For the display-challenged

To follow up on my previous post about wall displays using vintage and antique items, I know that some people don’t feel comfortable trying to find items which they can mix and match for a wall display. Unless you can put the items side by side or lay them out in an arrangement, it’s hard to know what will work together - and you certainly can’t carry a box full of items when you go shopping. Fortunately, there are some sellers on Etsy that make it very easy for everyone. They sell collections of items that can be used together. There are collections of frames and collections of plates. Simply arrange the frames on your wall and center a plate in the middle of each frame. What’s nice about the plate collections is that the sellers have already mixed and matched the plates for you.

There are collections of other vintage items that can also be used for a wall display. In the treasury that is pictured here, I’ve tried to pair the items which go well together. For someone with a rustic décor, the rusty wagon wheels could be placed inside and around the vintage embroidery hoops. The celadon Asian saucers could be used with the Asian fans. The colorful fiesta plates would look wonderful in the colorful frames. The vintage red frame grouping also has two wall pockets and two candle sconces so that’s an additional way to bring some variation into the display. The fruit labels and the copper molds complement each other so well.

'Collections for wall display' by TouchingThePast

Set of 12 plates for a plate... jawaddel $28.00	Shabby Chic Black Picture Fr... gardenofchic $78.00	Vintage Set of English Plate... LovedByTime $15.00	Silver Black and White Pictu... melissap6908 $40.00
Rusty Red Wagon Wheels, Inst... junquegypsy $58.00	Instant Collection of Vintag... SixtytoSeventy $24.00	Set of 7 Vintage Mixed Engli... EnglishTransfe... $69.99	Frame Collection Gallery Wal... vinskord $136.00
Set of 9 Mixed Vintage Engli... EnglishTransfe... $94.99	Red vintage 9 piece wall gal... onelovelyroseb... $65.00	Lot of Five Vintage Fruit Cr... BlackEyedSusan... $20.00	Vintage Copper Mold Wall Han... melanieperalto... $13.50
Vintage Asian Mid Century Fa... melanieperalto... $24.00	Vintage Celadon Green Asian ... Nachokitty $48.00	Saturday Frame Collection - ... MandolinGoose $42.00	A Quintet of Vintage America... sweetbeecottag... $20.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

When it comes to wall displays, try to think outside the box. You don’t always need to use the expected or the usual when decorating.

When I hung this pair of watercolors, I thought they needed something "more". So, I found a piece of antique ceiling tile at an architectural salvage place for very little money. I actually didn't like the color so I rubbed on some paint. Then, I placed it between the pictures. Even though it is a lot more rustic than the pictures, it fits the style of the room, my office, which is decorated with primitive items.

There are sellers on Etsy who sell ceiling tiles that would look great as a collection by themselves or with other items. Here's one such example:



If you have wall displays using unusual items, I'd love to see them.

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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.

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