There’s a collector in all of us. Whether we’re just starting out as collectors, casually collecting, or are hard-core collectors, we all have certain things that we like to keep and add to. Paintings, books, military challenge coins that were custom-made, dolls, postage stamps, rocks, and a lot of other things that can be collected are found in millions of homes around the world.
The question now is what do you do with your collection? We know a lot of collectors put their collectibles on display, mostly stacked on shelves found in different areas around their homes. Some collectors, though, just put their collection away in storage until they take them out.
Instead of having your collection do nothing but collect dust, why don’t you use them to bring life to your home and decorate your space with them?
Here are a few tips to help you put your most precious stuff on display that will work cohesively with your home’s design and theme.
Getting Started
Take out your collection and set them on a space where you can lay them all out. Obviously, the bigger the collection, the more space you’ll need for this.
Once you’ve set them all down neatly, take a picture of it so you can study how to incorporate them into your home’s design or how you can come up with an entirely new look to your home based on your collection. This is going to be crucial so don’t rush this process.
If there are a few pieces that feel out of place, put them away, and save them for the future when you’ve added a few more similar items to display it with. Re-evaluate your collection and pick out the pieces that you want to showcase.
Showing Them Off
Typically, there are four simple ways of displaying items in your home.
Shelving Units. Using shelves to display your collection makes it more organized and centralized. A shelving unit attracts the onlookers’ eyes to something large and focal, making it a center of attention. You can space them out evenly or asymmetrically, either way, it gives a space an uncluttered look.
Wall Display. Most wall-hung displays are paintings and other forms of artwork or picture galleries. But it is not limited to just that. Wall-mounted shelves also make a dull wall liven up especially if interesting collectible pieces are displayed on them.
Pro tip: Grouped or clustered wall displays have a bigger impact aesthetically.
Surface Display. While trays and baskets are great ways to organize and present visual variety, collectibles such as toys, resin statues, candles, and other similar items look good when grouped together on a console, coffee table, dresser, or counter.
Floor Display. If you have an empty corner in a room, grouping together some bigger collectibles like plants, baskets, large pillows, and floor vases add character and life to the space.
Fix the Other Details
Now to tie everything in, curate all the other important elements in your space to go well with your collection. Instead of picking out rugs or drapes based on your mood, a curated approach to designing your space — with your collection as one of your primary considerations — will make the area look more harmonious.
What better way to showcase your collection by decorating your home with it and not just put them on display per se. As you continue to make grow your collection, you can change up your home decor once in a while to make it more dynamic and fun.
