ShareThisBy MARY CAROL GARRITY
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Q: I like my furniture and accessories, but somehow my home decor just seems boring. Do you have any tricks for making my interior decorating more appealing? _ Vicki, Town and Country, Missouri
A: All you need is a heaping dose of drama. There's nothing I like better than creating displays that make people's jaws drop. To pull off one show-stealing scene after another in your decorating, you just need a few good props.
I learned this lesson early in life when I entered my first _ and last _ beauty pageant. When I was about 8, our rural country club held a beauty contest for children on the Fourth of July. I knew my looks alone would never help me claim the crown; I needed a few fabulous props.
I borrowed the neighbor's poodle and donned my most glamorous dress-up shoes. My big sister still laughs when she describes how I sauntered around the pool in my swimsuit and plastic pumps, the neighbor's pooch straining on its leash before me.
My beauty pageant experience taught me two valuable lessons: Find a career that does not include wearing a swimsuit, and never underestimate the power of props.
Now, when I want to punch up the look of my dining table or mantle, the first prop I grab is a riser, because there's nothing more dramatic than a display that incorporates a variety of heights.
You can use all manner of pieces as risers, from books to concrete capitals, but my perennial favorites are cake stands and compotes. Whether you have a footed server in ironstone or patterned glass, you can't beat their simplistic beauty and versatility when decorating.
Stack cake plates or compotes of descending sizes atop one another for a majestic tower just waiting for a cluster of grapes, a wedge of Gruyere and some tantalizing chocolates. I also use stacked cake stands and compotes to display collectibles, like vintage magnifying glasses.
Plant stands, in all their rusted glory, also make fabulous risers. To create a knock-out serving tray for hors d'oeuvres, cluster three small plant stands on your buffet, then top them with a gilt-framed mirror. Put the treats directly on the mirror or add more pizzazz by stacking three towers of cake plates on top of your mirrored tray. Or, put simple wire plant stands in a variety of sizes down the center of your table, then top them with silver trays and crystal plates covered with appetizers, candelabrum and bud vases.
Another trick for making your home interior more dramatic is to decorate often-ignored spots, like ceilings, above doorways and atop tall bookcases. You know you've created a room filled with drama when your guests' eyes travel about the space, taking in one visual surprise after another.
You may think I'm crazy (my husband, Dan, certainly did), but one year during the holidays I hung a fallen tree branch from the ceiling in my dining room so that it served as a twiggy canopy over the table. I had fun hanging prisms and other baubles from its branches.
Even though the bibliotheca in my study nearly reaches the ceiling, I couldn't stand to leave it bare headed, so I topped it with an antique dough bowl filled with gooseneck gourds and fall berries. Try the same affect above your armoire, on a two-story entry ledge and from shelves hung above interior doorways.
Another way I add drama to my decor is by mixing formal pieces with those that are less precious. Here's an idea: On your Thanksgiving table, top each place setting of fine china with a miniature birdbath made from gritty stone. Put a bird's nest on this earthy pedestal and cover the still life with a cloche.
Look about your house. Where can you add dramatic touches to grab your guests' attention? Start experimenting with looks that will give your home a singular beauty you'll love.
To give your dining table _ or any display _ loads of drama, just add height. These simple antique dessert servers brought instant elegance to my luncheon table.
Mary Carol Garrity is the proprietor of three successful home furnishings stores in Atchison, Kan., and author of several best-selling books on home decorating. Write to Mary Carol at nellhills(at)mail.lvnworth.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com
