Mother Joey Theresa. NOT A COLLECTION.
Collections don’t have to be all the same item (for example, seven vintage fans or twenty vintage flashcards). They can be based on texture, based on color, based on a location or based on time period. Collections also don’t have to be complete when you display them. I love adding to my collections as I travel. It’s evolutionary décor, to go along with our evolutionary lives.
Twenty vintage flashcards makes a collection, but so does seven different items that reminds you of your trip to _______ (enter city here).
So, you have a collection. Whatever collection you have, you can find a cool way to display it. Whether it’s mounting a few shelves, placing your collection throughout your house on windowsills, counters or tables. Or it’s hanging your collection right on the wall. Old letterpress trays are all the rage right now, and for good reason. It’s so easy to hang one on the wall and put stuff in it. I’ll do a quick tutorial on installing anchors for your shelves and heavier collections below.
Displaying a collection in a frame also looks great. You can hang items directly on the wall and hang a frame around them. Try grouping things according to color- bookshelves look organized and thoughtful when the book spines are according to color.
A few ways to display your collections.
I love the idea of taking a collection that might be considered mundane, or made up of ordinary objects and really highlighting it. Like a bunch of old typewriters, clocks, or mugs shown here.
WHAT ARE YOUR COLLECTIONS? WHAT MADE YOU START COLLECTING THEM?
If you have any questions or would like a specific topic covered, email me at Sawyer.Interiors@gmail.com.
WALL ANCHOR TUTORIAL
(really exciting stuff — I know.)
You will need:
-An electric drill
-Plastic wall anchors for sheetrock
-Screws (corresponding size of the anchors)
-Drill bit (corresponding size of the anchors)
-Hammer (optional)
1) Determine where you’ll need to put the anchor and mark it with a pencil. This will depend on what you’re hanging and it pretty common sense.
2) Drill a hole with the drill bit where you’d like the anchor. Your drill bit should go in at least 1 ½” to allow the anchor to go all the way in and be flush with the wall. *NOTE* I use ¼” anchors for almost everything. This means that the pilot hole, or the hole drilled before you insert the anchor, will be ¼ of an inch.
3) Take the anchor and insert into your drill hole. If it’s a little tight, use a hammer or the butt end of your drill to tap it in. Don’t wail on it- it’s only plastic.
You’ve just learned the fine art of installing a wall anchor! Use them to hang shelves, hang art, hang mirrors or just about anything else.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
i love this! i’m a major design and decorating nerd!
i personally collect the following items: vintage tins, vintage cameras, old nerdy toys (“star wars” & “E.T.” specifically), vintage clocks, antique books with letterpressed bindings, antique books about science and animals, vintage toy guns, 78 records, and pre-1960′s furniture. plus a few other things…
because i’m currently living in a studio sublet, i’m not allowed to hang anything on the walls. a quick trip to ikea awarded me a pair of small, thin bookshelves which i use to house my collections. it’s always a topic of conversation when i have people over, and i’m constantly rearranging it. i’m very proud of my collections!
here are a few photos of some of my arrangements!:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsaleatory/5751784605/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsaleatory/6144954432
Thanks Sawyer! This post is so useful. My girlfriend has been looking for a letterpress tray forever, but we’ve never realised that it’s actually called a letterpress tray. No longer will we be forced to wander mournfully around vintage shops asking for “a one of those display case things with lots of little compartments. Y’know? No? Oh…”. As such, you’ve just improved her life as a collector by 300%.