How to Style with Pattern & Colour

The power of collections and how to display them

with GABBY DEEMING — Interiors stylist, former Creative Director of Decoration for House & Garden, founder of Daydress.

Lesson 18 of 24

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Collections are an effective way to make a visual statement. Join Gabby and learn how to display collections and create an installation in your home.

From the Lesson Workbook

The Power of Collections and How to Display Them

Collections are an effective way to make a visual statement. Learn with Gabby how to display collections and create an installation in your home.

The Power Comes Through the Quantity

Collections are a powerful way to create visual impact. Repeating the same object over and over can amplify its impact. This means that it becomes an installation instead of a single object.

You want to showcase your collection at its very best. The display should convey the power of the collection. Fan collections look terrific on a wall, and I'm particularly fond of Bolga fans from Ghana.

Ceramics Collection

When it comes to ceramics you need to consider how the light catches them.

The Sentimentality of Collections

There is often a lot of sentimentality attached to collections. Often they have been collected over a long time, with you accumulating items slowly, one by one.

Miniature Vases

There is something really appealing about things in miniature. Yuta Sagawa created the miniature vases. When I visited his final-year collection at Central Saint Martins, he had probably a thousand pieces on display.

Dealing with Vast Wall Spaces

Buy folio books with plate images of flowers, plants, and collections and framing them. Take a good metal ruler and a sharp scalpel, and make sure you do it well. With such a low price for the artwork, you could afford nicer frames. In my case, I bought cheap frames from Ikea, Tiger and Habitat.

You should think carefully about how to hang your art. I use a scale ruler to plan how to hang my art. Presenting images in multiples also creates a wow factor. Once your commitment is clear, people will be blown away by your installation.

Discover More

To see some of Yuta Segawa's ceramics, visit his website here. Bolga fans are made in Ghana's Bolgatanga region. The fans are handwoven from elephant grass by skilled artisans. The ceramic works created by Edmund de Waal range from small vessels to large installations. You can visit his website here to learn more about him. Discover how to create and hang your own picture collection in Gabby's lesson, Get creative.

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Gabby Deeming

Your Instructor

Gabby Deeming

Interiors stylist, former Creative Director of Decoration for House & Garden, founder of Daydress.

One of the UK’s leading figures on all things interiors, Gabby Deeming has spent the past 15 years pulling together beautiful schemes as Creative Director of Decoration at House & Garden. Her route into styling began in her early 20s, when Gabby fell in love with textiles, print and colour after being exposed to fresh and exciting interiors during a year living abroad in France. Gabby started her career at House & Garden shortly after, honing her personal taste and quickly becoming known as a driving force within the magazine for bringing high-end interior design to a wider audience, championing practical, achievable and beautiful styling. In 2017, after taking a short sabbatical in India, Gabby followed her passion for patterned textiles to launch Daydress - an ethically-minded fashion line celebrating block printed fabrics.

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