Collections in Monotone

One of the first antiques I ever received was the creamy-white ironstone milk pitcher that my father used as a child to bring milk from the cow to the breakfast table. My aunt gave it to me several years ago prompting my first vintage collection. The many ironstone pitchers I have collected over the years now line a shelf in my kitchen. Because they are all the same white tone they don’t visually overwhelm the room. Not long ago, I came across a small white vase my grandmother gave me when I was very young. As much as I have moved around in my life, this is one special item from my childhood that I never lost. Most recently, I began picking up similar pottery at tag sales and flea markets to display along with it on a shabby shelf of similar color.

By collecting mostly white vintage pieces I have created some unique decorative compositions in my home. When I shop for older home accessories like pottery, I’m not too picky about slight condition problems such as small cracks if they’re easy enough to hide by turning to the back when displaying. This can make collecting much more affordable than paying for items in pristine condition.

For my studio, I painted my mounted deer head collection completely white. By removing the color from these kitschy souvenirs, the shadows from their textures and features create beautiful monotone effects.

Even groupings of completely unrelated objects in similar color can make great decorative displays. So if you love to collect but resist a cluttered look, consider grouping, or even painting your collection monotone.