Your Furniture In Multiples

We remember watching Apartment Therapy fave, Ron Marvin's, episode of Small Space, Big Style years ago and how he had a thing for lamps and lighting. In just 300 square feet he has over ten. We also have

a friend that loves chairs, often referring to some of them as "art" rather than a functional seat. This got us thinking about the emotional reason why people enjoy multiples of furniture or decor in their home. In Ron's case, he describes his lamp-love as "Lamps and mirrors are my number one way of making the space feel larger and a comfortable. Thanks to every lamp being on a dimmer and mirrors put in every room. There is even a mirror in my kitchen and on the ceiling in the entry, as well as a floor lamp in the bathroom!"

We wanted to ask you if you have multiples of decor or furniture in your home and how you feel about these accents? Share your story below. Click here to see more of Ron's lovely apartment and click here to upload photos of your own multiple decor to the Apartment Therapy Flickr page.

Check out more lighting ideas from Apartment Therapy:

(Image via Ron's Hotel Sweet)

Comments (12)

I have mirrors everywhere. I like them across from windows to give the impression of more light and more windows.

Vintage books...I stack them everywhere. I use tham as lifts to elevate accessories, lamps, and to fill voids.

I am the same with lamps. I love them. And lamp shades. I have a closet full of lamp shades.

I had a friend who helped me move and he was surprised I still had lamps. According to him no one has lamps anymore. Funny, I never got that message, and apparently that memo didn't come to Apartment Therapy either....

I have two lamps of the same style (the red lamp in this photo) but one is solid red and the other has a white base, with a shade I recovered in kind of Marimekko-inspired red/white/navy poppy print fabric. I just really love the shape of the base and the lamps were ridiculously cheap - $20 each or something.

I have two Louis ghost chairs, two vinyl ottomans, two benches, two glass end tables, two brass peacocks, two candle holders, two horse-head bookends, and three lighted cubes... I guess I have a thing for multiples, too!

@timmytom82, how can anyone not have lamps? I rarely see apartments with overhead lighting and even if it's there, it's not enough light!

The only thing I really have multiples of is plants. I love the shapes and sizes you can get and when I find one that will flower in my home, it's a particular coup.

I love pairs:

Pairs of lamps, pairs of end tables, pairs of matted and framed prints, pairs of chairs, pairs of pillows, pairs of candlesticks...
...even pairs of windows (and of course, pairs of drapery panels)

If you collect vintage/collectible items - the value of a pair is almost always more than double the value of a single item...
...so if you find a vintage lamp, chair, candlestick, mirror, cabinet or end table that's an exact duplicate of an item you already own - it's frequently a good investment to buy the second one to make a pair.

We have a pair of Alias Spaghetti Chairs and a pair of Eames plywood chairs, and I love them both. Pairs are great. And I really like triptyches of mirrors or art, although I don't actually own any. Maybe one day...

timmytom and tiamat, i have to admit i forgot lamps existed until i started frequenting this site. i still don't have any, but when we move i know i want some! so cozy!

Seating, chairs in particular, are my weakness as well. I have 8 chairs, a 5ft Nelson bench (technically used as a coffee table, but seating in a pinch), and a 3 seat sofa in my 500sqft studio. The chairs are mostly arranged in pairs to define spaces.

I'm with creativeintheory on this one - I have way too much seating in my 425 sq. ft studio. Seven chairs, love seat, and a bench. And my other love seat I couldn't bear to part with after I got some new chairs, so I made boyfriend take it to his house.

Small Space, Big Style was my favorite show ever - I wish they would do new episodes.