Hello and Happy Friday! This image appeared in Lonny Magazine last month, and it has me in a tizzy. I'll explain in a moment. First I'd like to invite you to pour yourself a cup of coffee and join me in a game of "I Spy With My Little Eye". You could win a prize. I joke not. 

Please study the photo for a moment and tell me what you see. Are you thinking it's a bunch of random stuff? If so, maybe you need to stroke your chin hairs and arch an eyebrow. 

I see eight pairs. Do you see them? 

Pair #1: two ornate gilt frames

Pair #2: two men, drawn in charcoal, one glaring angrily at the other

Pair #3: two animals -- an owl and a kitty cat (perched on the man's shoulder)

Pair #4: two clumps of melted white candles -- one on the right and one on the left

Pair #5: two brass objects -- the owl and the concave candleholder

Pair #6: two sets of swags -- decorating the frontispiece of the mantel and repeating the motif in the shape of the white candleabra

Pair #7: two modern organic objects -- the carmel colored candle and the fluted white piece of pottery

And Pair #8: two googly-eyed creatures -- the bespectacled man and the owl

(That agate-eyed owl is available in my shop, by the way.)

Okay, so what's the big deal? Who cares about pairs?

I think that this is the secret science in today's decorating. It's mix-and-match but it's also symmetrical. It's fine art mashed up with flea market finds. It's fun and interesting and not the least bit boring. Here is the rest of the room. 

About that prize: if you find yet another pair on the mantel that I missed, leave a comment and I'll send you a little something-something in the mail.

Here's another prize. This one is available to all my loyal readers. If you like this look of subtle symmetry and want help creating it in your home, email me. We can Skype and you can send me pics on your phone. No strings attached. Just friendly help. 

If you are itching to redo your mantel on your own, start with something brutalist. Here are a couple of creatures I just listed in the shop.  

Photos of animals by Renn Kuhnen. Photos of Klein Reid apartment by Hallie Burton via Lonny Magazine. 

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