What's a cabinet of curiosities?

Historically: a room full of natural specimens, artefacts, and instruments collected by wealthy Europeans to display their knowledge of the world. Today: a shelf or display piece that collects meaningful objects, fossils, natural specimens, vintage scientific instruments, books, rather than purely decorative items.

How many objects should I display?

Fewer than you think. A great cabinet has 7-15 carefully chosen objects, not 50. The eye reads sparse arrangements as deliberate and crowded ones as cluttered. Start with 5-7 anchor pieces and add only when something genuinely earns its place.

Do the objects need to match?

No, diversity is the point. But they should share a feeling. A fossil, a brass compass, a piece of obsidian, and a leather-bound book belong together not because they look alike but because they all have the quality of meaningful objects with history. Avoid mixing serious objects with mass-produced décor.

What kind of furniture works?

Open shelving (industrial or vintage wood) for visibility. A glass-front cabinet for protection. A shadow box for wall display. Avoid solid-door cabinets, objects you can't see are objects that don't contribute to the room.

Is this just hoarding with better lighting?

It can be if you're not careful. The line between curated collection and clutter is the willingness to remove things. A great curator regularly retires objects to storage and rotates them. Hoarding only adds; curating both adds and subtracts.

The cabinet of curiosities: a modern home decor approach