How to Keep Your Collection From Looking Like Clutter

**FredRydr** · August 20th, 2020, 04:57 AM

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/r...e-clutter.html

I'm trying to think how to display all those pens that are presently tucked out of sight in slotted drawers.

**Chrissy** · August 20th, 2020, 05:19 AM

INHO those pictures show things that are all clutter and look like clutter.

**catbert** · August 20th, 2020, 08:11 AM

Whoever said 'display the objects, hide the stuff’ had it right. Too many objects become stuff, become clutter.
Trying to create and maintain a semblance of order and intent is basically the ongoing struggle against entropy.

**Ole Juul** · August 20th, 2020, 09:11 AM

I like to see lots of stuff. I'm very fussy about the colours and mixture of shapes though. I arrange things carefully as if I was making a painting. A rich visual experience is what I'm after. Sparse rooms with only a few objects and not very many paintings make me feel uncomfortable. Triste would be my word for that. Some people don't even have books, which puzzles me greatly. But I guess if you have a TV then there is no need for anything else as you can just live your life through that.

**penwash** · August 20th, 2020, 09:37 AM

There are far more people looking at my pen collection *online* than physically.

So it makes a lot more sense (to me anyways, not speaking for anyone else) for me to invest my time building an online "display" of my collection.

**Chrissy** · August 20th, 2020, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by penwash

There are far more people looking at my pen collection *online* than physically.

So it makes a lot more sense (to me anyways, not speaking for anyone else) for me to invest my time building an online "display" of my collection.

An online display is an excellent idea.

Clutter would be fixing them all onto a wall with some sort of holders. It's almost like a person who wants to be a minimalist but can't quite get there.

**catbert** · August 20th, 2020, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by Ole Juul

I like to see lots of stuff. I'm very fussy about the colours and mixture of shapes though. I arrange things carefully as if I was making a painting. A rich visual experience is what I'm after. Sparse rooms with only a few objects and not very many paintings make me feel uncomfortable. Triste would be my word for that. Some people don't even have books, which puzzles me greatly. But I guess if you have a TV then there is no need for anything else as you can just live your life through that.

I like a lot of books around me. They're more of an accumulation than a collection and not particularly carefully arranged, yet they don't feel like clutter. Not sure why that is.

**amk** · August 21st, 2020, 03:26 AM

For me the big thing is making my pens easily accessible. The whole point is for me to use them, so I need to be able to put a new pen in rotation without having to spend ages going into a cupboard, finding the box, taking the pen out, etc, etc.

I do love the photo in the article of the fish-shaped plates. The cat is looking at them wistfully! smart creature.