Tchotchke is in the eye of the beholder!
Tchotchkes are all those knick knacks, mementos, curios, souvenirs, oddities, and "miscellaneous" items that you have acquired in your home... miscellaneous being the key word. What someone identifies as tchotchkes, really depends on that person's definition of a tchotchke. Each person can walk into a home and identify what they consider a tchotchke. However, you say tomato, I say tomahto so let's call the whole thing off! LOL
There are ways to make it look less tchotchke-ish and more like a collection.
Categorize. Cups, ashtrays, egg holders, plates, mugs, teapots, glassware, shot glasses, picture frames, and all those little things they give you when you leave a party that you don't use. If you have sets, keep those sets together.
Declutter. Now go through it. Is there anything cracked, broken, not valuable, you don't even know why you have it.... pitch it.
Make/Have Space. Look at the spaces around your home and decide which category will go where. The size of the collection may be the deciding factor on placement. Also, if there is a category that you plan to continue collecting, make sure there is space for more.
Displaying vs Placing. To an individual's eye, when there is stuff placed haphazardly, it gets labeled as junk, and can make the room stressful or uncomfortable. Eliminate those thoughts and feelings by being intentional on where they are displayed. Displaying each category intentionally will make it a collection. Note: You may need to purchase the right display organizing products to help.
Clean it Regularly. Another reason it looks like tchotchkes is because of dust and dirt. Since it seems like you are not taking care of your items, it conveys that it's not important; since it's not important then it must be junk. If you have several collections, give each its own cleaning day that way it doesn't overwhelm you.
Seasonal Audit. Every 6 months inspect all your items and do another declutter as needed.
Now go and take the steps above for all your tchotchkes, and have all your stories, for each item, ready to tell for your newly displayed collection!
Contact me here to help you with your project.
Organized by Catherine O organizes all areas of your home, maximizes your space, and problem-solves time management and productivity challenges. We are based in New York City and serve the NYC-Metro area.
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