I’ll Take One of Everything

My love of all things vintage has resulted in collecting, i.e., filling my house with stuff.  Some stuff is similar and some stuff is random. When I first started buying antiques and vintage items, it was hard for me to decide on anything because I wanted everything.  I know some people collect a certain type of antique and I do that too – for instance, I have a collection of knights - but I also like to mix my collections.  I really do want one of everything and I have found that by mixing the collections, I can almost, if it weren’t for space limitations, have one of everything.

Let me give you an example. When I first saw flow blue porcelain, I knew I had to have some.  I felt the same way when I first saw a majolica piece.  I felt the same way when I first saw a tole tray. And so on . . .  and so on . . .

MIXING AND MATCHING

Instead of trying to collect in only one of those areas, I decided I would purchase some of each and use them together.  Fortunately for me, the colors in these pieces work together and with the colors I’ve chosen in my house.  I suspect that would be true for anyone who loves vintage and antique items. We’re always going to be attracted to the items that have the colors we love and use anyway.

To show you how I use the items together, here is a picture of a display I have on my dining room wall.

The centerpiece is a large red tole tray with yellow and blue flowers.  Around the tray I have used various shapes and sizes of antique flow blue plates and dishes and two majolica butter pats.

STAY TUNED

In my next post, I’ll talk more about how to choose pieces that work together and how to arrange them so they’re a cohesive display.  Personally, I found it difficult at first to think about how best to display the pieces but with some practice and patience, I really believe anyone can make a display worthy of a magazine cover.