Guide to displaying a collection
Check the space as carefully as the object. A few measurements and questions, gathered before you ask, make it much easier to tell whether a piece could suit the place you have in mind.
Start with the space itself. Note the height, width and depth available, measured at the narrowest point rather than the most generous one. A shelf may be wide enough while a fixed shelf above it, a picture rail or a skirting board takes away the room you thought you had.
Then think about the route to the space and the room around it. Doorways, stairs and corners matter when a piece has to be carried in, and a display needs clear room in front so that it can be seen and reached without squeezing past other furniture.
Ask for the object's own height, width and depth, and for its weight if that is known. Ask how it stands or hangs, whether it has a base, feet or fixings, and whether anything is loose, repaired or missing. Dimensions are most useful alongside a clear idea of how the piece is meant to be held.
With older materials, condition can change what is sensible. A surface that looks sturdy may be fragile, and an old fitting may not be a reliable point of support. Treat any answer as information to weigh, and seek suitable advice before relying on a shelf, bracket or wall for anything heavy or delicate.
Look at the light in the place you have chosen. Strong daylight from a window or a warm lamp close by can be a concern for some materials, paper and textiles among them, so it is worth asking whether the piece is likely to be sensitive and noting how much light the spot receives.
Think too about handling. A piece that sits high, deep or behind other objects will be harder to reach, and each time it is moved it is handled. Consider who will be near it, including children and pets. Fixing to a wall or building a special support is a job for suitable qualified advice, and we do not offer installation.
Write down your space measurements, what the piece would stand or hang on, the light in the room and who might handle it. Add the questions you could not answer yourself, such as weight, stability or whether a part is original.
The optional dimension study on this page compares two sets of numbers you enter and shows the difference in plain text. It cannot say whether a piece will fit or whether a position is safe, so use it only to organise your measurements before you ask.
Choose the situation closest to yours to see what to measure and ask. Then edit the draft below and open it in your own email app when you are ready. Nothing is sent from this page.
A shelf looks simple, but a fixed shelf above, a lip at the front or a narrow depth can all limit what stands there. Compare the object's depth with the shelf depth, and ask whether the piece is stable on a flat surface.
The shelf is 24 cm high, 30 cm wide and 18 cm deep. Could you confirm the piece's three dimensions and whether it stands steadily without a fixing?
A wall display depends on weight, how the piece is fixed and what the wall is made of. Ask what the object weighs and how it is meant to hang, and take advice from a suitably qualified person before choosing a fixing.
I would like to hang something on a wall in a hallway. What does the piece weigh, how is it fixed at the back, and is any fitting old or replaced?
A spot near a window or a lamp brings light and warmth that some materials may not tolerate well. Describe the position and ask whether the piece is likely to be sensitive to it.
The place I have in mind is beside a south-facing window. Is this piece likely to be sensitive to light or warmth, and what should I think about before choosing that spot?
Copy the draft into an email to [email protected]. Open your email app to review the message. If your text is not included, copy it manually. Nothing is sent or stored by this page.
Your draft stays on this page. Read an example, edit the draft, or copy it into your own email app.
Vault & Vale / Correspondence
Tell us the measurements and where you would like to display it, and we can pick up the questions with you. Your message is prepared in your own email app, so you can read and change it first.
Ask a display question ↗ [email protected]