While it doesn’t really look like it at my house, I’m actually a closet minimalist.  However, I’m a minimalist that has a lot of collections!  Dealing with them has been a subject I’ve been working on for quite some time.  You know how it is – when you like something, it’s easy for it to multiply over the years.  And suddenly you live in The House of a 1000 Horses. Yipes!

I read a design book last summer where the author said something along the lines of one item being a moment, two is a statement and three is a collection – more is unnecessary. I’ve really been trying to embody that theory with so many of my collections.  It’s taking some time, but it’s working!  Here are some of the tips I’ve been using:

Tip 1:  Reduce the Hoard

When you collect something, I always think it’s super important to condense.  You don’t need EVERY item – just the most important.  Which pieces do you truly love?  Which ones really typify what you want your collection to be?  PRO TIP: Collecting is popular right now, so if you are culling pieces the easiest way to find their value is by going through Ebay sold listings.  If you haven’t done that before, just click “advanced search” and scroll down to “sold listings.”  That tells you what your collection is actually selling for (not just what it’s listed at).  You may be sitting on a gold mine!

Tip 2: Gather Everything

One of the best ways to display larger collections is to give them a purpose and organize them according to a plan.  This gives your collection a reason to exist instead of just being “stuff.”  You can organize according to color, or fill floating shelves – it’s a great way to make your collection look like an art piece!  PRO TIP: as you create your display, you may find you actually need MORE pieces than you have.  Buy carefully!

Tip 3: Divide & Conquer

When all else fails, divide the pieces up!  You can add a single piece to a curated shelf in your bedroom, a few more to your living room shelving, and an extra in the office.  This gives you those decor “moments” in multiple places, and keeps your collection from looking like too much.  PRO TIP: It’s especially difficult to show off collections of small items.  I just recently had this issue with 5 small statues.  Tiered stands to the rescue!  Collecting all your little items into a single piece gives them enough weight to stand on their own, and they won’t get visually lost.