Decorating with Collectibles

It's always a challenge when you have collectibles to know how to properly display them. If you have a lot, you have to know when enough is enough. Many people overdo it and try to display everything all at once and all in one place. This is a mistake. You don't have to show everything, but you do want to display enough in one location so that it is obvious you have a collection. Here a collection of vintage shovels displayed on a ledge extending the full width of a plain white wall creates, not only a beautiful display that catches your attention, it also becomes quite artistic in its presentation.

Follow that with a beautiful display of wooden plaques that have been hand carved. The placement is sort of random in keeping with the rough textures and old time style. This type of collection is best mixed with furniture of a similar style and material. So the wood plaques almost demand an antique console table or desk to finish the look. Anchor everything on a wooden floor and you have a beautiful ensemble.

In this monochromatic theme, these white-washed architectural elements take on a fabulous look. Look for this type of element at your local flea markets or salvage yards. To make a monochromatic scheme work, you need to have plenty of variety in shapes, textures, sizes and finishes, otherwise it can become stale and uninteresting.

The key to showcasing your collectibles is to have a theme (shovels, architectural elements, wooden plaques) and arrange them close together, keeping the spacing equal. Look for things of a similar color and intensity. This way the entire grouping is united. You don't want just one piece to grab all of the attention and take away from the display as a whole.

Quick Links Getting Ready for 2007

Glass Shelves
Crown Molding
Decorating Hobby Areas
Staging Luxurious Homes

More Timely Decorating Links

Gift Wrapping Tips
How to Polish Hard Wood Floors
Displaying Collectibles
Easy Decorating Tricks

Barbara Jennings is author of 11 decorating books: Decor Secrets Revealed, Rearrange It, Home Staging for Profit, Staging Luxurious Homes, Home Staging for Yourself, Arrange Your Stuff, Advanced Redesign, Pro Art Consulting, Where There's a Wall - There's a Way, The Art of Hanging Art, Great Parties! Great Homes!