Creative Display

Debi Treloar

I'm a collector. I collect cakestands, glassware, photography, items from nature, white dishware, mismatched silver, typography...I don't formally set out to start a collection and I couldn't care less about the pedigree of anything I own. I'm driven purely by passion. I collect what I love.

As a result, I've learned to be a careful curator. I like to display my finds, but not all at once. I like to give them some room to unfold, to tell their stories to a careful viewer. I have no training in the art of display and I don't always get it right the first time. But I trust my instincts and over time, I'm usually able to add or remove just enough to make a vignette work. And truthfully, that's part of the fun for me. I get better as I go along.

I also learn from other people. For instance, I saw a photo from Sania Pell with a pair of scissors on a mantel. I immediately thought of a pair of shears I had in my office, not yet being used, waiting for companions. It inspired me to bring them down to my living room and they became part of my mantel display with the Inkodye botanicals.

I always think of it as writing a story. You need a good, strong first sentence. And when you have that (hopefully), the story starts to take shape. I think it's the same with creating visually appealing displays. Choose what you love and build from that moment. When you have it right, the effect will appear effortless, but nothing will be there by accident.

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