Trinkets grouped by material family

Decorative objects are the most personal elements of an interior. But they can also tip it into bric-a-brac.

The professional rule: group objects by material family. Three ceramics together, three wood objects together, three metal pieces together. Not one object of each material scattered around.

The perceptual principle: the eye unifies what resembles itself. Three ceramics of different colours but all ceramic become a coherent family. Three objects of different materials (a ceramic, a wood, a metal) remain three isolated objects.

Five main material families in residential settings. Ceramic and terracotta. Wood. Metal. Glass. Textile and paper (books, framed photos, woven baskets).

Composing by grouping. On a console or shelf, place three to five objects of the same family in triangular composition (see rule 07.2). At the end of the shelf or on another surface, place three objects of another family.

Spacing between families. Between two groups of different families, leave a breathing space of at least the size of the smallest object. This space prevents the families from "contaminating" each other.

Intelligent exceptions. A single signature object can stand alone if it is strong enough to exist without a family. A deliberate curiosity cabinet: if you want to embrace a "collection" effect, multiply materials within a single glazed unit. The unit's frame creates the coherence.

In small interiors. The rule is even more important. With 3-4 decorative surfaces (entrance console, coffee table, shelf, sideboard top), group by family, never mix. You will avoid the "chaotic studio" effect.

Axel Vervoordt is probably the master of grouping by family. His interiors often show series of antique ceramics (five, seven, nine pieces), united by their material and patina. Accumulated collection effect, very contemporary.

Pierre Yovanovitch often works with strict trios: three ceramics per console, three wood sculptures on a sideboard, three patinated metal objects in a niche.