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Defending the Small House #6

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{Living Big in 1200 Square Feet}
Welcome to week number 6 of Defending the Small House. Today’s topic: Displaying Collections in a Small House. Most of us collect something or other; many of us have multiple collections. How do we show off our beloved collections in a small space?
I collect china and pottery. And I just seem to accumulate more and more. I can’t help it! I collect hand-painted china, china hat pin holders, Roseville Pottery, Fiesta and, my largest collection, McCoy Pottery. I have many pieces of McCoy, scattered throughout the house. How do I display them?
Tip #1: Find furniture pieces that will hold your collections, whether they are cabinets, shelves, boxes or something else. Grouping collections together in a cabinet or on shelves will make a big statement. I have a few cabinets that hold and display my china.

This cabinet is in the kitchen.

This cabinet is in the den.
Putting the china and pottery in a cabinet protects the pieces and also brings pieces made by different manufacturers together so that they have more impact. This particular cabinet has a mix of McCoy and my good china, as well as some hand-painted pieces that I treasure. By the way, the interior of this cabinet used to be the same color of wood as the outside. It was too dark in there. So I painted the inside a pale pink. Now the china doesn’t get lost in the dark interior of the cabinet and the pieces really pop.
Tip #2: Use your collections to create vignettes, like the one below. The birds are singing, they are on the piano, and the little white bird is perched on a dictionary of musical terms. Everything works together to make a sweet vignette.

Tip #3: Display your collectibles in like groupings. What does that mean? Well, for example, here I grouped together 3 McCoy bird planters – 2 the same color and one in a contrasting color. This group makes a statement. To top it off, I added a bird nest that I found in our yard.

You can also display things in color groupings:

Here I have 3 pieces of McCoy in yellow and a Fiesta pitcher in yellow. That makes a statement.

And here I have 3 pieces of aqua McCoy Pottery, alongside my good china, which has an aqua rim. If you were to look on the shelf above, you would find 3 more pieces of aqua McCoy grouped together.

If you collect something like vintage kitchen utensils or rolling pins, you could hang them on the wall in a group, creating a striking, graphic look.

Tip #4: Think up. Boy, do I ever ‘think up.’ I have a lot of pottery displayed on the top of my cabinets. This is the hutch in the den that you saw earlier. I used to have this Roseville Pottery scattered around the house. But when I grouped it together and placed it on top of the hutch, it all worked. I have a special fondness for these pieces and they make sense together. They are also nicely protected up there.

Here are some more examples of thinking up:

On top of the white cabinet in the living room, also grouped by color.

On top of the kitchen cabinets.

On top of the white china cabinet in the kitchen.

This works especially well with pottery because it tends to be large. Because of that, it doesn’t get lost up there.
Tip #5: Smaller collectibles pack more of a punch when grouped together. I have some collections that are small in stature. I group them together.
I collect egg cups:
The vast majority of them are on this shelf unit that I found in an antique shop. Grouping them together tells the story of the collection. And it makes me smile.

Look for interesting pieces on which to display your collections. This shelf is a favorite of mine; I picked it precisely for this purpose and I think it enhances the egg cup collection. The rest of my egg cups are on a sweet little shelf in the den:

My husband’s jumping jack collection is displayed by our side door.

See? Hard to keep a frown on your face when you see these! Grouping them together tells a story.

Same with my bakelite flatware:

I also have a few mini collections. These are the beginnings of new collections. All grouped together to make more of a statement.

Miniature pottery.
My bride and groom cake toppers.

Tip #6: Don’t hide your collections. Live with them. Use them. I’m very visual. I love seeing my favorite things around me. I don’t rotate my collections, storing some of them away, while others remain on display. No way! I’m proud of my collections and they say a lot about me. Heck, collecting McCoy Pottery set me on a new path with color and it shows in my decorating.

I use my pottery to organize things in my studio. I put fresh flowers in my vases. I use my china. I tuck one type of collectible in another type of collectible.  I don’t know about you, but I love nothing more than exploring someone’s collections. If I visit a home for the first time, I immediately gravitate toward collections and books. And sometimes, the books are a collection.

Tip #7: Don’t think for a moment that having a small house means you can’t display everything. You can. You should. As long as you find a way to group your pieces so that they make a kind of sense, your home will not look cluttered. Group by color, group by size, group by type of collection – as long as it makes sense, it will work.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope these tips are helpful for you. Make sure you visit Brenda for her take on displaying collections in a small house.

And finally, Happy Holidays to everyone – if you celebrate Christmas or Hannukah, please have a wonderful, magical holiday!

We’re going to take a couple of weeks off from this series. We’ll be back on January 10th.

Comments

  1. Hi Claudia,
    Wonderful tips for displaying collections. You have so many beautiful pieces of pottery that I am envious and they are all displayed so perfectly. I love all of your collections and the idea of using unique shelving.

    Love the jumpin jacks!

    hugs
    Sissie

  3. I like seeing collections too. It tells a story of a person and a household. I love the pink inside the cabinet, it is the perfect color! Also hubs has a cute collection, really fun.

  4. You have a wonderful, colourful collection, Claudia. I love, love, love your singing birds. Of everything you have, they are my favourite. They never fail to bring a smile to my face. All your things are so tastefully arranged. Your home is so cheerful!

  5. You have such sweet collections Claudia! They create such delightful vignettes around your cottage. By the way, I am against hunting too. It breaks my heart.

    Big Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  8. Your pie birds remind me of the first post I read on your blog many moons ago! Love those darlings!
    I also love your egg cup collection…I have passed on many of these at yard sales because I did not realize that is what they were!:(
    And I love all of your McCoy and china collections..you really make it all look so perfect and uncluttered! The colors shapes and sizes of your pottery look so pretty styled together as you have them.
    Wishing you a Merry week!

  9. I always enjoy seeing your McCoy collection. The jumping jacks are so cute! You have everything displayed beautifully. Enjoy your day and wishing you a very merry Christmas! Twyla

  10. Great seeing all your displayed and grouped collections. The Carlton ware egg cup (green shoes) is a particular favourite of mine. Great egg cup collections, actually love all of your collections.

  11. Love those jumping jacks, Don! And I especially am taken with the mini collections. What a wonderful idea! Every time I see your house, I see something different I hadn’t noticed before!
    Brenda

  13. Hi Claudia,
    I love all of your collected treasures. I always think of you when I see McCoy! Everything is well displayed in your home. I have a china cabinet…in fact two…that house my collection of teacups and saucers from England. I have many, love them all, and keep finding more! Ha! It is the hunt that is the bast part of collecting. I know you, like me, can recall exactly where and when you bought each piece. :) I wish you, Don and the doggies a wonderful and glorious Christmas. Stay cozy in your warm and beautiful home! Love, Kim

  14. Great post Claudia! Your collection of McCoy pottery is amazing. I love all of the vignettes you create around your home. I have to say…that collection of your husband’s jumping jacks definitely made me smile tonight! I would love to see that everyday!
    hugs…

  15. i enjoy seeing the collections and how they are displayed. but the jumping jacks are my favorite. so colorful and unusual to see a collection of them. wishing you much success in 2012.

  16. I found your blog through Brenda’s Cozy Little House and loved your post about displaying collections. I am a small house supporter and hope to scale down in the next couple of years. Just joined you as a follower.

  17. your collections are just darling…just swoon worthy!
    A Very Merry Christmas to you!

  19. Your collection of McCoy is superb! There’s something wonderfully earthy and unfussy about pottery that appeals to me. Don’s collection of jumping jacks is so sweet; most men (at least the ones I know) don’t have enough imagination to display collections, you are blessed that Don is artistic and imaginative!
    Wishing you, Don, Scout, and Riley the very merriest of Christmases!

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