MOONLITE MONDAY: Katherine from The Old Boathouse

Well guys today we have MOONLITE-ing, Katherine from The Old Boathouse. Please help Chic Modern Vintage give her a great big welcome. She’s visiting all the way from Australia. Yes, Australia. Katherine and I share the same love of thrifting and estate sale. Before we give her the floor, we're going to quiz her a little.

CMV: Let’s begin with the proverbial question. Why did you start blogging?
Katherine: We started blogging to share our daily search for antique and vintage goodies with others who love vintage.

CMV: Five words that describe your blog as it is today.
Katherine: Fun, Eclectic vintage  Antique treasures

CMV: What is a typical day like for you?
Katherine: Well I am a Mum, so it usually begins with the normal Mum stuff of lunches, school run, washing and so on and then it depends either off to an estate to purchase goods, off to the Cottage Garden Nursery or Woolloongabba Antique Centre where we have shop spaces or photographing stock for our weekly Ebay listings.

CMV: Give is a list of 7 things that you love
1. Family and friends
2. Decorating my house
3. Gardening
4. Going to the movies
5. Searching through Estate houses to purchase items for The Old Boathouse

You have to look everywhere when you buy the entire contents of an old house!

6. Home Magazines

7. All the lovely bloggers who take the time to comment

CMV: Any recent finds or purchases that you are most proud of?
Katherine: Hard question, each week there is something really special...but the best finds are the rare items and the surprise finds that sometimes come from homes you would not think would have anything much, but you open a door and then WOW the blood rushes and you know you have found something great.

CMV: What’s in your purse you think you can’t live without?
Katherine: I can't live without the various wardrobe and door keys on my key ring...this is a good tip for those who love thrifting or going to garage sales. A lot of old doors had standard keys but these can get lost over time. People are reluctant, understandably to sell cupboards etc they cannot open and remove or check the contents. If you can open it...well that is a different story. I have been able to purchase many lovely items thanks to my small collection of various keys on my car key ring and it also impresses the seller that you are serious and girl scout prepared.

CMV: Anything else you'd like to tell readers?
Katherine: These questions are harder to answer then you think...LOL

Speed round

Modern or Vintage:  I admit I like everything, but my heart is with vintage.
Heels or Flats: Flats, you need sensible shoes to move antiques
Dress or pants: Definitely pants, dresses tend to twirl up when moving furniture...not a good look!
City or Country: The dream is country but my heart is in the noises and lights of the city
Toast or English muffin: Both! hey what can I say...I love my food...LOL

Now that we’re done quizzing Katherine and without further delay, here's Katherine....

Thanks so much Tonia for kindly inviting me to Moonlite here at Chic Modern Vintage. Today I thought I’d talk a bit about how to display collections in a fun way in our homes without them looking like displays.

Generally people that love vintage also have collections of certain specific things. The two seem to go hand in hand. Just as a love of vintage can be sparked from childhood memories, often collecting has its start there too. If you ask a collector how they got started it usually is with either one special item from childhood that belonged to or had an association with a loved one, or an item that they dreamed of having as a child and were never allowed, or the family could not afford, and now as an adult, they can indulge their desire.

As a licensed dealer in Antiques and Second hand goods for just on 17 years now, we have met and helped a huge number of "collectors" and love their passion;  But how do we display what we collect where we can enjoy them, but not have our homes look like a crammed trophy cabinet in a school hall? So I thought I would show some ideas that have helped me and maybe you could let us know some that have helped you.

Display your collection in a less traditional setting...outside the usual display cupboard or the like.

Here some of my sailor dolls sit on the exposed shelf above my kitchen entry

Another suggestion is to have small groups of items rather than a large group that can just look like clutter.

Here some of my favorite German floor vases are grouped together.

Use your collection, if you can, for other purposes. I use my mortar and pestle collection as fruit bowls...and pot plant holders

Another suggestion is to display a small selection of your collection

Swap them over from time to time so you get to enjoy them all but not all at the same time.

In my bathroom I have some of my vintage souvenir life rings on the picture rail above the tiling.

I also group Chintz China together and use it as different pot plant holders.

Please leave a comment and let us know what you collect and some of the ways you display it in your home?

Thanks a bunch Katherine for taking the time to MOONLITE with us  all the way from Australia. All of you visiting today, please visit Katherine over at The Old Boathouse.