On Collecting

I'm a collector. I always have been. I love collecting things, it gives me an excuse to go to the flea market, and tag sales. I love finding a really good example of what I collect. Here is a current list of the items I collect:
corkscrews, glass pitchers, signs, wrought iron garden pieces, stoneware bowls in greens and blues, globes, Japanese glass floats, foot stools, oil paintings. I know there's some things I'm forgetting but there you have it. I think a collection of just about anything can look really great in an antique or antique style home. Whether grouped together or scattered throughout the house, collections add interest and a bit of the homeowner's own personality to the space. If you're not collecting anything right now- it's time to start. That's an order. Trust me, you'll enjoy it!
Here are some great collections and displays:

Sometimes two collections can live together harmoniously. Here, the unexpected combination of bird nests and glass cake stands look chic and elegant. 

Vintage and antique bottles are everywhere at tagsales and flea markets, and you can amass a pretty large collection quite quickly. I love the deep saturated colors catching the light. It reminds me of a stained glass window. It's a great way to add color to an otherwise simple space. 

Collections can fill a whole house. Here, the homeowners collection of rustic and shaker furniture and decor give a modern dining room warmth.

This is one of my favorite blogs. The blogger collects many things I admire, and has a great eye. Her collection of kitchen antiques is especially enviable. 

I would have said I collect antique canning jars until I saw this photo. This person COLLECTS antique canning jars. I didn't even know they came in olive green!

I have a small collection of globes that I'm hoping to grow before fall as I plan to display them on our enclosed porch (school house theme, remember?). This is a really nice collection. The black ones are so pretty and so hard to find.

I can just picture taking a nice peaceful bath and staring up at all the beautiful sea treasures.
Casual and yet very very striking.

I LOVE this idea. I always see such great vintage purses and I never buy them because I have so many just piled up. What a wonderful way to celebrate the individual beauty of each piece. I personally think my little sister should do this on the wall of her apartment. It totally looks like her kind of thing. 

A beautiful collection of beveled mirrors in a funky eclectic sitting area. The mirrors help to reflect light from the window into the rest of the room.

My friend Jorene bought one of these creepy charcoal portraits at the flea market a while ago. A whole collection of them is very eerie, very halloween-y.

It reminds me of a school of colorful fish! There are so many breathtaking single plates out there for sale for under $1. You could do a whole wall like this for $30! So gorgeous! 

I could look at this all day. The movement is just like flowing water. If I lived by the beach I would definitely have a go at creating something similar.