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Apartment Therapy's Collections as Inspiration: Wendi's Pioneer Modern


Story by ApartmentTherapy Published on February 17, 2009 in How-To	Photo by Amy Crilly, house tour photographer

Apartment Therapy's Gregory Han is like a life coach for your home! He walks you through this house tour from Wendi Weger and he whispers brilliant decorating advice in you ear.

Collecting is easy, it's the organizing and displaying which often confounds even the best of collectors. But as illustrated by the "nature indoors" menagerie of Wendi Weger's Silver Lake home, displaying a collection doesn't necessarily mean just sticking your beloved collections on shelves. Maximizing a collection's impact is not only about having the right items to display, but also "how" and "where" they're given the spotlight to add to the spirit of your home.

When displaying a collection keep in mind that larger pieces often do best alone with enough space to breathe. Whether it's a deer head on the wall or a beloved piece enshrined within a glass display, giving your larger collectibles the role of a focal point can center an interior space. Think of larger collectibles as the grand fountain in the front garden of a home.

Smaller items in multiples especially work well when grouped together in various sizes and finishes, offering opportunities to convert normally ignored sections of the home into newfound gallery spaces. Wendi's stairway landing gallery beautifully illustrates this idea, offering something to see whether you're going up or down.

Got something you think is especially worth highlighting? Put it under glass! A bell jar makes almost anything seem that much more valuable and delicate, even if it's a thrift store find.
When displaying a collection, consider how and where you and others will be seated and standing within the space. Displaying a collection is partially a game of catching a person's eye; take note of the view from specific points in the room to help determine where to display your collectibles, and whether to organize them vertically or horizontally. Or even better, try finding opportunities to display portions of your collection with an element of surprise, positioning certain items to only be viewable from a specific viewing angle or position. Let curiosity lead the way. Whether guests are looking up or down, offering a new perspective introduces a fun element of discovery into experiencing a collection. It also maximizes space, especially if using ceilings and walls, and can "fill in the gaps" when used strategically. In Anne and Jacob's house tour, we see a corner nook with glove molds anchoring an anatomical chart which leads up to a fun and surprising clock. Check out their house tour for more artfully displayed collections.

What if you have too much to display and too little room to display it all? Take a page from the ultimate collection organizers and do what museums do: rotate your exhibit. By displaying less at one time, you're often offering more. And by occasionally trading out items from your shelves, display cases, walls and other areas throughout the home, you'll be able to refresh your home's decor regularly without buying a single thing. Well, except for the fact you're probably continually adding to your collection, but that's something we can't help you with.

Finally, displaying a collection should be an opportunity to communicate the life you live within the space you call home, all without making it a dominating feature. The best collections are ones that feel naturally a part of the space itself...an extension of your own spirit with the collections highlighting specific interest (or obsessions) in your life. Check out Bigboy Cheng's vinyl toy collection in this house tour, for example.

With just a little planning, your collectibles can be showcased across your whole home instead of delegated to a corner shelf. Yes, even your Precious Moments collection.

If you're feeling inspired (and maybe a little bit competitive), enter to win Apartment Therapy's Do It Now challenge! You could win a sweet Etsy shopping spree!

Get the Look - Decor | There's No Place Like Here | Home Interiors Gift Guide

Tags	Apartment Therapy, art, collecting, collections, decor, decorating, display, furniture, Gregory Han, home decor, homes, house tours, housewares, Los Angeles, natural history, nature indoors, shopping, Silver Lake, Vintage, Wendi Weger

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52 comments Login to add your own!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:48 p.m.

worksofwhimsy

Great ideas here. My collections always end up looking like clutter!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:52 p.m.

studiocvh

wow, i love that vintage model ship

Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:53 p.m.

TheBrassHussy

love the living room pic. Full of texture and the design even includes a deer head on the wall!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:55 p.m.

gloilocksandbody

ohhh, this is dreamland.

Feb. 17, 2009 at 1:56 p.m.

4TheSparrowsNest

Oooh, love the rustic, woodsy look of this!! It really makes me want to start redoing my own little apartment. But decorating takes bucks. Rats.

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2 p.m.

Sinta

What good ideas :) Love the vintage ship!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:03 p.m.

aimeesarmoire

Hmmm... now I'm inspired to rearrange my vintage GongBell/FisherPrice toy collection, and perhaps get a bit more creative with stairway artwork! Gorgeous inspirations and great ideas!!!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:10 p.m.

matouenpeluche

Oh swoon! Those interiors are dreamy!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:11 p.m.

JoannasPhotography

beautiful interiors!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:12 p.m.

CreasolMosaic

If I only had the space to actually collect and display things!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.

TheLimeTree

Wow, the sonic shell teapot is fantastic!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:36 p.m.

norrisdesign

The bathroom amazes me. It seems the countertop is outdated but it works here with new finishes and a mixture of objects that bring the past to the present. It's a fine compilation indeed.

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.

thelittlebrownwren

Wow, SO brilliant. Very inspiring, I need to start decorating one of these days!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.

1ofmykind

Loving the bird print grouping. Mixed frames and palettes are so much more inspiring than consistency. Must go hang art!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:41 p.m.

ellabellamay

Wonderful collection, and love the book/reading area. Great ideas, thank you!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:48 p.m.

uncharted

i really like the reading nook/lounge in the top picture...

Feb. 17, 2009 at 2:56 p.m.

nat1489

Wow, what gorgeous furnishings! I would love to live in an apt that was just as artful

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:11 p.m.

thestapeliacompany

I love her place, especially the living room.

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:13 p.m.

PipocaHandmade

I love the mix of these rustic items within a more mid-century modern feeling interior in the photos. The patterned stag heads are a wonderful (and animal-friendly!) interpretation of taxidermy!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.

FancifulForm

That red couch is amazing. *steals red couch from stork...... Innocent whistle*

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:18 p.m.

lovelygifts

I like the way you displayed the artwork on the stairway!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:21 p.m.

Greenbriar

Looks like the perfect space to read some Hemmingway!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:23 p.m.

petalandpink

I love this!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 3:54 p.m.

stilettogirl

ohhh.. i just love anne and jacobs anatomy corner. That is awesome! so many nice picks.

Feb. 17, 2009 at 4:42 p.m.

CwButcher

I love this house can I move in?

Feb. 17, 2009 at 5:36 p.m.

PeppermintDaydreams

nice article. i'm definitely a collector of treasures.

Feb. 17, 2009 at 5:37 p.m.

tomsaaristo

Positively outstanding!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 5:41 p.m.

LaireMarie

I like the plant holder - very unique design!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 6:15 p.m.

BabbidgePatch

interesting to see how other display their collections -

Feb. 17, 2009 at 6:33 p.m.

thegratulatest

Love the Apartment Therapy posts! They are right up our alley at The Gratulatest. We are after similar stuff in our Etsy shop!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 6:44 p.m.

notmoira

Neato! Love it!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 7:21 p.m.

dragonhouseofyuen

Wonderful! I just love the private reading library - what a super idea!
My many different collections are on display everywhere - in the most interesting of places!
if you love it, you'll love looking at it daily, no matter where it is and if you turn 360 degrees in every room and can smile happily then you are in your perfect dream home!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 7:40 p.m.

IcingOnTheCupcake

Beautiful space, I like the glass bell jar!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.

carebear273

OMG i love the libraryish first pick, it's so AWESOME!!!!!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 8:43 p.m.

pennyglassgirl

Stunning pics. I love to collect so this article is well-timed for me!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 9:15 p.m.

bellasparty

Great ideas!

Feb. 17, 2009 at 9:22 p.m.

budpnq

Pioneer Modern? How awesome is that?! I love the home tours. :D

Feb. 18, 2009 at 12:28 a.m.

JoyandWhimsy

Really cool!

Feb. 18, 2009 at 1:32 a.m.

jurphy

I love the little library nook and the great picture arrangement on the stairwell!

Feb. 18, 2009 at 1:44 a.m.

MagicalPonyFarm

I have that Skurvy pillow in the last apartment photo!!

Feb. 18, 2009 at 2:18 a.m.

MeAndBoo

Love the vintage wallpaper. This article is great for me as my husband and I both have big collections of "stuff", which we can't bear to give away but have not enough room to display it all, and it often looks too messy. Now I have some ideas, especially the rotation idea - good thinking 99!!!

Feb. 18, 2009 at 10:09 a.m.

pinkshowercurtain

great decorating tips! nice picks too :)

Feb. 18, 2009 at 12:51 p.m.

shopgoodgrace

This is a FABulous article!! Loving all of Gregory's tips and hints... and completely agree with and accept the fact that I do need help with the "organizing and displaying" component of my own collections. I will be implementing nearly all of his suggestions. (*this* is going to be fun!!)

Feb. 18, 2009 at 2:16 p.m.