How To Showcase Your Collections

Finnegan Pierson

Two is a pair; three is a collection. Whether you're passionate about good wine, an old book or fine art, if you don't have a plan, you don't have a showcase. When you really care about a hobby you want to be able to share it with other people, but you also want it to speak for itself. From the aesthetically pleasing to the downright beautiful, enjoy your pieces and show them off to your guests by creating a visually appealing layout. Here are a few ways to highlight different types of collections

For Collectibles That Require Their Own Space

On the high end of things, you may have a collection that requires its own space for a variety of reasons. It's not reasonable to keep your car or motorcycle collection in your home. An extensive wine collection requires temperature control. Antique books need light and humidity control. In these situations, glass is your best friend. Look for wine cellar glass doors that allow you a glimpse of your collection every time you pass by. Glass doors also provide indirect lighting into a library that needs temperature and light control. For all types of special collections like these consider the approach to the area as well. Directed lighting can help draw your guests toward your collection and have them asking for more information. Think about adding wall art that goes with the theme of your collection to bring it into your main living space.

Fine Art

If your collection already leans more towards wall art, there are ways to display it that make it a cohesive whole while also allowing individual pieces to stand out. Gertrude Stein held her famous salons at 27 rue de Fleurus in Paris and the apartment was known for its extensive art collection of modern masters, but look at any image of those walls and it is all a jumble. No one painting can be appreciated because the eye is overwhelmed.

Instead, hang art at eye level so people can appreciate each piece. For smaller pieces, create groupings, with the multiple prints congregated close together instead of scattered across the wall. If you choose to have a wall full of art, make it a single wall and start in the center, moving out as you add pieces. To really make your pieces pop, rely on a white wall. There's a reason galleries have all that blank white space, and you should too.

Smaller Physical Pieces

When you collect something that can't easily be hung on the wall it's tough to decide on display. Whether you have high-end glass and pottery or teacups and thimbles, it's easy for your collection to simply look like clutter unless you plan your display showcase. One of the easiest options is to keep it together in a display cabinet. It could be a corner cabinet or a floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcase, but the most important thing to keep in mind here is lighting. Put your collection in an easily accessible area with lots of natural lighting but also add under-shelf lighting to highlight your pieces. 

If you need to keep your collection out and about the home, create groupings of different sized but similarly themed objects like different sizes of Native American pottery from the same tribe or different pieces of glassware in the same colors. Save space on tables by creating hanging displays. It could be a wall of individual shelves sized to each hold one piece or specialized hangers that can hold plates and other collectibles to display like wall art. 

In the end, the question is what do you want out of your collection. Most people collect for themselves, but their passion for the collection drives them to share their love. If you want to share your passion, have your guests asking questions and give them all the details, you need to make your collection accessible, beautiful and interesting. With these tips, you're well on your way to achieving just that.