Expert's advice: A valuable quilt should be hung like a work of art on a wall. Otherwise, suggests Susan Obrecht of Morgan Truesdell Interiors in Stevenson, use it as an accent piece.
"I'm not a country person," Obrecht says, but if she liked the colors, she might drape it over the back of a sofa or chair "for a splash of color."
Although antique dealers might tell you the quilt doesn't have to go with other fabrics in the room, Obrecht says, she prefers to coordinate colors.
You could buy an antique rack and fold the quilt over it, displaying your favorite part of the pattern. Finally, brighten a hallway by draping a colorful quilt over the banister.
Carnival glass
People tend to either love or hate carnival glass, the inexpensive, iridescent pressed glass that comes in a variety of colors. If you fall in the first category, you may have trouble figuring out how to display your collection to best advantage.
Expert's advice: Kim Coale of Kim Coale Interiors in Baltimore warns that "less is more" in this case. To best show off your collection, pick a few pieces to arrange on a bookcase in your living room. Use larger pieces so the arrangement doesn't look too fussy.
"You don't want to look like a junk shop," says Coale.
If you love your collection, make it the focal point of your room. Because carnival glass colors can be quite striking, it's best to keep the fabrics in the room "on the quieter side."
Group the pieces together using different sizes and colors, says Coale. "The interest is in the variety."
In six months or so, put away the pieces and bring out different ones to keep the display from getting stale.
Brass items
"Brass items" is a broad category, encompassing antiques and reproductions with an antique finish, which is softer than that of new brass pieces. These might be anything from cachepots (ornamental containers) to bookends.
Expert's advice: Brass collectibles should be used, not simply displayed. A cachepot can hold a decorative plant, boxes can be an accent with glass or plates on a sideboard or a chest of drawers.
Diane Litz, in-store decorator for the Kellogg Collection in Baltimore, points out that the most popular finishes today are distressed rather than shiny-new looking. Most of us don't have time to clean, much less polish brass, so it's perfectly OK to let your brass collectibles keep their patina. She recommends polishing items (or having someone polish them) once a year.
"My husband takes our brass down to Howard Street [Antique Row] when it tarnishes," she says.
hot list of collectibles
The Internet Antique Shop (tias.com), a large online retailer for antiques and collectibles, regularly publishes a list of the most-searched-for collectibles on its site. Here are the latest:
* cookie jars
* bird-related collectibles
* brass items
* teapots
* transferware
* carnival glass
* stamps
* Avon (containers)
* Roseville (pottery)
* candlesticks
