Yesterday's question about how to display hockey tickets got us thinking about collections in general. Some may write them off as tacky, but many will appreciate them as an authentic expression of personality. Collections are one of the first things that strike us when we enter a home. They tell us something instantly about the inhabitants, and also make for great conversation starters. A good display, however, is the real key to their success. Check out these perfect arrangements for collection inspiration...
FIRST ROW
• 1 Heads and busts are always striking, but this example takes the cake. The white scheme directs all the attention to the trophy display.
• 2 We love the striking Southwestern look of crosses and icons grouped in quantities on a white wall.
• 3 We love the look of vintage mirrored sconces, but finding an intact matching pair to flank a window or mirror has proved difficult, so we like this luminous, creative alternative.
• 4 A functional display of hooks transforms an entry wall into a point of interest.
• 5 We love this romantic group of antique candlestick holders. The variety of shapes and sizes replaces formality with whimsy.
SECOND ROW
• 6 Humble things make fascinating displays. I love how individually none of these stones or boards is particularly breath-taking, but when grouped they're magical.
• 7 We love the collection of heart rocks collected by Megan Duerksen's (of Whatever blogfame) children.
• 8 Vintage prints on a theme — botanical, birds, boats, etc. — look fabulous arranged in matching frames and set on a grid.
• 9 Mirrors in various shapes and frames have a high impact and do wonders to brighten a room when placed to reflect light form a window.
• 10 Collections can be outside too! We love our friend, Mary's, grouping of cacti in terra cotta pots. Spread around the patio they might mot be as interesting, but as arranged they remind us of a trail of ducklings.
THIRD ROW
• 11&12 Erika from Urban Grace framed vintage matchbooks that she found at a flea market.
(Images: 1: via Cote de Texas, 2: Coastal Living, 3: House Beautiful, 4: Living etc., 5: via Simply Natural Decor, 6: via The Happy Haven, 7: Whatever, 8: Wisteria, 9: Southern Living, 10: Leah Moss, 11&12: Urban Grace)
I love the ideas shown above, especially the vintage matchbooks. We have a collection of vintage glass bottles that we've found in our neighborhood. They're just arranged on a windowsill, where they look pretty with the light shining through them, and even better when we put some flowers in a few and use them as impromptu bud vases:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2399182274/in/set-72157594505190197/
view visualingual's profile
Ooh! I know the inspiration for the bust display in the first picture. The KUMU (the lovely national art museum of Estonia outside Tallinn) has a huge lofted room covered in busts like that. The nifty bit is that they also made them all whisper.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/760098248_2c43ed48e9.jpg?v=0
view LzzyJane's profile
I know I will take a savage AT beatdown for this, but I think the overgrouping of too similar of items will be a look that becomes dated in a few years.
I wouldn't count the bottles in that, because they are different enough to be interesting. TOo many of too similar of an item screams overdecorating to me.
view ec05's profile
I love the busts collection
view Futurovox's profile
i really want that armadillo. where can i find one?
view meso's profile
Oh! I love the vintage mirrored sconces!
I've also always loved this grouping of majolica plates too: http://www.flickr.com/photos/midcenturyjo/351070542/
view SparkerShop's profile
Love, love, love the ornate mantel with the stones and painted wood fragments. I could look at that all day in my own home.
view stt64's profile
When I was a kid I collected coins. Everybody else did boring things, like collect a penny from every mint from every year. I did wierd things like collect coins from French Colonies, steel coins from the German occupation etc. At least that was less anal retentive, and taught me that France still has a territory off the coast of Newfoundland.
Alas, so many themed "collections" look so seem like a bored idle Victorian's desire to conform to the Collection Mania.
Collect if you are passionate about it. Not to make an impression.
view Nani's profile
About 15 years ago or so, Southwest Airlines had a photo contest to celebrate its 25th anniversary. One of the photos was a collection of 25 heart-shaped rocks. I was so taken with the photo that I started looking for heart-shaped rocks of my own. I've got a good collection now. I've also found out that just about everybody I know collects heart-shaped rocks!
view spaceystacey's profile
Does anyone have any ideas on how to display a spoon collection?
My dad got me souvenir spoons from around the world all growing up and I'd like to come up with some cool, cute way to display them without turning my house into that of an 80-year-old (which I'm pretty sure is the only age range still collecting those).
view thatjessicagirl's profile
I collect antique poison bottles and have a story to go with each one. Oh, I could bore you for hours.
view rosenatti's profile
I have a giant empty wall above a chocolate brown oversize couch that I didn't know what to do with (and as I rent and expect to be moving overseas soon, didn't paint), so I went out one recent weekend and hit a bunch of thrift stores and antique shops scouting for unique looking frames. The original intent was to choose one or two fabrics to carry through the entire collection of mismatched frames, but when we got them home and up on the wall....the collection didn't need the fabric. It took a lot of scrubbing and a lot of sessions with the pliers, but it was well worth it.
I also have a collection of different sized watercolour maps that I display on one wall in a little hodgepodge. It catches the eye (some of the frames are amazing...like the little tiny 3x6 gold gilt one that has professional mounting on the back so it hangs a bit forward instead of the usual claw) and suckers people in. Then when people actually *look* at the maps, they discover they are quirky little treasure maps in an old world style dreamed up by one of my favourite Etsy artists. The pizza delivery guys love coming in to sneak a peek ("Is that....a treasure map? Like X marks the spot?").
I'm a big fan of vignettes, likely due to the mass amount of quirky little things I've picked up in my travels both near and far. As a former merchandiser, I don't think I can see a pile of stuff without dreaming up ways to make it all look cohesive :)
view Graceless's profile
All I can think is that the writers at SNL would have a field day with this pic....Alas, I am not clever enough, esp. at 1:30 am, to come up w/even one funny thing.
view muirwoods08's profile
Wow, that bust collection is great! I would love to have that.
We have a mug collection. When we travel, instead of t-shirts or whatever, we bring home mugs. Great memories for each one. And great for parties! Everyone chooses their own. It tells you so much about people =)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karandash/2678869629/in/set-72157606236391863/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karandash/2679689180/in/set-72157606713424529/
view karandash's profile
Absolutlely inspirational display of various collection. I especially like frames behind the lounge sofa.
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Karandash I must say your mug collection looks amazing.Loved it!
view jeanne211's profile
beautiful...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelulubird/sets/72157602236318769/
view LuluLiz's profile
no description of rocks on the mantel?
view TML's profile
I love the rocks on the mantel! It's my favorite because it seems so effortless.
view wanderinglight's profile
TML- thanks! I've updated it. It's actually the picture that originally inspired the post, and somehow I forgot to include it's description.
view LeahDC's profile
@Nani re: your comment that collecting should be about passion, not about design as "Collection Mania"
I would guess that almost all collectors ARE passionate. Just because the collected items can be admired as a design feature in the room, or have a "theme", doesn't mean the collection & collector should be devalued. I have several grouping of mid-century vases in my house, and the visual appeal of the color & shapes (one grouping is the same model vase, repeated in rows) are one of the things I enjoy about them-- not to mention the passion of _finding_ the vases.
Re: eco5
Yeah, any design feature "looks dated" after a few years. That's why people change them up.
view ggslancaster's profile