Creating the Perfect Ledge Arrangements

One of the most common decorating challenges in a home is what to do with the decorative ledges and the space above kitchen cabinets. Have you ever gone to a friend’s house and wondered what they did to make their ledge arrangements work so well? Today, we will take look at one beautifully designed cabinet top and deconstruct the formula that makes it work so well.

Decorative Ledge

Height
When everything you place on a ledge is all the same height, everything in the arrangement gets a little bit lost and there is no emphasis on any one item. Solve this problem by choosing a variety of items, all of which are a different height. Arrange taller things in the back and lower items toward the front so that they break up the solid lines of the larger items.

Coordination
Everything that you place together should make sense in the total design concept and color scheme. This particular owner has a home with many antiques and collectibles. Vintage furniture pieces are punctuated by hand-made vases and original artwork. The artistic personality of this homeowner can be seen in the showcasing of the pair of handcrafted clay vases, copper covered wine bottle, and metal sphere. The repetitive use of metallics and earth tones helps the entire vignette look as though it belongs together.

Artificial Plants
These out-of reach areas are simply not conducive to real plants because it is too difficult to access them when they need water. Artificial plants and flowers are ideal for these decorative locations for two reasons, they are low maintenance and they add a much-needed pop of color. You can choose something traditional, such as vines of ivy or you can go more modern, which is represented here with spiraled branches off dried leather. The two even look great together.

Now that you have a better understanding of how to decorate these out-of-reach areas, try revamping those areas in your home. Just raid your own bookshelves, cabinets, and closets for items that you can get out of storage and onto display on your ledge arrangements.