Collections and Home Decor

- Consider displaying a few pieces at the time in a prominent place in your home:  mantel, a buffet or sideboard, or coffee table.  Keep the others stored safely away and switch them out every few months. 

- Vintage or antique glass items should be displayed near natural light so they will sparkle.  Open shelves on a wall opposite a sunny window will show off these treasures in a dramatic way. 

- An art collection doesn’t have to be displayed as a gallery wall;  negative space is very appealing, and the St. Mawes Gallery shares some tips on how to make your pieces stand out. 

- Make a collection of items on built-in shelves stand out by painting the insides of the shelves a complementary or contrasting color, especially if the items are the same color, or in the same color family. 

- Small items can be tucked away on a corner shelf, adding interest in a smaller room where there isn’t a lot of space.   

- Plate collectors don’t always display them in cabinets with glass doors; purchase plate hangers that will hold them securely to a wall and create an artful display on a dining room wall or over the soffits in the kitchen. 

- Collecting quilts or other textiles can create a dilemma, because just leaving them folded on a shelf doesn’t always do them justice.  Displaying them on a wall can be done with a little work, and they can be changed out to avoid any damage from the sun.  Check out these quilt-hanging ideas from Suzy Quilts. 

- Shadow boxes are inexpensive ways to display several small things at once, especially vintage toys!  If the items are made of plastic, you can place them all in the frame in a jumble, making it a fun conversation piece, sending people on a toy hunt. 

- Can’t get rid of those vinyl LP’s from high school?  Don’t keep them in a box--album frames are available from most craft stores and online, and you can take your favorites and display them as the art that only album covers can be!