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 However, understanding how to group the pieces together and display them in your home can be a challenge. So how do you create great-looking arrangements just like the ones in stores and magazines?

Here are a few tips and tricks visual merchandisers in retail stores and interior designers use to create perfect displays - whether they are flea-market finds or family heirlooms:

-- Keep it personal: Accessories, more than anything else, add personality to a home. Your accessories tell a story about you and your life.

-- Strike a balance: Balanced arrangements can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical arrangements create a more formal atmosphere. Asymmetrical ones create an informal look by balancing the visual weight of the objects.

-- Grouping objects: Display objects together in odd numbers. Combinations of three and five are best.

-- Place similar objects together:  Group them according to colour, shape or design. Objects create impact when grouped together than when they are scattered across the house.

-- Alternate heights: Objects of varying heights add visual interest. Elevate small pieces with books or pedestals to highlight their presence in a grouping.

-- Alternate texture: Bring together objects of different textures for a unique look. Go in for alternate shiny finishes with flat ones or hard objects with softer finishes.

-- Create depth in your display: Alternate the objects from back to front instead of placing them in a straight line. Place three objects in a triangle, with the tallest pieces in the back. This creates depth and makes your display come to life.

-- Find the focal point: Arrange your display around one object. The eye searches for and needs a place to rest.

-- Think of accessorising your home as accessorising yourself: As Coco Chanel once said for accessories, "Take off one thing before you leave the house". The same rule applies to the home - less is always more.