While there are plenty of ways to go about adding your unique perspective to your home, one we’re loving lately is the use of collections as decor. From cowboy hats to plates, we’ve spotted endless inspiration for decorating with a cluster of collectibles. With the primary goal of figuring out how to do this stylishly, we turned to the experts to ask for their advice. Whatever your collection, if it’s a part of your personality, it’s the perfect addition to your home. “Clients have come to me with inherited china collections that they are not sure what to do with,” Hunter tells us. “They don’t necessarily want to display them in a traditional sense like propped up in a china cabinet. However, creating a plate wall is an opportunity to display family heirlooms, but in a fresh and modern way.” “Treat the collection as one large art installation," she suggests. “I would style the room around it as I would a painting, with plenty of visibility. Consider the color and scale of the collection when adding decor to the room.” “I love displaying scarves or other textiles that are framed in a modern way, for example floating in an acrylic box,” Hunter says. “It adds dimension and a pop of color to any space.” “Invest in displaying your collections, whether that be framing or hardware,” she says. “Avoid mixing too many colors, shapes, or themes. When it comes to displaying collections, simplicity is best.” “When it came to refurbishing the existing bookshelves, we pulled the client’s collection of monochromatic books,” Walter explains. “It wasn’t until we explored storage boxes in the basement that we uncovered hundreds of books—in a rainbow of hues—from his wife’s old boxes, dating as far back as the ’60s and ’70s. Everything from biographies, home decorating, novels, and more were packed into the boxes, waiting to return to a shelf somewhere.”
