What to do with all the stuff that becomes our lives is a question that most of us face as we look around the house. And if we want to display some of it, paralysis usually sets in as we wonder how to make it look like a collection instead of just random items. Here are some great visuals of well-done collections from a cottage-style house.

The first photo shows a quilt top that has been turned into a curtain. A collection of log cabins makes its own statement and sets the tone. Mounted onto a white fabric and hung with small clips, this is a reflection of the entire house.

The desk area was one long blank wall. Dividing it into three sections made separate spaces for display. The left metal rack holds family photos in clips that can be changed out very easily. The middle section has one colorful painting that anchors the space, and the third section on the right features a set of prints that mimic the weight of the left panel.

Over the couch is another large painting surrounded by yet more flower prints. The flowers and the boats hang together because the frames are all similar, the colors are pastel and there is a very symmetrical balance to the whole.

This next arrangement is a solution to the most problematic situation: what to do with photos of older relatives that we venerate. The matting and framing is the key to the whole look. All the frames have some black and some gold. The mats are cut to hold photos of similar size and the bottom three frames which are hung very close together anchor the arrangement.

As for the photos, obviously the larger mom and daughter are the key to the family group with related pictures on each side. The bottom frames are filled with other relatives that have meaning but when you look at them carefully, they are varied in their color and in their content, but the whole things hangs together because of the frames and the mats.

A collection of white plates also provides some interest in a bedroom. A painting is hung a little low with the plates arranged symmetrically around the edges. The whiteness of the plates and their similar shapes cause the grouping to appear as a whole.

The six paintings of cottages has been framed in matching wood and matting. The light and dark colors of the different paintings then become accents that are held together by similarities.

The final groups is the most fun because it is in the GARAGE! Yes, this wonderful collection of paintings and photos and canvases is near the entry door from the garage. The black bench anchors the canvases, the watering can picks up the blues and the blacks and everything else is just a fun balanced group of special things and special people.