Stimuli

The allure of collecting is in the thrill of the hunt, the joy of acquiring and when you get home, finding the perfect spot for your treasure. If you have a large collection, or collections, you have probably experienced large decorating dilemmas as well. Where do you put all of your collectables? How can you keep things looking uncluttered and organized? Is it possible to have everything in your collection displayed at once or do you need to edit? The answers to these questions and many more are answered in the Better Homes and Garden book, Collector’s Style. How your pieces are grouped together and how they are displayed plays a huge role in whether your collection has a cohesive look or whether it will be at odds with rest of your décor. Editing will also show your treasures off to their best advantage and if you rotate your collection you also have the advantage of significantly changing your décor on a whim without spending any money.

In Collector’s Style they advise us to corral like objects in their own special places instead of letting them wander all over the house. Secondly, they advise that one should group objects that are essentially different by colour. They use the example of displaying pottery and suggest using groupings in a single colour family for an ordered look.  In the book, which showcases homes of design savvy collectors, it was amazing to see how the homeowners displayed vast quantities of collectables and yet their interiors still managed to feel airy. The secret was that they all employed the above mentioned tips.

Here is an example of how you can display a collection of patterned pottery pieces with patterned furniture and still avoid it looking too busy. Even though the pottery displayed in the built-ins and the chair placed in front are both patterned, it works because everything is in the same colour family. The result is very pleasing to the eye. The authors of Collector’s Style invite us to think of our collections as art. This beautiful collection of bowls and pitchers really are “framed” within the shelf.

It is especially important to frame and contain your large collections of smaller items that can quickly get out of control and take over a space. This is especially applicable to kids with their collections of match box cars, marbles, playing cards, PEZ dispensers, etc. If we can turn their collections into art we are honoring their significance to our child with the added benefit that their stuff is organized and out of the way, thus making that particular collection a lot easier to live with.

Do you have a large collection of cars? If you use magnetic knife holders like these to hold the cars  in place, they are easily accessible and they look pretty cool! What boy wouldn’t want a car wall in his room?

The same can hold true for a more grown up collection of small items like the shells shown in the top photo. By framing them and containing them they make one big statement and provide a sense of order.

So you see by following the simple rules of grouping like objects together and organizing disparate items by color and treating your collections like art you can easily blend your collections into your décor without the clutter! Have fun and keep collecting!  

by Christina Kristensen
Stimuli Magazine Contributor



Photo credits:
Top Image: décor.pad.com
Middle: ohdeedoh.com
Bottom: thedecorologist.com