Greatest Hits: Your Collections

Well, hello there! Happy post-Labor Day, end-of-Summer, current back-to-school, pre-Jewish Holidays, post bbq season! That’s quite a collection of celebrations. Speaking of collections (nice segue), let’s talk a tiny bit about how to manage them. While visiting our dear dad this summer in the Catskills, my sister and I marveled at his beautifully displayed camera collection.

 

With limited space, the genius Brit decided to use the unused 14-inch gap between his kitchen cabinets and the ceiling as his museum space. The cameras looked fantastic and quite regal perched up high and out of the way. Dad has quite a few more functioning cameras stored in temperature-friendly closets but these old-timey gems are the real conversation starters and they force us to look up, which is also a nice way to make a room look bigger. See for yourself:

 

 

 

Closer inspection:

No shelves needed to be installed and the kitchen at Dad’s (as in most homes) is the most populated room in the house. More viewing equals more oohing and aahing.

We all know that collections need to be seen in their best light. You wouldn’t go to the Met and see oils and pastels and tapestries piled on top of each other so that patrons were forced to lift one out of the rubble to admire it properly. Whether you devote your attention to art or figurines or sports memorabilia, treat the collection with respect by curating it every couple of months. Rotate pieces to show them off in themes, like a Greatest Hits album. You can have more than one group of Greatest Hits (just ask Eric Clapton). I have a lovely new client with a fairly large doll collection. She has decided to display her largest and most valuable pieces hanging on the wall of her craft room which doubles as a guest room. She knows that spreading the entire collection throughout her comfortable but limited apartment would be overkill. Think of how often you’d have to dust an entire collection! Think of the dusty dolls’ feelings! Sorry, it was a long bbq season.

 

Collections are meant to be seen and adored so take some time and care and show off your goodies in a creative and original way. You’ll be glad you did.

 

What are some of your collections and how do you display them?

 

With love, light and less clutter, 

Jeni