The objects we choose to surround ourselves with say a lot about us. They can inspire us, make us feel happy and remind of us of people we care about. The problem is when there are so many things, you stop seeing them and they just become a jumble. There is a big difference between a cohesive collection and a cluttered space. As we move into adulthood, our living spaces need to grow up with us. The first step to structuring your belongings is deciding what you really can’t live without. I can promise you that everyone has enough to fill at least one box destined for the thrift shop, probably more.
Some people are collectors by nature, whether it be a mix of things they love or focusing their interests on very specific items like Pez dispensers or porcelain cats (to each their own!). A lot of people have collections they started as kids and hate to part with. Unfortunately, amassing lots of little objects that fill your shelves and countertops can make you look more like a hoarder than an art collector. This doesn’t mean you have to get rid of your collections altogether but it does mean you need to find a better way to show them off.
I love anything in a series and am most definitely one of those aforementioned collectors. So in order to keep my collections in check, and prevent my boyfriend from moving out due to claustrophobia, I had to create some structure. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the objects they treasure usually have a common thread and can be displayed together to form a unified piece, rather than taking over your entire apartment. Here are a few examples of how I made it work (more examples available in my studio tour at VanessaBoer.com):
1) Take it to the walls: Not everything needs to go on a shelf. I collect vintage children’s books and my favorite parts are the old silkscreened covers. In order to display them as a group without lining my bookshelves, I hung them as a group using two small nails on top and below to hold them in place (not through the books, of course, just sandwiching them).
2) Use a display case: A friend gave me this sweet vintage house as a gift, knowing I collect all things tiny. It was the perfect way to house lots of small things that don’t necessarily have a common theme but work together as a group. Old letter box drawers are available at just about any flea market and come in all sizes. They are the perfect way to display small things but the older ones are beautiful enough to stand on their own too!
3) Keep it in the family: Of course, things that share a theme always look great together! Another one of my collections is vintage children’s instruments, so I placed these together on top of a bookshelf as a group where they can be admired from a distance rather than fill up valuable shelf space. Another note on displaying items on a shelf: things grouped in a triangle shape are more pleasing to the eye. It also helps you travel from one piece to the next. Just a thought! If you want to learn how to perfect your shelf display, you can go right here!
4) Hang objects in a structured grid: Things look great when they are displayed as a series. And by things, I really mean anything. It could be necklaces, lunchboxes or bundt pans! I found some of these great examples at the flickr group ‘Creative Collections’. People have pooled together all sorts of collections, some of which are pretty unexpected and really beautiful! They may inspire you to look at your favorite things, and how you display them, from a whole new perspective.
No matter what you collect, whether you have a thing for plates, tiny toys or birds’ nests, there’s a way to make it really pop. So yeah, I guess that means you have my permission to go buy another troll doll.
