Decorating with Containers

Okay, I've made mention of this before, but I am going to say it again: the main theme I see in Martha Stewart's amazing decorating is having the stuff you use out, and presenting it in pretty containers. That's it. And I'm dedicating a whole blog post to it this time.

I have these three books by Martha Stewart: Good Things for Organizing, How to Decorate and Good Things, and I like them all (though I admit I flip through them for quick inspiration, more than I actually read them). But, even if you just click those links and look at the pictures on the covers, you will see a little bit of what I mean. Even when she does put something out for decoration, it is usually something with function like glazed clay vases or serving platters.

I decided to show you how easy it is for you to decorate like Martha, by showing you a few of the ways I have found to have useful things at the ready attractively around my humble house...

See? Easy, right? Well, it didn't come naturally to me; I had to learn it. When I first started keeping house at the mature age of barely 19, I crammed everything useful out of sight, and filled the counter and display spaces with useless decorations. The result: clutter. Surprising? It seems to me like it would look more clutter-y with all your every day stuff out, but man I have sent so many useless decorations packing over the last few years, and I feel much less cluttered now. And the things I use are within easy reach! Plus, I am not so desperate for storage, because having some items out means more space in those drawers, cupboards, pantries... and everywhere else we usually hide stuff!

So try it today: find one thing you use regularly, that you have hidden away. Find a nice container it fits in. Put it out. See what you think!