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The question: A friend of mine continues to place lace doilies – probably her grandmother's – under her knickknacks, which I find kitschy at best and horribly dated at worst. What's a modern way to display tabletop tchotchkes?

The answer: Come on, you are making this up. Does your friend watch re-runs of Little House on the Prairie? Who puts lace doilies under anything any more? I think even grandmothers are hip to what dust collectors they are. A cool way to display lace doilies might be to frame them in silhouette box frames in high-gloss white lacquer and hang them in sets of three on the wall. The effect may be cool: I am not sure. In terms of displaying tabletop items, I tend to group them in odd numbers, usually in groups of three and, needless to say, sans doilies. Another trick is to place tchotchkes on a tray, so that it pulls the group together.

Follow architect and interior designer Dee Dee Taylor Eustace on Twitter: @ddtaylordd. Have a design dilemma? E-mail style@globeandmail.com.

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