Decorating Tips - Part 2

This is my idea of collections on display - a mismatch of special things adorns a beautiful old armoire. Image courtesy of Cottage Living Magazine.

A collection of shells and coral has been housed in a recessed shelving unit. Image courtesy of Cottage Living Magazine.

I often talk about collections and their importance in the decoration of a home. I believe that peoples things should be on display and not hidden away in a cupboard. Collections of things on display within a house add the owners personality to what otherwise is a blank canvas. With that in mind I have compiled a few images to show some ways you can display your collections within your home. Don't be afraid to pull out your grandmother's old china or your mother's old vase as it is special and should be used and not hidden away forever.

I personally like to collect shells, decorative boxes, old crystal & silver perfume bottles and jars, old tea cups & saucers and books just to name a few. I don't tend to display them altogether in a glass cabinet but instead I place them on tables and shelving within my home mixed up with other bits and pieces I have collected over time.

Old Glass bottles above create a pretty display on a dressing table or bathroom vanity. Image courtesy of Bountiful Home.

If you don't have a collection I encourage you to think about what you love and what you would like to have a collection of one day. Some things you might consider to collect are old plates, shells & coral, vases, depression glass, silverware, Christmas ornaments, black & white photographs, pottery, Antique textiles. I would actually like to start collecting old plates as I think it would be so lovely to have a big collection of old mismatched dinner plates and even old mismatched cutlery when setting the table for special dinners.

Mismatched cutlery above via Bountiful Home. Try Ebay or local Antique shops for similar cutlery.

Pretty old teacups above. Image courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Starting a collection is also fantastic for family and friends as it makes it so much easier for them to know what to buy you for Christmas and Birthdays and I must say it makes it lovely for you too as you will receive gifts which you actually love rather than things that might go into the back of a cupboard!!

For a related post topic Kate at Girl Meets Glamour posted a question to her readers earlier this week - What do you collect?