Ideas for Living at Home with Collections

By Bill Primavera

Why people collect things and what they collect has always been of interest to me. Maybe it’s because of the simple idea of having an interest or curiosity about a certain thing and wanting to have as much of it as money and space allow.

The first collection I became aware of was of my mother’s second husband, or maybe it was her third, I forget, but certainly he was the most memorable, other than my dad. The man collected guns and rifles and had them beautifully displayed in custom-made cabinets with special lighting. The problem was that it was the main decorative feature of their bedroom and my mother, who had always been afraid of guns, including my water pistol and BB gun, had trouble sleeping in that room.

Visiting my good friend Mary Anne, whom I knew many years ago as a colleague in real estate, was always a trip, almost a surreal one, bccause of her massive collection of dolls. They were in every room of her house. No matter where you looked, even in the bathroom, there were dozens of eyes staring back at you. Actually, it was a bit overwhelming, totally overtaking her living space. To me, that should not be the purpose of collections.

Searching online, I found a collections expert named Susan Ferrier from Atlanta who offers the following advice on assembling collections into your own home…and life:

1. Create balance. When displaying collections, a balance needs to be created that is calming to the eye.
2. Be selective and critical. The collection should be highly curated. “Only the best of your pieces should be displayed and shared,” said Ferrier.
3. Visualize how you want it to look. Think about the graphic impact. “Successfully translate assemblages of collected pieces into single powerful gestures.”
4. Create a boundary. Decide what you will use to display your collection. “Cabinets and shelves – your foundation, should say very little and work in service to the more intimate display,” explains Ferrier. She suggests glass boxes or cabinet doors highlight the items and stop the movement of your eye.”
5. Decide which items will stand out most. Choose the star items and be aware of their rhythm of placement.
6. Use something that emotionally moves you. “Collections are visible evidence of what compels you. Sharing the story of how you see and respond to the world becomes part of your identity.”
7. Think about what the collection represents. “My assemblages are an accumulation of a history of places I have been, people I have shared experiences with and lessons I have learned,” said Ferrier. “Collections can tell our personal story.”
8. Unite the items. Something as simple as a unified color can unite various forms into one still message.
9. Scale is everything. “Maintain important scale with in one single gesture or the ganging of several pieces as one larger expression.”
10. Be inspired. The only way a collection works in a home is to be inspired. Don’t put something in your home just because. “Choose wisely what you gather to always seek a higher or elevated emotion,” explained Ferrier.

And what might the Home Guru collect, you might ask? I have three collections: The first is of 18^th and 19^th century oil portraitures that decorate my living room. I look at those many faces and wonder what their lives may have been like. My dining room wall is filled with my second collection of oil painted landscapes, also from the 18^th and 19^th centuries. One of them, purchased at an auction in Brooklyn, was initially thought by the auctioneer to be by the renowned French painter Corot, but no such luck in a subsequent investigation. The thrill of the possibility, however, was enough to sustain me.

As you might imagine, those first two collections require a lot of wall space and indeed, they cover my walls with plenty to look at. My favorite collection, however, is of antique playing marbles, made of end-of-day glass, swirled into beautiful patterns. Those marbles are contained in one big crystal bowl. I like to imagine the children that originally played with them.

My wife Margaret, early in our marriage, collected China mushrooms, but doesn’t remember why. She also collected small China boxes, simply because she found them charming. Since we moved from a 4,000 sq. ft. colonial home to a 1,750 sq. ft. condominium in a new building, we have stopped collecting anything at all. It’s almost a relief to not always be on the hunt!

Bill Primavera is a residential and commercial Realtor® associated with William Raveis Realty, as well as a publicist and journalist writing regularly as The Home Guru. For questions about home maintenance or to buy or sell a home, he can be emailed at williamjprimavera@gmail.com or called directly at 914-522-2076.

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