Another design concept not foreign to amateur or advanced interior designers is the concept of working in groups of three. It very well may be the first thing you learn as a best practice. I noticed early on in my experience as a young designer that I adhered to the “groups of three” method so much so that I wouldn’t deviate from it and my designs lacked a lot of texture.
Three pictures on the wall. Three candles on a table. Three men in a bed.
And while it looked like a solid “alright,” my early clients were happy, it was missing the depth of what the concept should be, thinking broader in my approach and less literally.
Here are a few ways to think differently about your staging strategy, and don’t forget, send some of your creations to @jedwarddesign on Instagram.
Entryways
As I’ve mentioned previously, I live in a historic home, and it includes a front parlor where, as you might know, is the room residents would have their wake in after they passed. Luckily, I know the history of the home and the ghosts are friendly. I wanted to keep this room cheerful, but more formal to celebrate the period of the architecture (c.1870). To do this, I chose to build the room around two chairs I found for $40 at an antique store, and a marble end table. My first trio. Panning out, I later added a grand piano and a server so that everything worked in a larger group of three. This added the texture I was looking for.
But maybe you live in a small apartment or studio. Take a look at your entryway and consider a console table, warmly lit, and crowned with bold artwork or unique mirrors.
Mantles
Fireplaces are normally the focal point of the room they’re in. The mantle is a blank canvas. I chose to go maximalist with mine, once again, adhering to the period my home was built. I was lucky to find bold gold framed art/mirrors, busts, and rustic candle holders. And sure, there are more than three things on the mantle, but the three main categorie I chose are what made this threesome fire.
Maybe you live in a more contemporary home. All the better. Keep things simple — lamps, photographs, candles, etc. But keep it unique by making sure everything has a story. Maybe you consider unique, candid photos of people important to you, or did you find lamps in the back of your parents’ basement next to those old Playboy magazines? We’ll talk about appropriate coffee table books in the future.
Console Tables
Console tables are a great way to explore working in threes. My favorite thing to do is to cruise around some thrift stores (for a couple reasons) and find unique things to accent spaces in my house that lack purpose. Facebook Marketplace is also a treasure chest of good merch on a dime. The best part is, people rarely know what they have and you can find elevated brands for a great price.
I recently found two large lamps ($40), a console table ($20), books of various artists ($10) and a clock ($5). A total space transformation for under $100!
Oh, and whatever you do, don’t get too hung up on symmetry. Things can be more fun when they’re a little “off.” Just like this guy I met at a thrift store once…
