Once you collect things, you naturally feel the urge to display them. Unfortunately, expansive collections might be too overwhelming for your MCM home. If you want to achieve the modernist aesthetic with your collectibles, and avoid creating clutter, the following tips will help you achieve it.
Display items in a formation. For example, if you’ve got three Viking glass vases that vary in height and shape, place the tallest of the three in the middle, the mid-sized one to the left, and the smallest vase to the right. This forms a triangle that is pleasing to the eye.
Group colors. Depending on the color palette you’ve chosen for your MCM home, you want to limit the number of colors used. Having too many “pops” of color can create unwanted “noise” in your home. Keep your collectibles in line with your color scheme. Be definite about choosing your colored items. They can all be the same color, or a mix of complementary ones.
Pick a number. The ideal number of items to display in any one area is from one to three, and no more than five. Going beyond three items will crowd a space and take away from the clean lines you want.
Choose harmony. Even if you only have one piece to display, make sure that it harmonizes with the items around it. Allow it to compliment the item it is displayed upon. Placing a potted plant on a glass table, or unique water pitcher in a niche above the fireplace fills a spot that needed that special “something.”
Switch out collections periodically. There’s a wonderful thing about collectibles: they store well. Since you cannot display all of your collection at once, rotate your collectibles every month or season. Everyone that comes to visit will think you’ve got something new, and you will feel the same.
