Renee Larson

Photographer: Chelsea Nye for Amy Rose Productions

There’s a distinct difference between a collection and clutter. Clutter causes anxiety and can make you feel overwhelmed. There’s no rhyme or reason to how it’s displayed, you aren’t proud to show it off, and often the stuff is sitting in a box taking up precious storage in your home. How you present and curate your collections can take them from an eyesore to a magazine worthy picture. For me, seeking and acquiring pieces can be fun and rewarding, but it’s the display in my home that others find inspiration in. It sparks something in each person, they recall things they have or once had and are inspired to start their own collection. Whether they follow through or not, at least for that moment they felt the joy I feel in my surroundings.

Something as ordinary as a vintage hanger or a clothespin or something obsolete like a typewriter ribbon can be inspiring and beautiful when displayed in a collection. It can become an art installation and conversation piece. Curating a collection in your home can be a way to display family treasures you aren’t ready to part with, but you don’t know what to do with them. Seek out pieces to compliment what you already have and start your very own curated collection! Antique shops and thrift stores are a good place to start your search. You can involve the entire family and it can be a great way to learn about your family and their items. The history of the typewriter ribbon and the many styles of tins it came in can be educational to our younger generation who rely mainly on computers. Typewriters were commonplace from the late 1800’s until the 1980’s. They were in most offices, schools and even in our homes. When technology evolves, we don’t just lose an industry, we lose the nostalgia and the history. You can keep the history alive through your collection. I love the graphics and typography on the tins, which is one of the reasons I started collecting them.

Your collection can be of like items, radios or cameras, or it can be a variety of items in the same color. The color can be what makes it cohesive, think vases and ceramics all in white. The key is to collect something that you love or have a passion for. I love the 50’s, so most of my collections are from that era. The pastel colors and futuristic designs are appealing to this day.

Next, you will need to find a good way to display your collection and a designated area for it. Depending on what it is will determine the space it requires. Bookshelves are often a great place to showcase, as they have a lot of vertical space and most of us already have them in our home. Mix up your collected items with books, plants and pictures to help fill the shelves and tie each of them together while you are building your collection. If you already have an established collection, massing it out alone can be very impactful.

Now dust off the treasures in storage, find a bookshelf, floating shelf or wall space and start curating your treasures into a work of art in your home!

Renee Larson is a vintage collector and a photo stylist for interiors and fashion: www.reneelarsonstylist.com. She is also the owner of The Bow Tie Shoppe, where she designs and makes bow ties, pocket squares and other accessories:  www.thebowtieshoppe.com