The Art of Display: Creating Style with Decorative Objects

This is a beautiful discussion of the subject with handsome pictures to illustrate the techniques of arranging displays, especially for your collections. I do want to caution readers on the examples shown where it appears everything in the collection is displayed at once. You can overdo a good thing and one needs to know where to stop. Not everything need be displayed all at the same time or in the same place. Having said that, this book will really help you understand there is an "art" to displaying your art and accessories and this author is one of the few who also seems to understand the importance of scale and proportion in design. It will make a very good addition to your decorating library.

Decor books suffer from a terrible split personality problem. If they have great photos and idea rooms, they often have text that is trifling and badly written, usually with no good advice either. Or, they have good design tips and inspiration, but it's packed into a bad-looking, text-book like tome. This book is neither. It's a rarity-well-written, full of good ideas, and illustrated with lovely photos. From a wall of common keys that somehow look like art to an inspired table of topiaries, these are easy-to-emulate, high-impact designs. A section of how-to-tips at the back (a rod with which to hang a kimono on the wall, easy shelving projects) also makes this book a keeper. Highly recommended for collecters, as well, since The Art of Display has plenty of ideas for dispaying collectibles without cluttering up a space.