8 Unique Centerpiece ideas for your pad
by Angela Sangalang

A centerpiece, in the simplest of definitions, "is the attention grabber in any room". When talking about decorations, it is usually associated with coffee tables, but it can be any item that becomes the focal point of a room (even though it’s not found in the center). Yes, that’s right. It can be any item. Goodbye flowers…or fake plants that collect dust. Hello…well, read on for eight centerpieces that will make your pad GQ.

Furniture
Did you know that even furniture could be the centerpiece of the room? It’s true! It can be your sofa, a couch, or even the coffee table. But any old furniture that blends in with the rest of your room will not do. In order for furniture to become a centerpiece, it has to stand out in order for it to be the focal point of the room and catch people’s attention. It can be modern like the ones in Ikea, or it can be vintage. Modern furniture is either very rectangular or very circular. Vintage sofas mostly have curved backs and arms, or they resemble a car. If you go modern, don’t fill your pad with all things modern, or the centerpiece will be lost. If you go vintage, try to stay away from tacky grandma pieces, there is a fine line here, be careful!

An Electronic Something
An electronic something centerpiece can be a lamp, a home theater system, or a flat screen high definition T.V. Lamps, again, can be modern or vintage. Take your pick according to your personality. For your information, however, modern lamps are sleeker, come in a variety of styles, and can be decorations on their own. Vintage lamps are usually thicker, more ornate, and usually have a statue on it. I don’t think I have to explain the allure of home theater systems and flat screen HDTV, but I will hint at jukeboxes as another interesting possiblity.

A Musical Instrument
An electric guitar on a stand subtly placed in a corner is a centerpiece that draws people no matter what age or gender. The instrument can be a guitar, bass, keyboard anything that interests you. No matter what instrument it is (except for a harmonica, a tambourine, a triangle, or the likes of those); one of two things is more than likely to happen. Either people will ask you, “You play?� or they will pick up the instrument and play it themselves. This is a centerpiece that will rock your pad.

A Painting or Poster
My cousin’s apartment barely had anything in it, but what stood out was a huge framed poster of Bob Marley. This is another centerpiece idea. It can be a poster of a person like a musician or artist, or it can be a vintage advertisement poster. It can also be a painting of something that fits you or a modern art painting that even you cannot make heads and tails out of no matter how long you stare at it. Just hang it on a wall and it seemingly fills up an empty room.

A Foosball Table
Maybe I miss new episodes of “Friends�, but here is something to remember it by, and it actually works. A foosball table (pool table or mini ping pong work too) for the sports men out there can be the centerpiece of your pad, and the sole reason people visit you. Yet either way, it’s fun! And in remembrance of Joey and Chandler’s pretty bare apartment, make sure you don’t add a foosball table to an already crowded room.

Chess
Here is something for your table. It is a chessboard with the pieces on their right places. Set up your chess game on a table and you have a centerpiece that will also engage people in a match. Preferably, the board and pieces should be made out of glass. It is classier than plastic. Another alternative to glass is the new electronic, touch sensitive chess game (if you have money to spare, that is).

Candle on a Plate
Don’t protest. Candles as centerpieces can actually be arranged to find its home in even the bachelor of bachelors’ pad. Find a candle that has a solid color, like white. It should be thicker in diameter (around 3 to 4 inches). You can opt for two candles, but make sure one is shorter than the other one. Many candle sets come in threes. They do not have to be cylindrical in shape. There are more and more candles in different shapes, and they can be combined in any way (for example: one cylindrical candle with a rectangular one). Place the candles on a solid colored plate (like white or black or glass). There are plates specifically designed to hold candles, but you can use a regular plate if you can find one. You can leave it at this, or you can add a few smooth decorative stones or decorative pebbles (shades of gray) along with the candles and you’ve got yourself a centerpiece.

Decorative Air Freshener
Now, for last resorts, fast results, or cheap centerpieces, swing by your local grocery store and pick up a decorative air freshener. Try Glade Wisp (“The proof is in the puff�) or Glade Glass Scents. I am totally serious. If you don’t want an empty looking coffee table, but you don’t have time or money for other kinds of centerpieces, plop down a presentable air freshener. They’re not tacky, they’re not girly, and they make your place smell nice.

Take a pick from any of the centerpiece ideas. Whatever centerpiece you choose, it should be focal point of the room, it shouldn’t add into an already crowded room, and it does not necessarily have to be in the center. Keeping that in mind, chances are, if you find something that is interesting to you and appeals to your personality, you found the right centerpiece for your pad.

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