The Story of Collectibles

Aesthetic Chase 04 - “We come to this world alone and leave it alone too.”- Sigmund Freud. While we all know that truth  why don’t we spend our lifetime in this world leaving off a few imprints of our thoughts, memories and ideals? 

I have an irresistible habit to collect things I find interesting from the time I remember. (Maybe a common habit many can relate to)  When I got married and moved into another home to make it mine, I took care to take with me most of the baggage of collections I had made along my growing years. But alas I didn’t quite succeed.  And my mom still complains on the junk I have left behind because to her all of it looks bizarre. There are design catalogs, books and samples of materials I have collected over the years of attending design exhibitions, which may make sense because I still pursue design. There are also these snippets of every sketch or drawing I have made right from my pre-kindergarten stages to my college days, which may also make sense because I pursue fine arts as a hobby. There are also these worn out papers carrying my thoughts written from the age I learnt to write. And they also make sense because I love to write and share my thoughts. But there is also this random collection of every little piece I find beautiful; like a ribbon, a sticker, a clothing tag, a colorful thread, a broken ceramic or stones, shells. The list could just go on. And most of them draw no reasons but are blatant memories to a phase or moment in my life which I wish to not let go off.   I have never ceased on this habit but reduced on my temptation to store this junk because I have learnt that it takes a huge space of storage away from the essentials. But why should you give away your memories for practical reasons? Make them a part of your home or even an essential to create a home. How? Just follow the story below.

-This is not a DIY exercise putting to use your collectibles. It’s the just the other way to use them other than just collecting them-

1. Running the Title Credits

Categorically understanding your collectibles helps in developing a character to each or a group of the same. This will draw us an idea of how important each piece of your collection is. You could also prioritize them and discard the really non-important ones at this stage.

The personalized items will carry a character that only you can identify with. You need to put it to display only if it can take up a space that everyone can identify with or at least understand it as an art object.

For eg; your collection of movie tickets
                            Can be filed and pushed into your personal drawer

                                           Put to display as a collage

Or used to upcycle an object such as a tin can or box to hold your stationary or other collectible

2. Role-play

Not many of collectibles will have a functional value so as to say. You just collect them because you just felt like or most importantly didn’t want to let go off it. If it has any direct use as function, don’t hesitate to give it away for that. If not try and identify a function it can be put to if you slightly alter its aesthetics.

For eg; a bunch of stones, shells or ceramics
                             Can be the obvious choice to fill in a transparent vase to hold plants

 

Could be pasted together to create a mat or pallet ( a tiring job if the edges aren’t regular)

                           
          
         Used as paper weights,book ends or placed over a stack of books to break the monotony
                           

                           
                                  
                                Create a random composition to use as the unique mantel piece

3. The old-world charm

For a collector all objects relating to a previous time phase are antique. So why not create a world known as the old-world charm with your memories. Bring its essence in every corner. Don’t wade your time off refurbishing it. These days it’s the distressed look that catches the eye.

Get your vintage chocolate/biscuit tins out of the store room and onto the display. They go well as accessorized storage for the dressers, study, kitchen utensils or tool ware.

The steel/brass containers act well as plant pots.  

Hang your collectibles with antique gold/neon frames as borders. The wall will look like an art director’s inspiration drawn out of his brain. 

 

4. Love for the written word

If you are a lover of words and quotes like me, you would definitely have a huge collection of books, novels, comics, articles and everything that speaks of the written world. It’s the hardest collection to let go off and all you want to do is let them live as long as you.

Keep the comics, novels and articles hard-bound by adjoining the similar ones. They will transform into a unique collection and serve for the future where kindle and tabs are replacing the fresh smell of the books. 

The book stacks can be the pseudo tables or stools holding lamps or accessories.

 Interesting anecdotes can make way for wall frames. Articles, comic strips or cover pages of novels can be framed and hung above the reading corners in the homes. 

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5. Your story

Your collectibles will have a story of its own. It will speak of your memories, your character, likes, dislikes etc. Get the stories onboard by displaying a group on the display shelves of your living or by creating a wall of display in the bedrooms, lounges or cozy corners.

Your photographs will speak a thousand words. It needn’t be just self-portraits but shots of the places you visited will speak enough of you as picture frames on walls.

You can create a wall of memorabilia with all your collectibles. It will cost you not as much as any decorative wall art and also will be all exclusive and unique.

Your achievements or thoughts in the form of accolades or work can also make for the display rather than artifacts bought out from retail stores (but take care to not overdo the trophies and certificates)

6. All beautiful is feminine

Mostly all girls can relate to collectibles such as Barbie dolls, doll houses, kitchen play sets and accessories that evolve along her growing years. All these are usually pushed into a trunk of memories as they cease to be played with. But they can take your display shelves in an elegant way.

Dolls are favored in display as the presence of these miniature faces brightens the otherwise monotonous glass/ceramic/metal artifacts. You could maybe stitch onto them a new dress representing an era or culture.

    Miniature play sets also give away interesting sights on the displays. They weave a story of their own and create dynamic levels due to drastic changes in the sizes. For eg; the kitchen play vessels can be placed along the actual kitchen display, they make the kitchen alive, new and dynamic.

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      The hairbands, accessories used as a kid will never be used later, but I love to store them for my personal liking. They can make way for up cycling storage units for the dressers. Or even deck up the gallery walls we intend to create in the living spaces. They are colorful hence can be randomly placed for pure aesthetics.

  

The End Credits... 

One might want to turn all philosophical and state that memories will never fade and do not require a material connection to be remembered for,so it might be better off to stack away these collectibles or in the first place not even start to collect them. But I beg to differ. While we are given the brains to store these memories why not find a beautiful place for them to adorn in your homes.......

Find a reason to all your stories...