1. Embrace Imperfection:

Go for a symmetrical layout with mismatched frames. Mix frames of similar shades, juxtapose colors and shapes in long lines, circles, sharp squares, etc. Balance shabby with symmetrical, so if distressed pine tables or ruffled lace dominate the space, clean it up with symmetrical layouts.

2. Tell a Story:

Fill a series of frames with photos from one trip, a child’s annual photo or macrophotography of flowers from that class last summer. Hang them in a line or left to right, top to bottom, 3×3 pattern.

3. Blow ‘em Away:

Stencil, buy or make flowers, leaves, birds—anything that would flutter away from a cluster or blow in the wind. Lay them out in a low cluster on a wall and slowly spread them across and up the wall as though they’d been blown by the wind.

4. Tickle it Pink…or Toile:

Frame fabric, make pillows or paint canvas with a bright color or pattern to give neutral rooms a bright pop. In colorful rooms, don’t match perfectly—use several shades in that palette and patterns that don’t contrast jarringly.

5. Make Color Pop:

Highlight one colorful piece on a muted palette or use white to highlight (think white matting for a bright photo or white bowl filled with bright candles).

6. Give ‘em the Green Light:

Use containerized planters to bring life (and a little feng shui) into a room. Hang buckets in a window, cluster succulents in a bowl on the coffee table or use that coffee cup collection to display hanging plants across the otherwise
unadorned mantle.

7. Rearrange:

Highlight statement pieces by drawing eyes to them aesthetically. Think symmetrical with a twist, using a piece or two to offset an otherwise hard-lined living room. Even with slightly off-center pieces, be sure not to load one side of a room and leave the other sparse. Consider low furniture in the dominant parts of the room (center and entryway), and higher furniture, such as couches and display cases, on the fringes.

8. Display a Collection:

Make books into end tables, teacups into candle holders or display photos or stamps under a glass-topped coffee table—whatever tells your family’s story. Be sure to draw together colors and patterns and vary heights when possible to avoid a cluttered design (cluster=good, clutter=bad).