Several years ago, I met a woman whose large home was a challenge because it’s many spaces seemed to have no individual style, particularly a large loft area, which she had claimed for herself. As I left one of our early meetings, I walked with her to the closet in which she had hung my coat and noticed a huge amount of boxes on the top shelf. When I asked her jokingly what she was hiding from me, she replied, “Oh, they’re just some of the dolls I like to buy. I keep them up there and in the attic because my husband can’t stand seeing them all over the house”. All told, she confided, she had 167 of them! When I asked her to open a few of the boxes, I realized her collection was not only valuable, but beautiful – a perfect backdrop for her personal loft space and there it would not take over the entire house. I designed a series of glass cabinets to cover almost all the walls along with a ½ wall of similar shelving as a pseudo-railing, enabling viewers from both below and above to see the doll vignettes. Her collection was artfully displayed with room for it to grow, and husband and wife were both pleased with the result.
Personal collections from frogs, to teddy bears, to penknives, provide interest in rooms both public and private. Personal photography, when framed appropriately, is a great art accessory and also enables you to relive your family history with friends and loved ones, as well as remember the places you’ve been. The key is to avoid clutter and present it well. Every year at holiday time, the seasonal collections come out – but people forget to put away something to make way for something! Remember, you don’t have to see all your possessions at once. Store it for a while and bring it back at a later time, and you will appreciate it all over again. If you’re a reader, make your library special. Build or buy appropriate shelves and categorize your books for easy re-use. Bookshelves can also hold picture frames and other accessories for interest and variety.
Personal collections from frogs, to teddy bears, to penknives, provide interest in rooms both public and private. Personal photography, when framed appropriately, is a great art accessory and also enables you to relive your family history with friends and loved ones, as well as remember the places you’ve been. The key is to avoid clutter and present it well. Every year at holiday time, the seasonal collections come out – but people forget to put away something to make way for something! Remember, you don’t have to see all your possessions at once. Store it for a while and bring it back at a later time, and you will appreciate it all over again. If you’re a reader, make your library special. Build or buy appropriate shelves and categorize your books for easy re-use. Bookshelves can also hold picture frames and other accessories for interest and variety.