I have a friend who is a collector of many things. She has made a hobby of combing the antique stores and the yard sales in her area for the fun and funky, the interesting and the unique. When you go into her house you are immediately struck by the groupings of items of all kinds – a display case with eyeglasses from nearly every generation; a basket in which sits a variety of unusual umbrellas; and a shelf on which she has placed tea cups of all sizes, shapes, and colors.
I admire her persistence – and her love for what she does – for sure. But what I have really taken away from my friendship with her and my observation of her collecting is the beauty of similar items in a variety of styles that are grouped together. It’s really interesting and fun; especially when you consider that most of us have been brought up to believe that good design involves the matching of furniture, fabrics, and accessories.
But the truth is that the really interesting designs are born from eclectic pieces that you wouldn’t ordinarily think would work together – but then do, perfectly.
Following in my friend’s footsteps I have chosen one piece that I really love in order to start my own collection – clocks. From the time I was little I have loved clocks of all shapes, sizes, colors, and sounds. And whenever I am in a store or shopping online I immediately go straight to the clocks; they just appeal to me on every level.
But I am not combing antique stores to find my treasures. I am ordering new clocks online where I can find a host of different styles to add to my collection. And I have to say that it all really just works – my traditional grandfather clock in my front living room, my collection of different style mantel clocks above my fireplace, the modern round faced clock in one room and the country pendulum wall clock in another. It has all come together and I really love it. That’s the thing with clocks; their versatility, their presence, their simplicity – they work in every room in the house.