put these tin buckets, with numbered burlap embellishments, on half price, I bought all nine they had left.  They add some interest to the reclaimed door lintel I hung above the pass through to the kitchen.  Again there is an uneven number and I avoided it being too linear by tucking a pair of Fitz & Floyd pig salt and peppers into the grouping. ~



I guess this is my sneaky way of having clutter that doesn't quite look like clutter.

If I say it seven times, you'll believe me!

13 comments:

  1. I'll believe you anyway - That's the difference of someone who knows their stuff, they are believable. Is there anything not perfect at your place? It is just awesome, do you know when I have spare time, I look through your house. Hope that doesn't sound creepy I just find it fascinating. xoxo

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  2. I'm a believer too! I love those crows, they look great all lined up! That little victorian frame is one I couldn't have passed up either. Now I'm off to see that paper wand. Missed it last year...since I wasn't a blogger then.

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  3. I like the crows on your shelf...really cute...
    Thanks for visiting and following...:)

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  4. I love the black and white design. I am totally in love with your toile wallpaper!

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  5. I love the black and white combo. I love the shelf the crows are on and that little witch picture too.

    Cynthia

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  6. It's just for a few days! Heck...get some more!

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  7. The crows look really good together...power in numbers. I love what you did with the little tins, burlap, and numbers. I'm going to be watching for some of those!

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  8. Hi Maureen,

    Yes, it is definitely true that the human eye differentiates the odd number grouping from other things. I guess the uneven factor has something to do with it. Even if you had 4 of these creepy crows, I'm a bird lover and so I am partial!

    Have a great Thanksgiving!

    Poppy

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  9. I like it all but, then black is one of my favorite colors. The crows I think they look so plush. I think I may try and make some of those buckets myself looks simple enough to do. Thanks for all the inspiration.

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  10. Can't see any clutter Maureen, just objet d'art (that's what I call all my stuff too). I think Jane Austen would have loved to have sat in your library to write, what lovely vignettes.

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  11. I like your tip on using multiple items that are the same. The crows look great with your beautiful toile wallpaper.
    Mary Alice

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  12. I love those crows....great find. I need to get myself to a Dollar store and rustle up some fall slash Halloween decoration perhaps. I am still out of doors pretending that it is summer!

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