Displaying Collections

Ask and you’ll find that most people have at least one collection.  Maybe it started in childhood…when we recognized that we were drawn to a certain type of animal or element.  We picked one up here or there, and soon we had enough for a display.  Once others noticed our penchant for our collectible, we received them as gifts.  Then we started to scout out unusual variations as we happened upon a shop, fair or market or traveled to some new locale.  Sound familiar?  

What we choose to collect is a form of personal expression, and our collections are what make your home different from mine.  How you choose to display your collection can also speak volumes.  Does your display properly showcase and highlight your prized collection?  Or is your display flat, uninspired, or in cluttered disarray?  After you’ve collected, prized and coveted each and every piece, doesn’t your collection deserve to be honored?  Here’s how to elevate your collection so you and everyone who sees it can properly appreciate it.  

Basic Guidelines for Displaying Your Collections

• Pull together collectibles spread around your home and display them together.  Collectibles displayed in a grouping will have much greater impact.  Walk through your home and check each room; you may be surprised to find how many like objects you have.  Pieces that make up a collection may be scattered throughout your home, just longing to be united.
• Limit the number of collections you display in a room.  It’s best to feature one or two collections per room, otherwise the collections may completely take over the space.  If you don’t give the eyes a place to rest, it becomes difficult for them to focus on anything.
• Limit the number of collectibles you display in a grouping according to the amount of space you have and the scale of the display area.   An attractively arranged display of collectibles with some negative space in the grouping will allow you to see and appreciate your prized objects.   A cabinet crammed full of collectibles defeats the purpose of putting your pieces on display; instead, try paring down your collection to give it breathing room and rotate pieces in and out of the display when you’re ready to freshen it up and appreciate your other pieces.
• Choose the right spot to display your collection.  A grouping of small figurines may get lost on the deep shelves of a bookcase; better to place them in a wall cabinet or niche with more narrow shelves hung at eye level.  Larger-scale items can be noticed and appreciated when displayed on the floor or on top of a cabinet or armoire.

Adding Interest to Your Collections

Guess what?  You can apply the same principles of arrangement we used for arranging your accessories , creating tablescapes and arranging your bookcases to displaying your collectibles.  Have you ever noticed how attractive and interesting the products look in store displays or windows?  Merchandisers use the principles of arrangement to show off and generate interest in their products.  Why not use their tricks at home to showcase and generate interest in your most prized collectibles?

• Layer to create depth and dimension. Layer pieces in your collections from front to back.   
• Create movement, flow and rhythm.  Vary the heights of the objects in your collection to enhance the flow and keep the eye moving from one item to another.  Use hard cover books, boxes and blocks as pedestals or risers.
• Provide variation and contrast in color, shape and texture.  Incorporate elements into your display that will enhance, not detract from or overwhelm the individual pieces in your collection.

Tips for Creative Displays

 Tip #1:  Another effective way to display smaller items is to isolate them and group them on a tray to give them more mass and prominence.

Tip #2:  To visually connect the pieces in a collection, weave fabric or ribbon through the arrangement.

Tip #3:  Arrange your collectibles and group them with other related items to tell a story. 

Client Challenges and Solutions

Case #1: One client was especially fond of her collection of antique dolls.  She displayed several dolls, all in the standing position, lined up inside a bookcase in her family room.

Solution #1: To add interest to her display, we searched the home for related items to add dimension, color and contrast.  In our finished display, one doll stood at the back of the bookcase; on one side of her, to vary levels, we sat another doll down in a red minature chair; on the other side, we placed the third doll seated on the bookcase with a miniature tea set between her legs.  A child’s book displayed on a stand filled in the corner.  Adding the chair, book and tea set to the arrangement took the display to the next level and enhanced her prized antiques.

Case #2:  A client displayed his collection of carved, painted ducks on a rough-hewn mantel over the fireplace.  The collection was certainly worthy of adorning the room’s focal point.  But since the ducks were uniform in size and sat on the same plane, the display was flat and didn’t showcase the ducks to their best advantage.

Solution #2:  We sent the client out to search his wood pile for scraps suitable to build some wood blocks for our display.  He found the perfect solution - an old 4×4 fence post that we sawed into various lengths and distressed.  The salvaged wood blocks raised the ducks up off the mantel and created the variation in height the display needed.

Case #3:  One client who had lost her mother within the year called for help to incorporate some of her mother’s pieces into her own home.  One box that caused some friction between she and her spouse contained dozens of antique copper molds used for making congealed salads.  Her husband wanted her to give them away, but she couldn’t bear to part with them because they were one of her mother’s favorite collections.  Yet she struggled with what to do with them.

Solution #3:  We asked the client to select a dozen of her favorite molds from the box.  On the largest wall in the kitchen, we created a wall arrangement, hanging the molds where she could appreciate them every day.  A collection of kitchen molds became wall art.  When I think about her reaction when she first saw the display, I still get a lump in my throat.  

Our collections reflect our personalities and interests, add warmth and charm to our homes, and simply put, they make a house a home.  So find a way to display the collections you love.  When crafting your display, try to think outside the box.  How can I really enhance my collection and make it a stand out?  Give your collections a proper showcase, display them in a place of honor, and you and your collections can live happily ever after.

For more on arranging your furnishings, artwork and accessories, review my series on interior arrangement: Furniture Arrangement 101: Arranging the Living Room Furniture, Arranging and Displaying Artwork, How to Group and Hang Art Displays, How to Select and Arrange Accessories, Creating Tablescapes, and How to Artfully Arrange Your Bookcases.

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