Cabinets of Curiosity
What to do with lots of decorative but ultimately useless things…
Taking inspiration from the original “Kunstkammer” or Wonder room, which was a collection of sculptures and paintings mixed with “curious items from home or abroad” and thirdly “antlers, horns, claws, feathers and other things belonging to strange and curious animals”, a cabinet of curiosities was an opportunity provide a talking point and basically, to show off.
Though traditionally the Kunstkammer was to house art and natural history curios, the modern interpretation is far more varied. Though the pleasure is in the hunt and discovery of a new item, displaying a collection properly will really enable you to get the most out of it. Teapots, retro toys, apothecary bottles, whatever.
My collections of choice, my guilty pleasures, are vintage china, travel souvenirs, and anything my children have made me. Surround yourself with things you love, get them out, dust them off and enjoy them every day!
But there is only so much of your home that can be taken with tat. The best way to stop such collections from growing is to limit their expansion by housing them within a dedicated space. Ideally to follow in the steps of great collectors, you want a cabinet but it could be a cupboard, shelf or even a sideboard. Junk shop glass cabinets and dressers can easily be upcycled with a new coat of paint and are perfect for this. I house mine in an old Bureau I found on eBay. I replaced the glass with chicken wire, painted it in a chalky cream Annie Sloan paint and covered the back with vintage wallpaper samples. Have some fun with your curiosity cabinet, it’s an opportunity to be a bit bolder. Here are some of my favorite takes.
- Once your space is ready, the fun begins. I love arranging, I relish the challenge of telling a story whilst achieving a visual balance. My top tips on arranging items are:
- Choose a single colour to link all your items together. In my cabinet this is pink.
- Make small groups of similar items by function, colour, size, type etc.
- Make sure you have a balance of small medium and large objects within each group, and at least one item of colour.
- Arrange your groups in layers. The tallest/largest at the back down to the shortest/smallest at the front.
- Give your groups breathing space . Keep your groups separate to avoid overfill.
Keep moving objects around until you find a pleasant balance. Then step back and take a look. Could you swap any items to achieve a better effect? Check that your groups work in relation to eachother, and again swap or adjust items where necessary. You’ll find some lovely little views where unexpected items sit next to one another, particularly if you’re displaying multiple collections as I am. I love how the gondolier is stopping so his guests can admire the cakes on the teaspoons and how the Statue of Liberty sits next to the Eiffel Tower model my daughter made me!
Once your cabinet is complete, remember to come back and re-arrange each time you add a new item. Also, don’t be afraid to pack away some items and swap them out every now and then or insert a different colour to really change up the look.
