China (no, not China China)

Real Simple’s websiteI have a penchant for collecting china. It’s a classic, Classic trait but oddly, out of all the types, we have the most trouble figuring out how to display our beautiful collections. We are also the personality most likely to collect useless china figurines (Hummels, anyone?) Real Simple has some great ideas for how to display your collections in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Commit a distinct area for them, perhaps an entire bookshelf like in the Real Simple photo, and again arrange them so they’re coordinated by shelf. Organics and Smarts should have an easy time coming up with a visual vignette. Classics & Funs remember that when arranging your collection try to keep like colors with like (kind of similar to our advice on books earlier in the week) as this is the easiest way to bring an eclectic collection togeter. But, it doesn’t have to be the exact same color (as in the Real Simple photo which seems to be a pattern of blues and greens on every shelf, orange on most, and then neutrals filling in the rest) nor does it have to be the same type of china/ceramic. It could be teapots, pitchers & vessels. Just make sure there are only a few themes and a few colors or it’ll get hectic looking.

I wish I had a photo of one of our friend’s homes (Wendy, whom we suspect is a Classic) where she has a large square bookshelf made up of multiple squares and in each one was one of her collectible cookie jars. It was perfection. And finally, if you are a secret Hummel collector … remember less is more, one here and there throughout an entire house is cute … when they’re everywhere, well that’s when you know you it’s time to go and make some money on Ebay.