Wednesday, October 20, 2010

"Obje" aka decorating with objects


Let me first say- this blog post is a shout out to my sister, an interior designer in NYC who enlightened me on the word "Obje"- aka decorating with objects. I've touched on this theme before, how one can decorate by creating little scenes and groupings of objects... and with each new apartment plus my nesting instinct to make areas more organized and minimal- an updated "Obje" post was born.  One element that all Interior Designers can agree upon is the need to surround yourself with pictures and objects that mean something to you... for me these are hand-me-down heirlooms, collected found objects from nature, etc...

What follows are pictures of my "Obje" in our living room. (Click on images to view them larger)

Above: our bookshelf with a crystal bowl- received as a wedding present- filled with Sea Shells collected during the winter at the shore where our family vacations (a great use for a fancy bowl that you might not feel comfortable using everyday). I paired it next to a brass Lobster my sister gave me and some go to books- a guide to Maine, etc.


The larger view of the top shelf.


Another little grouping. Here I paired together green pieces- our wedding photo, a green framed photo of my twin brother and I, a vase given to me by my grandmother... and the gold in the frame and around the lip of the vase speak to the metal lobster on the same shelf.


Our Mantel: A collection of rocks sprinkled throughout, a framed print of Florence from when I studied there- blocks off some of the mirror, which I like- as it allows the mantel to be more than just a mirror. My Mom had the idea to place one of my taxidermy birds on top of two books- to raise it above the dark wood- allowing it to be more visible and not get lost against its similar background of wood and glass. There is also a bowl of shells on the left- which I have sitting on top of some pink yarn- the yarn adds another texture, and helped me out since I didn't have enough shells to make them sit up so high and visible. and to the right- a large jar of collected shells, rocks and sea glass with two antlers...



Next up- this large white cabinet that belonged to my Aunt. It's now crammed with loads of coffee table books and you guessed it- more "obje"!



My mom had this great idea to store/display my fabric for various sewing projects! It adds a nice colorful element and a visual relief from all the books. Plus by storing materials like this- acts as a reminder to GET SEWING!


And what book shelf would be complete without a Bear skull from Alaska sitting on top of my art books!?

What are some of your favorite "Obje" around your place?

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