We all have them, they are irresistible. When I am walking
the aisles of TJMaxx or scouring the local thrift store for vintage gems they
call to me like little kittens that just want a home. I want them all!
Personally I have a “small” obsession with animal tchotchkes. It’s almost
getting ridiculous how many of them I have committed to dusting (which let’s be
honest, I don’t do.) The newest addition to the family is a bright pink deer
covered in pink velvet. I spent $24 on this, that’s like twelve iced coffees
from Starbucks! For me to give up iced coffee ever is pretty remarkable. This
spectacular deer has transformed I believe, the look of my living room. I
placed it with care on a dresser downstairs and watched how a boring surface became
interesting and a source of conversation.
Not all tchotchkes
are so lucky. I have a cabinet full of animal ones, random rocks I thought were
pretty, origami, pots, vases, figurines, and decorative non-functional plates.
It eventually turns into an issue when u feel guilty to throw it out, but it
takes up space, and you really do like it, but what good does that do if you
have nowhere to put It, because you bought a new one last time you went to Pier
One. Once I had a yard sale and
discovered I had seven lava lamps hiding in closets. I guess at some point I
will need a bigger house to hold all my “sitty aroundy things.” So the point of
this post is to say A. I have a problem, and B. here are some tips for avoiding
the trap of the tchotchke and how to repurpose the ones you already have.
Categorize the ones you have now. Even if you have the most random collection
on the planet you should still be able to find some theme that ties them
together. You could start with height, shape, or if you’re like me, animals. Use
this as a guide in placing them around the home. Keep similar ones together. Or
if you chose to categorize by color, keep the same colored ones together. If it’s scale keep small with small and large
with large.
Relocate = repurpose. I am a big fan of changing
accents in the home seasonally. In the spring I like to put out accent pillows
in lighter colors and put out bolder ones in the fall. Do this with your
tchotchkes, don’t leave the same ones out all the time every year. That is like
wearing the same earrings every day for the rest of your life, and unless they
are canary diamond earrings you should change it up. By placing tchotchkes in
different locations it can change the look of them. Be sure to pick locations
where they will not be in the way of everyday life. It’s no good to put it on
the bathroom counter if you’re going to knock it over every day.
Give yourself a limit.
Ways to limit yourself would be to pick one surface per room to tchotchke up,
or limit yourself by how many you will put out. A rule I tell clients is five
per room unless it is a set. Too many means too much to look at. When there is
too much to look at you will not notice the individual awesomeness of the ones
you have, you will not notice why you bought them in the first place. The
bright pink deer that I have in my livingroom is the only tchotchske in that
space. My reason for that is because it
is bright pink! Also the scale is about the same as my Pomeranian. If I put
anything else next to it you would never notice it because the deer commands so
much attention. Keep this in mind when deciding where to put your decorative
items. Sometimes one is enough. Avoid the temptation of covering every
surface.
Transform the tchotchke.
For this I like to go with scale as the determining category. Buy a can of
black matte spray paint or white high gloss and spray them. Then place them in an organized way on your
fireplace mantel. They will take on the look of a set because you have made
them all the same color and kept them the same size. Cover them in red or gold
glitter and suddenly they are a holiday decoration. This can also be a way of
making dollar store figurines look more expansive if you are on a budget. My
aunt Lori has a collection of antique tea cups that is amazing. She doesn’t clutter
every surface with them. As tempting as it is to show them off year round, she
has repurposed them by hanging them on her Christmas tree as ornaments.
Finally, how to avoid the trap of the
tchotchke you haven’t bought yet. My Mom always told me that if you
could not think of a place you were going to put it before you bought it you
probably will not find a place after you bought it. So true! Trust me, I have
tried to find a way around this for years! Unless it is your great grandmother’s
antiques that you inherited, you should probably say no if you have no idea
where you are going to put it. Some of
us are not as visual as others so if that is the case try to think of the
function it will serve. What is it you are going for? Will it be in the way? If
you have kids will you be ok with them playing with it, which they eventually
will do even if you tell them no.
