Tip Tuesday – Curate Your Collections

Want a quick way to make your home look more stylish, tidy, and clutter-free? Take 30 minutes to reevaluate your knick-knacks and collections! Do you NEED to have them ALL out? Or could they be stored and rotated throughout the year?

I have many clients who travel extensively and bring back amazing souvenirs from around the world. Some collect sports memorabilia; some collect thimbles. But when these items get spread throughout their homes, they often become meaningless, dust-collecting clutter. 

I suggest you first pare down your collections to your absolute favorites. After editing your collections, I find it is best to display things according to these rules:

CLUSTER: Instead of scattering your collections, go through and find ALL of the bobbleheads, shells, salt shakers, baseballs or snowglobes, and line them up on simple gallery shelves in just ONE area in your home. Long hallways are ideal for this kind of eye-level display.

THEME: Gather the papyrus scroll, mini Sphinx, and Egyptian cartouche you brought back from your Nile Cruise. Perhaps add a framed photo, and create a small “Egypt” vignette on ONE shelf or surface. Replace this vignette when you take your next big trip. 

MATERIAL: Group all of your clear glass vases in one area and solid white pottery in another. Separate your leather-bound books from your canvas-bound books. Don’t mingle materials.

COLOR: Display all of your blue and white pottery together in one space. Consider “rainbow arranging” all of your Star Wars Lego creations. It will make more sense and be more pleasing to the eye.

ODD NUMBERS: Our eyes enjoy symmetry and odd numbers, so arranging five similar items with the tallest in the center is very visually appealing.

Will you rearrange your displays according to these basic design rules? Reply or tag us in a photo of your curated curios! And if you enjoy my weekly tips please comment, tag, or forward this on to a friend.