Cupboard CUES

Arranging a large collection into a pleasing, artistic display can be daunting, especially when everything is a similar color. Heather filled an antique hutch in her dining room with white, ivory and tan ironstone dishware and is happy to share her strategies.

OFF. Group your arrangements per shelf with odd numbers of items, which tend to be more appealing and memorable than even numbers. Heather continues the numbered theme by including three types of fall accessories: pumpkins, leaves and berry sprigs.

FIND YOUR CENTER. Place the largest piece in the middle of the shelf as a focal point. Build out to the sides with medium-size items, and set the smallest objects in front.

MAX OUT. Increase the amount of showcase area in a cupboard by designing in layers. Nest a sugar bowl inside a compote or a tureen within a basin. Stack plates and butter pats to form a pedestal that elevates a special treasure.

TAKE A TURN. Plan the orientation of pitchers and creamers. Try turning the spouts either toward the centerpiece on each shelf or away from it, or alternate from shelf to shelf.

Tiny Treasure

Showcase a unique object, like Heather’s child-size transferware tureen, by positioning it at eye level amid a backdrop of larger dishware. Set a handful of faux mini pumpkins or acorns around the base and a few artificial leaves nearby to celebrate autumn.

Table Topics

Fashion a deluxe pedestal to hold a special artifact or vignette. Fit a marble slab on top of a dry sink, like Heather did for her prized grocery scale in her dining room. She named the scale Juanita, after her mother, who frequently shopped at the store it came from.

Let your imagination trigger new uses for everyday items. Heather mounted a bowl rack she found at a garage sale upside down and turned it into a shelf for a parade of ironstone pitchers and shakers. The faux hydrangeas and bittersweet coordinate with the floral still life hanging above.

Heather approached a hard-to-decorate angled wall by the staircase with lean furnishings and floral-themed accents. Following the incline of the wood railing, she placed a delicate heirloom side table at the lowest end and an ivory corner cupboard at the highest. In between, a duo of barnwood-framed block prints enhances the wall above vintage stadium seats that are now used solely for displaying vignettes. Earthy orange-hued autumn accents distributed throughout unify the setting.