How to Display Your Antiques

You’ve done it! You have finally completed your collection of antique trays and platters. Or you have more antique jewelry than you can keep in your jewelry box. What will you do with all of these items? You could probably fill a room with all of your collections, so how do you tastefully show off the pieces that you have worked so hard to acquire? Many people have different feelings about displaying their antique finds. Some love the antiques so much that there house takes on a look of a cluttered mismatched museum, and others are so afraid of that look that they will keep the pieces stored. Find a balance with these tips on displaying antiques throughout your house.

That finished collection of antique trays and platters that you finally completed, you can bet you will not enough cabinet space to store each piece. To store the collection and to add a design element, find shelves with a rack that can hold them all. You will showcase your gorgeous finds, and it is beyond useful.

Turn your antique jewelry into art. Jewelry kept in a box typically gets forgotten about. Let everyone see your collection that you worked hard on by displaying the pieces. Decorate a cork board with fabric or wrapping paper and hang the antique pieces for the board with pretty pushpins. Add even more flair by putting the corkboard into an antique frame.

If you find that you are never truly finished with a collection, then a gallery wall will give you the ability to change out your treasures as you wish. Picture ledges across a wall will allow you to keep the antique finds you have on display, but it is not permanent, and it makes for easy switches.

Do not be afraid to use all the vertical space available. Tabletops can only hold so much without looking cluttered. If you tend to collect smaller antiques, then custom shelving is a great way to showcase your pieces. Be sure to keep your display interesting. Group together items with similar shapes, but do not keep every piece at one height. Alternate and spread out heights. You can even add books as riser to vary the heights of certain objects.

Mix the old with the new. If you are a collector of antique furnishings, then add some modern essentials to contrast with the older pieces. By doing this you will keep the room from looking and feeling dated and give it an updated vibe.

Add depth to your displays to give instant drama. On your bookshelf display, place taller, larger pieces in the back of the shelf and place the shorter, smaller pieces in front for added depth. Another way to add depth is to layer. Take a standard rectangular mirror propped on a table; if you add an ornamental antique frame over top, you create interest and depth immediately.

About the Author: P. Downing loves collecting antiques, and working with alliedsatellitetv.com helps to fund her hobby.