9 Ways to Style That Credenza

A smart storage option for the living room, media center or dining room, a credenza also provides the perfect opportunity to show off your sense of style with artful accessories. And when you have company coming, a polished display can make your home look and feel more finished. Learn a few styling tricks from these nine creative credenzas spied around Houzz.

1. Stair step. Start with one tall object (you can’t go wrong with a lamp) placed on one end of your credenza.
Fill in the rest of the open space with medium and small objects, arranging them in a stair-step shape with your tall object being the top of the steps.

In the space shown here, the lamp is the top step, and the vases are the middle and bottom steps. If your credenza is small, your arrangement can fill the entire surface. For larger credenzas, form your arrangement closer to one end.



2. Pyramid. Start with a matching pair of objects — lamps or ginger jars work well. Hang art, either framed or a combination of framed pieces and sculpture, centered on the wall above the credenza.

Fill the center of your credenza top with stacks of books, a vase of flowers or other small items.



3. Artfully mussed. A useful display, like a turntable and records or a bar tray, is most inviting when it looks like it has been used recently. If you are displaying stacks of art books, leave one open. If you’ve set up a self-serve bar, set one empty glass aside on a cocktail napkin and pop a pretty stir stick in it.


4. Two ends of a scale. To arrange objects on a long credenza, it helps to think about it as a big old-fashioned scale. But instead of balancing the physical weight of your objects, you will be balancing their visual weight. In the space shown here, the lamp, books and plant on the left side would have looked heavier than just the bar tray on the right side — the round lamp placed off-center to the right brings visual balance.



5. Distract from the TV (Take 1). With the wall painted a rich, dark hue, the TV and credenza here are already less noticeable. Draw the eye up and away by hanging a bold sculpture in white or an eye-popping color on the wall above.



6. Distract from the TV (Take 2). Fill in free space on the credenza around your TV with vases, candlesticks, and other objects roughly the same height as the TV. Use the stair-step technique (see No. 1) to arrange the items on each end. Then fill in the wall space above and around the TV with gallery-style art.


7. Master the layered look. The key to layering artwork is using framed pieces in a variety of sizes, with some of each orientation (landscape and portrait). Hang or lean the largest pieces on the wall first, then prop up the smaller pieces in front, alternating portrait with landscape. If a small frame looks lost, try propping it up on a stack of books. Add interest by interspersing a few tactile objects like pottery, small plants and sculpture. And don’t worry about having every inch of every piece of art visible — hidden elements are part of the charm of the layered look.



8. Make room for major art. Have a serious piece of art to hang above that credenza? Keep the arrangement on the surface of your credenza simple and low so it does not compete with the main attraction. Try lining up three or more low stacks of coffee table books, and place a few slender candlesticks at one end.


9. Play with proportion. Top a petite credenza with a pair of oversize lamps in a similar style (for instance, both midcentury mod) for a bold look that is also very easy to accomplish. Stick a pretty tray and a small vase of flowers between the lamps, and you’re done.

More: Get ideas for credenzas in thousands of beautiful home design photos

URL: 9 Ways to Style That Credenza http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-22162.html