Want a cheap, quick way to add character to an empty windowsill or blank wall? We spotted a great new trend that starts with R and ends with EPETITION. Just grab a lot of one thing- empty tea tins, plastic collectible toys, pots of Kaffir lilies- and line them along a sofa table, a bookshelf, even your desk. Here are a few ideas we think are worth repeating.

Who said plates were just for the table? Create a sense of height on a bare wall by hanging 3 columns of 7 plates. Whether you choose a magenta square plate, or a round salad dish with a daisy in the center, the impact is made through the repetition. Your guests will be so impressed by your decorating, they won’t notice they’re eating on handmade foil dishware.

Add some big color in little doses. Filling three glass jars-think powdered sugar jars-with several spools of different colored thread will create a focal point on that bare shelf. Make sure that the spools are the same size, so you get the effect of color, not clutter.

Tell your runners to take a hike. Laying beige door mats down a long hallway of dark oak will not only make the wood flooring pop, but it will break up the monotony of the traditionally boring hallway. (The rugs are like stepping stones-don’t fall in!)

Or, reinvent the idea of repetition. Instead of having a completely repetitive display, cover an area of your coffee table with lots of different candlesticks (we’re talking 20 or more). Then, bring in the repetitive element by placing identical cream candles in each. Even when the candles aren’t lit, they will bring a lot more character to your table than the usual stack of old magazines that pile up.

And now we’re tired of repeating ourselves, so send us some of your ideas!