I've always been a collector, even before I knew I was a collector. When my sister and I were little, our room was full of knick-knacks and doohickeys and stuff from everywhere we ever went and every holiday we ever celebrated. I mean really- at some point it is possible to be overrun by tiny porcelain bunnies (though I'm not sure my mom believes that)...
Over time, we successfully winnowed, and matured, and I'm proud that tiny bunnies are no longer a part of my home decor. Instead, it seems I've moved on to bigger and better things, collections that are more meaningful (and thankfully more functional for the most part). Thanks to two years in the Middle East, I have a fantastic rug collection that brightens my floors and those of some of my friends and family. I collect maps from my travels and display them in my home as art. I love textiles, and currently have a kilim and a kimono hanging on my walls, helping to disguise the renter's white paint. I've got glass lamps from Turkey, carnival masks from Venice, and at least one piece of art from every country I've been to in the last 11 years.
I like to think I'm discerning, that my collections are all meaningful and useful, but realistically, I know that the beauty of a collection is often in the eye of the beholder. My husband may appreciate my rugs and art, but I know he probably wouldn't blink if it all disappeared one day- except perhaps to express his joy at the newfound simplicity of our home! Luckily for me, though he may not love my stuff, he doesn't hate it either so I'm free to display it at will.
To me, my collections help tell the story of who I am and the life that I live. They provide color and joy, and serve as reminders of places I've been and the people I knew in those places. I would love to hear from other collectors about what your collections mean to you, how you balance a love of simplicity with a love of stuff, and how you keep it all from getting out of hand.
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Comments (4)
I think going deep in one type of thing helps keep a collection cohesive. My partner collects textiles, but his 2 collections are from 2 parts of the world and he is able to weed out (sell) the lesser pieces as he gathers more important ones...increasing the value and the beauty of his collections as he goes. Of course, I drive him crazy as I would like to have "less stuff" around the house. :)
Katy
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I have a collection of those porcelain b-day girls-- http://www.panachecollectibles.com.au/images/E2312.jpg --from birth-18. My aunt kind of started a tradition, she sent one to each girl in the family for every birthday. I have 2 sisters, so we have 3 whole collections and my mom finally decided to take them down. I don't really want to display them, so we are not really sure what to do with them now. It might be kind of cool to continue tradition & send mine to my sister's daughters (if they have any) in the future. That's one of those collections that is kind of forced on you.
As a kid, I collected rocks. I've whittled down the collection, but I still have some faves. And when I was about 11, we visited my mom's uncle in the nursing home in IL and found out he collected and polished rocks, so I like the connection to him. He was really the only relative from that generation that I ever met, so it was kinda special.
One thing I've realized I have a collection of is coffee cups, mostly Starbucks. I can't resist them! They are like art to me.
I am a made collector of many things, lamps is one, thank god my business is surrounded around them, so I do not feel guilty when I buy more. I collect vintage textiles, wallpaper, architectural elements and stuff I love.
What a great post, you are very lucky to have a partner that is okay with your collection. It is a part of you and be proud.
Robes and Kimono! Waking up in the morning and being able to choose from my 20 vintage robe collection makes my whole day a little charmed. I have one for every kind of weather, time of year, mood (am I feeling more Marlena Dietrich this morning, or country girl on the bayou?), every color, and fabrics from vintage silk to lush velvets to plain white cotton.
I keep them on a row of hooks by my bedroom door so that they're on display, but still practical :)
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